A few more words from my neck of the woods

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taabarang
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A few more words from my neck of the woods

Post by taabarang »

I am especially looking forward to Samouth's critiques and those of other native speakers which presently seems to be only one person Ms. little salary.. But I would like to add some comments to some of Samouth's observations as follows

"Muey kumno or maa kaano or maa kaplous mean A lots.
Khmer Script: មួយគំនរ ឬ ម៉ាកានរ ឬ ម៉ាកាផ្លុះ។

So, my next door neighbor uses wood to cook with. We use gas and I keep dead wood from our property for her. So, I told her,

Ming mian oh ma kano nau kang krawii pthea nyom. Trans: Auntie, there is a pile of firewood behind
my house.

(Ming mian oh ma kano nau kang krawii pthea nyom ៖ មីងមានអុសម៉ាកានរនៅខាងក្រោមផ្ទះខ្ញុំ។ "F

First a pile or a heap of something does mean "a lot" but it is the arrangement of those things generally in one place that make it somewhat different than "just a lot."

However, if I use ma kamplus or kaplus in my village it usually means a pile of shit. In fact in order to differentiate this meaning from other ones they usually add "ma kampliey" so for example
kao ao ma kumplus ma kampliey means a pile of clothes.

Also, your understanding of rosii baan má ke ma ke is the same as mine. I gave the literal translation
so that foreigners would better understand the image and metaphor.Here are a couple more with the same meaning.
rosii baan ma kropea and rosii baan ma chrai chhnang.

The first has the meaning of only earning enough to fill the stomach on a daily basis and the second enough to fill up the pot on a daily basis.

Now as for kraim kraleum or spoke klinm kleum I can add that it is used to describe a troop of monkeys swinging from tree to tree as well a group of moto drivers riding in a group. Maybe that will ring a bell for you Samouth.

Now for some different words.

kalip-most likely from the French calibre. One hears it often and is an adjective which describes something of high quality and need I say expensive too? villa kalip, laan kalip and so on.

The polar opposite of this is "truit trom" many English words will serve here, i.e. run down, shabby, and dilapidated. When the word is used to describe people "feeble" is the best choice. The word describes damage done by aging, whether things or people.

Another commonly heard expression is ruic kluen or ruic daem. The best translation for this is to break even. You go with $100 to the casino, stay for hours and leave with $100 after gambling all night.
Another expression I recently heard was choul meun joh. This is usually said in our village by women who feel that their clothing, jewelry, etc. are not good enough to go to the event.

The next one is dak kluen. I was first suspected of this by the villagers when it became apparent that my only moto was a 20 year old Honda Cub(50cc haoii truit trom) They were certain that I was "hiding my wealth" since I am a foreigner and we are(of course) all rich. It means as previously stated to hide your wealth, but I am hard pressed to find an American idiom for it. They used to say "to poor mouth your self" but it is quite old and I doubt that it is used much anymore.

Sii dac is an interesting one. It means to steal but the difference between it and "luec" is that you steal something under the pretense of borrowing it.

One more, then I will dak kut jos(plop my ass down). This one I learned from my son who accused his sister of "squealing on him" to his mother. For Cambodians unfamiliar with our idiom, it means the same as to inform on someone. That idiom is toul peut. It is interesting because "toul" is from the royal vocabulary meaning "prap" to say or tell. Of course it has no royal overtones here.

OK, the last one and I get a lot of laughs with it. If I am offered a seat somewhere but i am not going to say long or I want to decline for any reason, I say, Äkun nah, puntai ot ai te, nyom mau pii srok cho.
I'll let a Cambodian explain the origin of that expression. That's it for now.
As my old Cajun bait seller used to say, "I opes you luck.
Samouth
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Re: A few more words from my neck of the woods

Post by Samouth »

Before i write the response i would like to say something. I actually appreciate all your hard work and effort to learn khmer and especially to try to understand khmer idioms. I know learning and trying to understand idioms is never easy. I will help you as much as i can.
Muey kumno or maa kaano or maa kaplous mean A lots.
Khmer Script: មួយគំនរ ឬ ម៉ាកានរ ឬ ម៉ាកាផ្លុះ។

So, my next door neighbor uses wood to cook with. We use gas and I keep dead wood from our property for her. So, I told her,

Ming mian oh ma kano nau kang krawii pthea nyom. Trans: Auntie, there is a pile of firewood behind
my house.

(Ming mian oh ma kano nau kang krawii pthea nyom ៖ មីងមានអុសម៉ាកានរនៅខាងក្រោមផ្ទះខ្ញុំ។ "F

First a pile or a heap of something does mean "a lot" but it is the arrangement of those things generally in one place that make it somewhat different than "just a lot."

However, if I use ma kamplus or kaplus in my village it usually means a pile of shit. In fact in order to differentiate this meaning from other ones they usually add "ma kampliey" so for example
kao ao ma kumplus ma kampliey means a pile of clothes.


You are right. Actually Muey kumno means a pile or a heap of something does mean "a lot" but it is the arrangement of those things generally in one place that make it somewhat different than "just a lot. However, it also means a lots. Muey Kumno is not a colloquial. You can use it in writing.

Right the word ma kumplus is mainly used to described a pile of shit. There was a barang said to me Orkun Ma kumplus then i explained and he never says it to me again. :) Right Ma kumplus ma kampliey means a lots and it is not particularly used to describe the pile of shit. You actually have got the best explanation for all these idioms.
Also, your understanding of rosii baan má ke ma ke is the same as mine. I gave the literal translation
so that foreigners would better understand the image and metaphor.Here are a couple more with the same meaning.
rosii baan ma kropea and rosii baan ma chrai chhnang.

