268:
836:
317:
to the first epigraphic attestation. Their contents, like later inscriptions, tend to concern legal matters such as land and property, donations to temples, and genealogies and lineages, suggesting a society already deeply entrenched in lower
Cambodia. In terms of geography, the earliest inscriptions are concentrated in the southern parts of Cambodia and subsequent inscriptions show a south-to-north dispersal.
329:
Like other classical languages of
Southeast Asia, Old Khmer was subject to heavy Sanskrit influence. This is especially evident in religious and philosophical concepts and in calendrical numerology, for which Khmer had no equivalents, but sometimes the choice of Sanskrit words over native equivalents
316:
Old Khmer entered into the historical period rather abruptly in 611, with all earlier inscriptions in present-day
Cambodia and the Mekong Delta being written in Sanskrit. Even the earliest inscriptions, however, show a high degree of uniformity in orthography, suggesting a period of development prior
254:
The language is customarily divided into Pre-Angkorian (611–802) and
Angkorian (802–1431) stages based on both the date and the distribution of surviving inscriptions, with Pre-Angkorian inscriptions concentrated in the southern regions of Cambodia. After the abandonment of the sites of Angkor as the
870:
Pre-Angkorian (611–802) and
Angkorian (802–1431) show minor differences in orthography, reflecting perhaps dialectal differences between the south and the north of the country or perhaps just differences in convention. These differences include representations of certain vowels and consonants.
320:
Due to the primarily legalistic nature of the inscriptions, the surviving corpus of Old Khmer represents only a partial picture of the language. Nonetheless, they provide important documentary evidence of the language's phonology, morphology, and syntax as well as clues about the natural and
255:
political centre of the Khmer-speaking polity, the practice of epigraphy decreased in the following centuries but did not disappear, persisting until the 20th century. However, inscriptions after the 15th century are customarily held to reflect the
214:
dating from the early 7th century until the first few decades of the 15th century. Such inscriptions, spanning nearly a millennium and numbering well over a thousand, present one of the most extensive sources of documentation in
Southeast Asia.
238:
loanwords in the domains of religion, philosophy, and to a lesser extent, in politics. Despite this, Old Khmer retained a prototypical
Austroasiatic typology in phonology, syntax, and morphology, being
338:
There is some ambiguity in sound and grapheme correspondence in Old Khmer. In particular, plain plosives /p/ and /t/ are not distinguished from implosive /ɓ/ and /ɗ/, both sets being represented by
292:, /kmeː/) is attested in inscriptional lists specifying the ethnolinguistic affiliation of personnel attached to temples alongside terms for other ethnic groups, e.g.
1054:
913:
275:
as a decimal value. Written in Old Khmer, it is dated to 683 CE, and describes a list of gifts donated to a temple. Found in
961:"The earliest dated Cambodian inscription K. 557/600 from Angkor Borei, Cambodia: an English translation and commentary"
945:
1014:"Pre-Angkor Cambodia: evidence from the inscriptions in Khmer concerning the common people and their environment"
781:
777:
763:
759:
744:
740:
735:
731:
726:
722:
710:
706:
698:
694:
647:
627:
623:
605:
598:
584:
579:
574:
569:
536:
531:
526:
521:
509:
504:
499:
494:
489:
429:
425:
421:
417:
401:
397:
393:
383:
379:
369:
365:
361:
357:
248:
1059:
191:
82:
1013:
846:
1031:
8:
640:
545:
110:
976:
880:
462:
211:
207:
276:
267:
174:
980:
931:
516:
484:
477:
467:
244:
968:
932:"L'inscription K. 1212 du Vatt Samrong Ek dans la province de Tra Vinh au Viêt-nam"
616:
457:
199:
995:
717:
472:
234:. Along with Brahmi and Indian influence on Cambodia, Old Khmer saw an influx of
74:
972:
350:
respectively. Vowels, in particular, show a higher degree of ambiguity. Written
751:
297:
240:
219:
187:
138:
127:
271:
The Sambor
Inscription, containing the earliest dateable usage of the numeral
1048:
677:
223:
115:
87:
54:(attested in inscriptions from the Northeast, Central, and Southern Regions)
885:
256:
218:
Old Khmer was written in an early variant of the Khmer script derived from
134:
30:
158:
689:
672:
227:
835:
770:
682:
564:
301:
293:
231:
795:
593:
167:
151:
960:
286:
As an endogenous term referring to the people and language, ក្មេរ៑ (
280:
235:
195:
51:
40:
45:
272:
203:
56:
432:. Diphthongs /iːə/ and /uːə/ are represented by digraphs
226:, and in turn became the basis of the scripts used for
321:
sociopolitical environments surrounding its speakers.
