Khmer language
Spoken in
- Austro -Asiatic languages Mon-Khmer languages Khmer
Km
Khm
Khm
The Khmer language ( ភាសាខ្មែរ, Phéasa Khmer pronunciation: [ p ʰ i ː ː k ʰ əsa ma ː s ]; Also: Cambodian Khmer or just ) is the official language of Cambodia. She is the mother language of the Khmer, the largest population group in the country and is counted to the Austro-Asiatic language family. It is shaped by the culture of the Southeast Asian peninsula, that is, from the neighboring languages Thai and Laotian, of the languages of Buddhism - Sanskrit and Pali. In contrast to the neighboring languages Thai, Laotian and Vietnamese Khmer distantly related is not a tonal language.
It is assumed that about 14 million native speakers, of which 12.5 million in Cambodia, 1.5 million in Thailand and Vietnam ( Ethnologue 2009). Outside of Cambodia Khmer also of minorities in South Vietnam, in the east of Thailand and in the south of Laos is spoken. The earliest written documents date from the 6th to the 7th century AD
Phonology
The modern high-level language has the following consonant and vowel phonemes:
Consonants
The consonant f is found only in a few loanwords. The consonants ʃ, z and g occur only in loanwords from French and other European languages.
Vowels and diphthongs
There are different opinions about the exact number and the exact pronunciation of the vowels and diphthongs.
Syllable and word structure
Most words are one or two syllables. The following table lists the possible consonantal Silbenanlaute ( with phonetic changes ) on.
In this possible Silbenanlaute follows one of the vowels or diphthongs. At the end of a syllable following consonants may occur: -p,- t,- c,- k,- ʔ, -m,- n,- ɲ, ŋ, -w, -j, -l and- h ( - ç ).
The most common word structure is a prefix followed by a "full" syllable according to the above description. Prefixes are unstressed and have the structure CV, CɽV, CVN or CɽVN (C stands for a consonant, V for a vowel, N for m, n, ŋ or ɲ ). The vowel of this prefix is reduced in the spoken language mostly too ə.
Words may also consist of two "full" syllables. For words with more than two syllables is usually to written language expressions, loan words from Pali, Sanskrit, from French or other languages . Even with loan words there is a tendency to adapt the pronunciation with the model prefix full syllable.
Dialects
Khmer is differentiated into different dialects. The dialect of Phnom Penh is not identical to the high-level language, but is characterized primarily by the fact that ɽ often fails and voiced consonants are spoken voiceless.
Grammar
The basic word order is subject-verb - object. Khmer is essentially an isolating language, but the words are used to form prefixes and infixes. Important when syntax: Actions are expressed in verb chains, ie, to describe an action, several verbs are usually needed.
Font
The language is written in their own Khmer script.