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Is it true that the Khmer word loey comes from the french coin called a Louis that circulated here during the Frogtime?

and for your diversion:

Otis wrote: ↑Sun Oct 29, 2017 2:31 pm Is it true that the Khmer word loey comes from the french coin called a Louis that circulated here during the Frogtime?

and for your diversion:

Yes. I hear it at least once a week.

hear what?

No it's not.

It's extremely unlikely considering France had been a republic for more than 6 decades by the time the protectorate was established.

here is an article an assertion in the text and a correction in a comment.

http://www.cambosastra.org/a-brief-hist ... -currency/

Dont think so. Thats pretty bad for a so-called education site.
The king Louis(s)) (plural) in France were all before the French revolution, thats before 1789 ish. Louis III was a king in what is now France long ago during the dark ages https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_III_of_France But there was no France at the time, and no French language.

But louis were french currency, and for a long time, like sous, the word was used as a general word for money, so maybe the word was picked up in the 19thC in Cambodia and adopted from the French. Much like pain or cafe.

I would guess it came from the French and brak was the traditional term. Cambodia would have had coins before the French came but no notes of course. They say the scheming Thai army fired those coins with holes in their cannon at the spiky bamboo around Longveik. Then after they left people cut down the bamboo to get the coins. The. Then the Thai Army returned..

bangkokhooker wrote: ↑Sun Oct 29, 2017 3:09 pm No it's not.

Well thanks for your references and an alternative explanation.

From; http://www.cambosastra.org/a-brief-hist ... -currency/

“Riel” is the 20th century name of Khmer currency. The name Riel was adopted by the khmer from the Spanish (and Portugese) word “Real”.’ The real (meaning: “royal”) was a unit of currency in Spain for several centuries after the mid-14th century, but changed in value relative to other units introduced. In 1864, the real was replaced by a new Spanish “escudo”.
While the word “Luy” dervived from the name of King Louis III of France, who introduced French currency to the Khmer Kingdom.

Possibly an error when was meant to be Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte. ?

IDK & RDC