Khmer

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Khmer

Khmer (/kəˈmɛər/; Khmer: ខ្មែរ, Khmae, pronounced [kʰmae]), also known as Cambodian, is the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austroasiatic language (after Vietnamese), with speakers in the tens of millions. Khmer has been influenced considerably by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious registers, through Hinduism and Buddhism.

Etymology

The term "Khmer" is derived from the Khmer people, an ethnic group native to Southeast Asia. The word "Khmer" itself is thought to come from the Sanskrit word "Kshma" or "Kambuja," which means "born of Kambu."

Pronunciation

The pronunciation of Khmer varies depending on the region and the speaker's native language. The standard pronunciation is /kəˈmɛər/.

Related Terms

  • Austroasiatic languages: A large language family of mainland Southeast Asia, also scattered throughout India, Bangladesh, Nepal and the southern border of China.
  • Sanskrit: An ancient Indo-Aryan language of India, in which the Hindu scriptures and classical Indian epic poems are written and from which many northern Indian languages are derived.
  • Pali: An ancient language of the Indian subcontinent, used in the scriptures of Theravada Buddhism.
  • Hinduism: A major religion and cultural tradition of South Asia, developed from Vedic religion.
  • Buddhism: A religion, originated in India by Buddha (Gautama) and later spreading to China, Burma, Japan, Tibet, and parts of southeast Asia.
  • Cambodia: A country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia.

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