The first has the meaning of only earning enough to fill the stomach on a daily basis and the second enough to fill up the pot on a daily basis.
These are great explanation. i don't have any inputs to put more. :thumb:
Now as for kraim kraleum or spoke klinm kleum I can add that it is used to describe a troop of monkeys swinging from tree to tree as well a group of moto drivers riding in a group. Maybe that will ring a bell for you Samouth
I think it might be because of the romanization. i really can't get this one. sorry.
kalip-most likely from the French calibre. One hears it often and is an adjective which describes something of high quality and need I say expensive too? villa kalip, laan kalip and so on.
I think you got it right. However, it seems like not many people use this idiom anymore.
The polar opposite of this is "truit trom" many English words will serve here, i.e. run down, shabby, and dilapidated. When the word is used to describe people "feeble" is the best choice. The word describes damage done by aging, whether things or people.
i think you got it right again. However, we don't really use this idiom to describe people.
Another commonly heard expression is ruic kluen or ruic daem. The best translation for this is to break even. You go with $100 to the casino, stay for hours and leave with $100 after gambling all night.
Another expression I recently heard was choul meun joh. This is usually said in our village by women who feel that their clothing, jewelry, etc. are not good enough to go to the event.
You have got the best explanation for this one. :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
The next one is dak kluen. I was first suspected of this by the villagers when it became apparent that my only moto was a 20 year old Honda Cub(50cc haoii truit trom) They were certain that I was "hiding my wealth" since I am a foreigner and we are(of course) all rich. It means as previously stated to hide your wealth, but I am hard pressed to find an American idiom for it. They used to say "to poor mouth your self" but it is quite old and I doubt that it is used much anymore.
You are right, however it also can be mean humble or down to earth. i e. Khom min chas peasa English te. kom dak kluen peak.
Sii dac is an interesting one. It means to steal but the difference between it and "luec" is that you steal something under the pretense of borrowing it.
You have got a great explanation for this. :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
One more, then I will dak kut jos(plop my ass down). This one I learned from my son who accused his sister of "squealing on him" to his mother. For Cambodians unfamiliar with our idiom, it means the same as to inform on someone. That idiom is toul peut. It is interesting because "toul" is from the royal vocabulary meaning "prap" to say or tell. Of course it has no royal overtones here.
Honestly your idiom is really strange. i have never heard of it. i only heard of Toul Peut and you have a great explanation for this.
OK, the last one and I get a lot of laughs with it. If I am offered a seat somewhere but i am not going to say long or I want to decline for any reason, I say, Äkun nah, puntai ot ai te, nyom mau pii srok cho.
I really don't have more inputs about this since you already got it right. However, we normally say it where there is seat or chair available, but you don't sit down.
បើសិនធ្វើចេះ ចេះឲ្យគេកោត បើសិនធ្វើឆោត ឆោតឲ្យគេអាណិត។

If you know a lot, know enough to make them respect you, if you are stupid, be stupid enough so they can pity you.
prahkeitouj
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Re: A few more words from my neck of the woods

Post by prahkeitouj »

@ tabaarang: Your explanation is great even though I'm difficult to read Khmer language in English style, But I can understand what you mean by your translation and examples. I don't have many ideas to add because you and Samouth such very good in explanation. Here is some of my ideas
-rosii baan ma ke make also same like we say rosii baan ma ros ros.
-Kalip seems people reffer to hig class people or expensive things. example srey kalip, lan koit kalip morng!
- yes the word toul mean to tell "prap" but normally we use it with puet. Toul Peut mean to tell what happen. but this word we use in negative way . for example :"A"had argument with his neighbour, B.
B fought A. When A went home, he Toul Puet his monther( he told his mum what happen to him especially B fought him). Then A's mum go to talk with B's mum that her son fought her son.
- Nyom mau pii srok cho is informal speaking and sometimes impolite to old people or the listeners. nyom mean I, mau pii mean from, Srok=country or provinces or homtown, cho mean stand. it seems to joke to listener that you don't know how to sit because in your hometown you never sit, you always stand like this. the listeners can feel that you don't like what they offer you a seat.
កុំស្លាប់ដូចពស់ កុំរស់ដូចកង្កែប
taabarang
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Re: A few more words from my neck of the woods

Post by taabarang »

No, little salary, they laugh because they are surprised that a foreigner even knows that expression. It is not considered impolite at all and the occasions are well chosen when I use it. If I have serious things to say I do indeed sit.
As my old Cajun bait seller used to say, "I opes you luck.
prahkeitouj
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Re: A few more words from my neck of the woods

Post by prahkeitouj »

taabarang wrote:No, little salary, they laugh because they are surprised that a foreigner even knows that expression. It is not considered impolite at all and the occasions are well chosen when I use it. If I have serious things to say I do indeed sit.
yes, we are happy when we hear foreigners speak like Cambidians because not many foreigners want to learn Khmer language. We will encourage them to speak even right or wrong. Here I said that SOMETIMES it impolite because this sentence just for joking. I guess if your Khmer wife speak this sentence, the people's reaction might be different.
កុំស្លាប់ដូចពស់ កុំរស់ដូចកង្កែប
taabarang
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Re: A few more words from my neck of the woods

Post by taabarang »

Ah c'mon, this sentence is usually offered in a joking manner to guests who are standing and is a joking way to offer them a seat. Mao pii srok cho?? The history of its usage is humorous.
As my old Cajun bait seller used to say, "I opes you luck.
prahkeitouj
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Re: A few more words from my neck of the woods

Post by prahkeitouj »

:-)
កុំស្លាប់ដូចពស់ កុំរស់ដូចកង្កែប
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