KhemEnglish among local kids.
-
newkidontheblock
- Expatriate
- Posts: 4468
- Joined: Tue May 20, 2014 3:51 am
- Reputation: 1555
KhemEnglish among local kids.
Missus picked this up on Facebook.
Speaking KhemEnglish is becoming popular thing with kids growing in Phnom Penh. Basically mixing Khmer and English. The bigger words in English, the rest in Khmer. And being scolded by elders for not using either full Khmer or full English when they speak.
Is this just a way of showing off their fancy education (like the kid at Mario’s who speak perfect English and go on ski trips to Switzerland) as opposed to the countryside kids who don’t have access, or is this a deeper language replacement, like in Japanese?
In Japanese, many native words like ‘bag’ have been replaced by the English word. Strangely enough, the native Japanese word is still spoken in Taiwanese.
Any thoughts?
Speaking KhemEnglish is becoming popular thing with kids growing in Phnom Penh. Basically mixing Khmer and English. The bigger words in English, the rest in Khmer. And being scolded by elders for not using either full Khmer or full English when they speak.
Is this just a way of showing off their fancy education (like the kid at Mario’s who speak perfect English and go on ski trips to Switzerland) as opposed to the countryside kids who don’t have access, or is this a deeper language replacement, like in Japanese?
In Japanese, many native words like ‘bag’ have been replaced by the English word. Strangely enough, the native Japanese word is still spoken in Taiwanese.
Any thoughts?
Re: KhemEnglish among local kids.
IMHO those with a phone with communication apps don't come from the poorest, and have picked up some English, one way or another.
Since writing in English is so much easier than in Khmer my kid and friends do all the written communication in English. Spoken can be Khmer or English, depending on the situation. 'Secret' messages generally in English to keep the parents ignorant.
And this is happening in a relatively remote part of the country.
Since writing in English is so much easier than in Khmer my kid and friends do all the written communication in English. Spoken can be Khmer or English, depending on the situation. 'Secret' messages generally in English to keep the parents ignorant.
And this is happening in a relatively remote part of the country.
-
John Bingham
- Expatriate
- Posts: 13784
- Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2014 11:26 pm
- Reputation: 8983
Re: KhemEnglish among local kids.
I've noticed it with young adults. It's often for convenience as there aren't suitable words in Khmer or the ones they have are too long.
As an example that I don't think is used in speech but is used on road markings:
Imagine writing this on a road:
ចំណតរថយន្តក្រុង
chamnt rothayont krong
Or the alternative: BUS STOP
Also many young people speak English very well even though they are nowhere near going to Switzerland on holiday rich.
As an example that I don't think is used in speech but is used on road markings:
Imagine writing this on a road:
ចំណតរថយន្តក្រុង
chamnt rothayont krong
Or the alternative: BUS STOP
Also many young people speak English very well even though they are nowhere near going to Switzerland on holiday rich.
Silence, exile, and cunning.
Re: KhemEnglish among local kids.
How about the word 'you'?John Bingham wrote: ↑Wed Mar 20, 2024 7:21 pm I've noticed it with young adults. It's often for convenience as there aren't suitable words in Khmer or the ones they have are too long.
As an example that I don't think is used in speech but is used on road markings:
Imagine writing this on a road:
ចំណតរថយន្តក្រុង
chamnt rothayont krong
Or the alternative: BUS STOP
Also many young people speak English very well even though they are nowhere near going to Switzerland on holiday rich.
Can be replaced in Khmer by a plethora of words.
Re: KhemEnglish among local kids.
They've been doing this for years in Indonesia. It is essentially a way of showing you're cool. Personally I find it annoying but hey...brave new world.
Re: KhemEnglish among local kids.
Ever tried writing in Khmer language?
តើអ្នកធ្លាប់សាកល្បងសរសេរជាភាសាខ្មែរទេ?
Do you own counting. Same meaning .
Don't count the spaces. Don't forget to count the letters up and under the main text, which require a change of keyboard . Some other characters in the text require a keyboard change as well.
-
simon43
- Expatriate
- Posts: 348
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2017 3:52 pm
- Reputation: 246
- Location: Luang Prabang, Laos
- Contact:
Re: KhemEnglish among local kids.
Here in north Laos the local kids speak a mixture of Lao and Thai, not only with me but between themselves. Having made the effort with private lessons to add Lao language skills to my existing Thai language knowledge I feel like shouting 'Stop speaking Thai!" 
(or should that be 'ຢຸດເວົ້າພາສາໄທ')
(or should that be 'ຢຸດເວົ້າພາສາໄທ')
Re: KhemEnglish among local kids.
Surely, the process of English being subsumed into Khmer is just natural language evolution?
Re: KhemEnglish among local kids.
Nothing wrong with it in my book, indeed I use Khmer words that are easier or more polite than their English counterparts - and some I just love the sound of - ch'gai (dog) being one example of the latter; others like 'neeung nu' which is faster than 'the young woman over there'.
Swings & roundabouts, and I don't find Cambodians do it to show off. Even twenty years back in the remote sticks you could hear English being used (badly), stark contrast to my experience in rural Thailand back in the day.
Swings & roundabouts, and I don't find Cambodians do it to show off. Even twenty years back in the remote sticks you could hear English being used (badly), stark contrast to my experience in rural Thailand back in the day.
Meum est propositum in taberna mori,
ut sint Guinness proxima morientis ori.
tunc cantabunt letius angelorum chori:
"Sit Deus propitius huic potatori."
ut sint Guinness proxima morientis ori.
tunc cantabunt letius angelorum chori:
"Sit Deus propitius huic potatori."
-
Freightdog
- Expatriate
- Posts: 4397
- Joined: Wed May 16, 2018 8:41 am
- Reputation: 3480
- Location: Attached to a suitcase between realities
Re: KhemEnglish among local kids.
I found it especially noticeable in India/Bangladesh where technical phrases and words get adopted in, completely. Quite often in news programs. It’s less about showing off, I think, than just using comfortable, familiar or succinct language. Even if it’s just from watching foreign tv programmes.
Usually, you’d see (or rather, hear) it with specific words. Such as television, refrigerator, etc. and generally pronounced as they would be in English, even though many such words often span several languages. But then you start hearing whole terms or phrases- Television channel. Certain words stand out more, or may be pronounced in a more familiar way and then picked up by our ear.
One term that stood out for me was ‘manage expectations’. Blah blah blah in bangla ‘manage expectations’ blah blah blah.
Usually, you’d see (or rather, hear) it with specific words. Such as television, refrigerator, etc. and generally pronounced as they would be in English, even though many such words often span several languages. But then you start hearing whole terms or phrases- Television channel. Certain words stand out more, or may be pronounced in a more familiar way and then picked up by our ear.
One term that stood out for me was ‘manage expectations’. Blah blah blah in bangla ‘manage expectations’ blah blah blah.
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
- 54 Replies
- 10431 Views
-
Last post by Chad Sexington
-
- 1 Replies
- 979 Views
-
Last post by wolfcreek
-
- 0 Replies
- 1775 Views
-
Last post by Tootsfriend
-
- 0 Replies
- 1255 Views
-
Last post by rodez
-
- 137 Replies
- 19062 Views
-
Last post by AndyKK
-
- 0 Replies
- 1042 Views
-
Last post by CEOCambodiaNews
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: Semrush [Bot], xandreu and 686 guests