304:. Its provenance is unknown, possibly deriving from
996:"Funan Reviewed : Deconstructing the Ancients"
287:
194:language historically and presently spoken across
1046:
660:
311:
59:(attested from inscriptions in the South)
1032:"Sanskrit loanwords in Pre-Angkor Khmer"
958:
266:
1055:Languages attested from the 7th century
993:
1047:
1011:
929:
911:
330:were stylistic rather than necessary.
1029:
907:
905:
903:
901:
830:
186:is the oldest attested stage of the
959:Zakharov, Anton O. (January 2019).
13:
308:"chief", "principal" or "mother".
16:Oldest stage of the Khmer language
14:
1071:
898:
834:
826:
446:
1023:
1005:
987:
952:
946:"Sealang Old Khmer Dictionary"
938:
923:
865:
262:
1:
891:
324:
768:
715:
687:
638:
614:
591:
562:
543:
514:
482:
333:
7:
973:10.31857/S086919080003960-3
874:
288:
10:
1076:
1012:Jacobs, Judith M. (1993).
912:Jenner, Philip N. (2010).
247:, having a rich system of
1030:Jacob, Judith M. (1977).
994:Vickery, Michael (2003).
730:
655:
653:
651:
646:
644:
635:
633:
631:
622:
620:
611:
609:
604:
602:
597:
588:
583:
578:
573:
568:
559:
557:
555:
552:
549:
540:
535:
530:
525:
520:
508:
503:
498:
493:
488:
476:
471:
466:
461:
456:
165:
149:
144:
124:
103:
71:
63:
36:
26:
21:
930:Bernon, Olivier (2002).
222:, a southern variant of
312:Attestation and History
259:stage of the language.
843:This section is empty.
283:
48:(in the Mekong Delta)
270:
449:Old Khmer Consonants
249:derivational affixes
210:. It is recorded in
914:"Old Khmer Grammar"
665:
451:
111:Proto-Austroasiatic
67:7th to 15th century
881:Khmer inscriptions
661:
447:
284:
43:(in the lowlands)
863:
862:
824:
823:
811:Short diphthongs
789:
788:
659:
658:
181:
180:
1067:
1039:
1038:
1036:
1027:
1021:
1020:
1018:
1009:
1003:
1002:
1000:
991:
985:
984:
956:
950:
949:
942:
936:
935:
927:
921:
920:
918:
909:
858:
855:
845:You can help by
838:
831:
791:
790:
783:
779:
765:
761:
746:
742:
737:
733:
728:
724:
712:
708:
700:
696:
666:
663:Old Khmer Vowels
649:
629:
625:
607:
600:
586:
581:
576:
571:
538:
533:
528:
523:
511:
506:
501:
496:
491:
452:
431:
427:
423:
419:
416:, can represent
403:
399:
395:
385:
381:
371:
367:
363:
359:
291:
200:Southern Vietnam
177:
161:
154:
130:
77:
19:
18:
1075:
1074:
1070:
1069:
1068:
1066:
1065:
1064:
1045:
1044:
1043:
1042:
1034:
1028:
1024:
1016:
1010:
1006:
998:
992:
988:
965:Vostok (Oriens)
957:
953:
944:
943:
939:
928:
924:
916:
910:
899:
894:
877:
868:
859:
853:
850:
829:
444:respectively.
336:
327:
314:
277:Kratié province
265:
202:, and parts of
173:
157:
150:
131:
126:
120:
106:
99:
78:
75:Language family
73:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1073:
1063:
1062:
1060:Khmer language
1057:
1041:
1040:
1022:
1004:
1001:. p. 125.
