Khmer

See also: khmer

English

Etymology

From Khmer ខ្មែរ (khmae). Attributed to the Pali term khemara (one who is wholesome). The elision form, ក្មេរ (kmera), is found in ancient stone inscriptions, or a borrowing from Northern Khmer เขมร (/⁠khmɛːr⁠/).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kəˈmɛə(ɹ)/, /ˈkmɛə(ɹ)/
  • Audio (Canada); [kʰəˈmɛɹ]:(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛə(ɹ)
  • Audio (UK):(file)

Proper noun

Khmer

  1. The national language of Cambodia, part of the Mon-Khmer language family.
    • 2024, Kaliane Bradley, The Ministry of Time, Sceptre, page 6:
      Despite my mother speaking Khmer to us at home, I hadn’t retained it through my formative years.
  2. An abugida used to write the Khmer language and sometimes Pali.

Derived terms

Noun

Khmer (plural Khmers or Khmer)

  1. A member of an ethnolinguistic group that constitutes most of the population of Cambodia.

Synonyms

Translations

Adjective

Khmer (comparative more Khmer, superlative most Khmer)

  1. Of or pertaining to the Khmer people or their language.

Translations

See also

  • Wiktionary’s coverage of Khmer terms
  • Appendix:Khmer Swadesh list for a Swadesh list of basic vocabulary words in Khmer

Further reading

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kmɛʁ/
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

Khmer m (plural Khmers, feminine Khmère)

  1. a Khmer person

Further reading

German

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kmeːʁ/, [kmeːɐ̯], [kmɛɐ̯]
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

Khmer m or f (strong, genitive Khmer or (masculine only) Khmers, plural Khmer)

  1. Khmer (person)

Declension

Derived terms

  • Rote Khmer m pl

Noun

Khmer n (strong, genitive Khmer, no plural)

  1. Khmer (language)

Declension

Further reading