A New Dictionary of Khmer

Pronunciation

Royal University of Phnom Penh

M.A of Linguistics

Chem Vatho

Standard Khmer and Phnom Penh Dialect

Standard Khmer can be more or less assimilated to the Phnom Penh dialect.

The Phnom Penh population cant be seen as stable as people who are living in Phnom Penh Nowadays are, for most of them, coming from the countryside.

Khuon, Sokhumpu , 1970.

A system of Khmer Phonetics.

A section of Linguistics approach at the faculty of Human science of Royal University of Phnom Penh.

Vowels

Diphthongs

Central Vowels

Khuon Sokhampu uses the following symbols *+*+*+*+ to transcribe Khmer central vowels

These symbols are in fact Front labialized French vowels that are different from the Khmer central vowels *+ *+ *]

This simply amounts to say that Khuon Sokhampu had a vision of Khmer Phonetics that was strongly influence by the description of French language

Henderson, E.J.A. 1952. The Main Features of Cambodian Pronunciation.

BSOAS, Vol. XIV: Part 1: 151-174.

Vowels

Huffman, F.E. 1967. An Outline of Cambodian Grammar . Cornell University, PhD.

Huffman, F.E. 1970-a. Modern Spoken Cambodian. Cornell University, Southeast Asia Program.

Huffman, F.E. 1970-b. Cambodian Writing System and Beginning Reader. New haven, Yale University Press.

Frankline Huffman

Frankline Huffman did not use International Phonetics Alphabets(IPA) but a mixture of IPA and Traditional American Phonetics Transcription.

Another interesting point is Huffmans treatment of velar consonants [k] and *+: his transcription relies more on the script than on the real pronunciation as he doesnt consider their palatalization after the front vowels and open diphthongs.

Consonants

Labial Dental Palatal Velar Glottal

Plosive p b t d c k

Nasal m n

Trill r

Fricative s h

Approximant j

Lateral

Approximant l

Vowels Front Mid Back

i(i) ( ) u (u) Close

e e o o Close mid

Open mid

a a Open

Aperture oppositions

/i/ ~ /e/: place negative word /ti/ ~ /te/ /e/ ~ //: sky branch /mec/ ~ /mc/ // ~ /a/: edge desire /km/ ~ /kam/ // ~ //: sick wood /ch/ ~ /ch/ /u/ ~ /o/: pair cow /ku/ ~ /ko/ /o/ ~ //: cow deaf /ko/ ~ /k/ // ~ //: dumb neck /k/ ~ /k/ /e/ ~ //: to escape task /kec/ ~ /kc/ // ~ /a/: to leave to lose /c/ ~ /ca/ // ~ //: near mind /ct/ ~ /ct/ /o/ ~ //: to put table /tok/ ~ /tk/ // ~ //: Monastery to note /kt/ ~ /kt/

Long Diphthongs Front Mid Back i u Close

e o Close Mid

Open mid

a Open

Long Diphthongs

1. /i/: /ti/ duck 2. //: /ln/ to be fast 3. /u/: /ku/ to be polite 4. /a/: /ta/ but / tea 5. /a/: /ba/ If 6. /a/: /ta/ Lion 7. /oa/: /koat/ He/him 8. /e/: /ke/ heritage 9. /o/: /do/ Change 10. //: /mn/ A number (10,000 )

Short Diphthongs

front mid back

i u close

e o close mid

open mid

a open

Short Diphthongs

/pi/ word /pu/ them ; /pa/ to wear / to put on

The 3 types of consonant clusters in Standard Khmer

The first type of consonant clusters in Standard Khmer

C1+ C2 = C1C2

C1= p t c k + C2= r h or C1 = s + C2 = p t k m n l r

The second type of consonant clusters in Standard Khmer C1 + C2 = C1C2

C1 = p t c k + C2 = p t c k m n j s

The third type of consonant clusters in Standard Khmer

C1 + C2 = C

1C2

C1= m l +C2= C

1 = + C2= b d

Three types of consonant clusters

C1 + C2 = C1C2

Ex. [sman] to estimate C 1 + C2 = C1C2

Ex. [ta+ to say C 1 + C2 = C

1C2

Ex. [pdaj] Husband

A breathy voice register

Examples from the dictionary

kRm kamrai /kmraj/ [kmrai] [kmrai] [kmeaj]

kma kaml /kmla/ [kmla] [kmla]

kmac kamlc / kmlac/ [kmlac] [kmlac]

kemac kamloc / kmlac/ [kmlac] [kmlac] [klac]

kemA kamlau / kmla/ [kmla] [kmla]

kmaMg kaml /kmla/ [kmla] [kmla] [kla]

kmSt; kamsat / kmst/ [kmst] [kmst] [kst]

kmSan kamsnt / kmsan/ [kmsan] [kmsan] [ksan]

Thank you for your attention

Q&A