986:
951:
937:
922:
896:
895:
893:
890:
889:
888:
883:
876:
873:
867:
864:
861:
860:
841:
839:
828:
825:
822:
821:
818:
815:
812:
808:
807:
804:
801:
798:
787:
786:
784:
775:
773:
767:
766:
757:
754:
748:
747:
738:
729:
720:
714:
713:
704:
701:
692:
686:
685:
680:
675:
670:
657:
656:
654:
652:
650:
645:
643:
637:
636:
634:
632:
630:
621:
619:
613:
612:
610:
608:
603:
601:
596:
590:
589:
587:
582:
577:
572:
567:
561:
560:
558:
556:
554:
551:
548:
546:Implosive stop
542:
541:
539:
534:
529:
524:
519:
513:
512:
507:
502:
497:
492:
487:
481:
480:
475:
470:
465:
460:
455:
392:can represent
378:can represent
356:can represent
335:
332:
326:
323:
313:
310:
264:
261:
241:sesquisyllabic
188:Khmer language
179:
178:
171:
163:
162:
155:
147:
146:
145:Language codes
142:
141:
132:
128:Writing system
125:
122:
121:
119:
118:
109:
107:
104:
101:
100:
98:
97:
96:
95:
81:
79:
72:
69:
68:
65:
61:
60:
38:
34:
33:
28:
27:Native to
24:
23:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1072:
1061:
1058:
1056:
1053:
1052:
1050:
1033:
1026:
1015:
1008:
997:
990:
982:
978:
974:
970:
966:
962:
955:
947:
941:
933:
926:
915:
908:
906:
904:
902:
897:
887:
884:
882:
879:
878:
872:
857:
854:November 2022
848:
844:
840:
837:
833:
832:
819:
816:
813:
810:
809:
805:
802:
799:
797:
793:
792:
785:
776:
774:
772:
769:
758:
755:
753:
750:
749:
739:
721:
719:
716:
705:
702:
693:
691:
688:
684:
681:
679:
676:
674:
671:
668:
667:
664:
642:
639:
618:
615:
595:
592:
566:
563:
547:
544:
518:
515:
486:
485:Unvoiced stop
483:
479:
474:
469:
464:
459:
454:
453:
450:
445:
443:
442:
437:
436:
424:, /ɛ/, /ɛː/,
415:
414:
409:
408:
391:
390:
377:
376:
355:
354:
349:
348:
343:
342:
331:
322:
318:
309:
307:
303:
299:
295:
290:
282:
278:
274:
269:
260:
258:
252:
250:
246:
242:
237:
233:
229:
225:
221:
216:
213:
209:
205:
201:
197:
193:
192:Austroasiatic
189:
185:
176:
172:
170:
169:
164:
160:
156:
153:
148:
143:
140:
136:
133:
129:
123:
117:
116:Proto-Khmeric
114:
113:
112:
108:
102:
94:
91:
90:
89:
86:
85:
84:
83:Austroasiatic
80:
76:
70:
66:
62:
58:
55:
53:
49:
47:
42:
39:
35:
32:
29:
25:
20:
1025:
1007:
989:
964:
954:
940:
925:
886:Middle Khmer
869:
851:
847:adding to it
842:
827:Morphosyntax
662:
448:
440:
439:
434:
433:
412:
411:
406:
405:
388:
387:
374:
373:
352:
351:
346:
345:
340:
339:
337:
328:
319:
315:
305:
285:
257:Middle Khmer
253:
217:
212:inscriptions
183:
182:
166:
135:Khmer Script
92:
50:
44:
31:Khmer Empire
866:Orthography
517:Voiced stop
263:Terminology
105:Early forms
1049:Categories
892:References
796:diphthongs
756:/ɛ/, /ɛː/
325:Influences
981:198885161
718:Close-mid
641:Fricative
594:Semivowel
334:Phonology
184:Old Khmer
168:Glottolog
152:ISO 639-3
93:Old Khmer
22:Old Khmer
875:See also
752:Open-mid
463:Alveolar
281:Cambodia
245:analytic
236:Sanskrit
204:Thailand
196:Cambodia
175:oldk1249
52:Thailand
41:Cambodia
678:Central
669:Height
478:Glottal
468:Palatal
220:Pallava
139:Pallava
88:Khmeric
46:Vietnam
979:
967:: 66.
617:Liquid
458:Labial
428:, and
404:; and
382:, and
368:, and
224:Brahmi
37:Region
1035:(PDF)
1017:(PDF)
999:(PDF)
977:S2CID
917:(PDF)
794:Long
703:/ɯː/
690:Close
673:Front
565:Nasal
473:Velar
298:Chong
190:, an
806:uːə
803:ɯːə
800:iːə
782:/aː/
771:Open
764:/ɔː/
745:/oː/
736:/ɤː/
727:/eː/
711:/uː/
699:/iː/
683:Back
553:/ɗ/
550:/ɓ/
438:and
430:/ɤː/
422:/eː/
410:and
402:/ɔː/
400:and
394:/oː/
384:/aː/
370:/aː/
362:/ɔː/
344:and
289:kmér
273:zero
230:and
228:Thai
208:Laos
206:and
57:Laos
969:doi
849:.
820:ʊə
817:ɯə
814:ɪə
778:/a/
760:/ɔ/
741:/o/
732:/ɤ/
723:/e/
707:/u/
695:/i/
648:/s/
628:/l/
624:/r/
606:/j/
599:/w/
585:/ŋ/
580:/ɲ/
575:/n/
570:/m/
537:/g/
532:/ɟ/
527:/d/
522:/b/
510:/ʔ/
505:/k/
500:/c/
495:/t/
490:/p/
426:/ɤ/
418:/e/
398:/ɔ/
380:/a/
366:/a/
358:/ɔ/
306:mer
302:Bru
294:Mon
232:Lao
159:okz
64:Era
1051::
975:.
963:.
900:^
780:,
762:,
743:,
734:,
725:,
709:,
697:,
626:,
441:va
435:ya
420:,
396:,
386:;
372:;
364:,
360:,
300:,
296:,
279:,
251:.
243:,
198:,
137:,
1037:.
1019:.
983:.
971::
948:.
934:.
919:.
856:)
852:(
413:ē
407:e
389:o
375:ā
353:a
347:t
341:p
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