Khmer

Also known as Khmer language, Cambodian language, Central Khmer

Austroasiatic language of Cambodia

AI overview

Khmer is the main language spoken in Cambodia, belonging to a broader language family called Austroasiatic. It matters because it is the primary means of communication for millions of Cambodians and represents an important part of Cambodia's cultural and national identity.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Instance of: modern language
Subclass of: Mon-Khmer
Country: Vietnam
Image: GrongPreyNokor colour.png
Has parts of class: register

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Wikimedia language code: km
Commons category: Khmer language
topic's main category: Category:Khmer language
writing system: Khmer
native label: ខ្មែរ
linguistic typology: isolating language
indigenous to: Ho Chi Minh City
exact match: publications.europa.eu/resource/authority/language/KHM
category for films in this language: Category:Khmer-language films
on focus list of Wikimedia project: Wikipedia:Vital articles/Level/4
P10369: mathematics
number of speakers, writers, or signers: 1000000
P13311: Daniel Mahrer

Sources (9)

via Wikidata · CC0

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Encyclopedic overview

Khmer (/kəˈmɛər/ kə-MAIR; ខ្មែរ, UNGEGN: Khmêr [kʰmae]) is an Austroasiatic language spoken natively by the Khmer people and is an official language and national language of Cambodia. The language is also widely spoken by Khmer people in Eastern Thailand and Isan, Thailand, as well as in the Southeastern and Mekong regions of Vietnam.

Khmer has been influenced considerably by Sanskrit and Pali especially in the royal and religious registers, through Hinduism and Buddhism, due to Old Khmer being the language of the historical empires of Chenla and Angkor.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Khmer” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.