Mahasarakham University
Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management
Styles of Cambodian Speech
³ Subject: Thai in Social and Cultural Contexts
³ Lecturer: ธนานันท์ ตรงคี
³ Name: SANN RAKSMEY
³ID.: 54011015023
cccùddd
Contents
I. Preface……………………………………………………………03
II. Speech for Loyalty………………………………………………04
III. Speech of Monk………………………………………………….05
IV. Speech for high ranking officer………………………………..06
V. Speech for Elder, Parent, Teacher…………………………….07
VI. Polite Speech…………………………………………………….08
VII. Intimate Style…………………………………………………….09
VIII. Native Speech…………………………………………………….10
IX. Ancestral Speech………………………………………………...11
X. Speech for Animal……………………………………………….12
XI. Conclusion………………………………………………………..13
XII. References………………………………………………………..14
eeeòfff
Preface
Khmer employs a system of registers in which the speaker must always be conscious of the social status of the person spoken to. The different registers, which include those used for common speech, polite speech, speaking to or about royals and speaking to or about monks, speech for high ranking officers, speech for elders/parents/teachers, speech for ancestral sprits, native speech, animal speech, employ alternate verbs, names of body parts and pronouns. This results in what appears to foreigners as separate languages and, in fact, isolated villagers often are unsure how to speak with royals and royals raised completely within the court do not feel comfortable speaking the common register. Another result is that the pronominal system is complex and full of honorific variations.
As an example, the word for "to eat" used between intimates or in reference to animals is /siː/. Used in polite reference to commoners, it's /ɲam/. When used of those of higher social status, it's /pisa/ or /tɔtuəl tiən/. For monks the word is /cʰan/ and for royals, /saoj/.
In this journal, you will know how differences from type of speech to another type and some words or phrases used dissimilar in different situation but the meaning is still the same.
gggõhhh
Speech for Loyalty
Speech for loyalty is a kind of language that we use for king and the king’s family. The words or phrases are differences from our commoners’ language. The sentences are quite long with using grammatical structure correctly and quite complexity. The words or vocabularies sound so beautiful and sweet. We also use this kind of speech when the prime minister or other high ranking officers speak with the king or during the important ceremonies which were held either in Royal Palace or other high ranking places with the king’s present and sometime when we speak to or about the king.
As an example, the word for “to eat” used between intimates or in reference to commoners, it’s /ŋam/ but when we use for king, it’s /Saoj/. Another word for “food” used for normal persons, it’s /Oaha or Comney Oaha/ but for the loyalty word, it’s /Preah Kraya/. The word for “to sleep” in loyalty speech, it’s /Ptum/ but for children or teenager we say “Dak” and so on.
Speech for Monk
I have already mentioned about the language that uses with the king or loyalty. In this paragraph, I will mention about the speech for monks that differentiate from other styles of speech such as common speech or speech for elders, parents, or teacher. The words as well as phrases are dissimilar from each other. They are not only quite difficult to understand but also hard to speak or pronoun because most of the words are borrowed from Sangsikrit or Bali Language. The sentences are pretty long and complicated in which is used with complex grammatical structure. When the speaker reads it, he/she must pronoun it clearly and smoothly. The language is often used when we speak to/about the monks even we are the loyalty and high ranking person or ordinary person because they consider monks are the ones who represent the Buddha that follower have to respect.
For instance, the word for “to eat” used between common speech and speech of elders, it’s /Pisa/ but for the monk, it’s / cʰan/. The word food for loyalty, it’s / Preah Kraya/ but for monk, it’s / Conghan/ and the word “to sleep” for elder speech, it’s / Somran/ but for them, it’s / Seong/ and so on.
Speech for High Ranking Officer
This type of speech is very important in business way. The sentences as well as the words are so polite and sound sweet; especially, when the lower ranking officer speaks to the high ranking officer, they must speak carefully and use the words or vocabularies as well as the phrases correctly. The grammatical structure is included. Moreover, the speaker must speak clearly without long pauses. It is used in an important ceremonies or other business celebration.
For example, the word “to go” used for general, it’s /Tov/ but for them, it’s/Kakrona Dakorn Oan Curnne/ or /Kakrona Tiən Bros, Tiən Srey Oan Curnne/. For the word “to drink” for intimate style, it’s / Pheok/ but for them, it’s /Kakrona Lok Bros, Lok Srey Tɔtuəl Tiən Teok/ or / Kakrona Tiən Bros, Tiən Srey Oan Cournne Pisa Teok/. We need to add the word /Kakrona/ before other words when we would like to say something to them. In addition, your intonation must be low and voice must be clear and sweet with your appropriate postures.
Speech for Elder/Parent/Teacher
This type of speech is quite normal and general but it is still in polite way. The sentences are pretty simple not complexity as a few styles of speech above. The words and phrases are used in simple way that we normally speak in daily communication. The grammatical structure is still needed and the pronunciation must be explicit, one by one, not too fast and no pauses. Your polite intonation must comprise with your suitable postures.
For instance, the word “to eat” for animal, it’s /Si/ but for your parents, it’s /Pisa/ or / Hope/ or sometime we can say / Tɔtuəl Tiən/ when the doctor tells the elder patients. The word “to sleep” for children, it’s /Gang/ but for your grandmother, it’s / Somran/ or / Tɔtuəl Tiən Dom Naak/ when they were told by a doctor. Another word “to drink” for us we can say / Pheok/ but for your teacher, it’s / Oan Curnne Pisa/ and so on.
Polite Speech
This style of speech is used mostly in written such as historical books, newspapers, official book using in schools or universities, novels, assignments, theses, and other documentaries using in ministries as well as other departments. The writer has to consider about grammatical structure, word collocation, colloquial and other expressions. For daily life communication, we usually use when we have a talk with someone from different or similar ages.
For example, the word “to eat” used for similar age and in simple way, it’s “ŋam” but for elders you have to add their tittle first, it’s / Oum, Lok Oum, Lok Po, Maek Ming Oan Curnne Pisa, Hope/. The word “housekeeper” if you say / Khcoum Bom Reel/, it is impolite. So, you change to other word, it’s /Neak Nov Ca Meuy/. Another word “to die” for commoners, it’s /Slab/ for animal, it’s / Ngaob/ but to be more polite we say / Ceak Thaan/.
Intimate Style
It is a kind of style that we use in daily communication between your close friends and people who you know well. However, in family sometime we can say but sometime not. It depends on each family’s rules. We rarely care about grammar; just speak in words, phrases or syllables that can make our partners understand. It is usually used by teenagers, adults, and schoolboys. The intonation is quite hard to explain because sometime it seems like angry voice, loudly but in fact it is normal for close friends.
For example, the word “to eat” for them, it’s / Tov ŋam Oey/ or / Tov Rark Oey ŋam/ or /Tov Si Oey/ and last but not least you can say /Leang/.
Native Speech
This type of style is used for native people who live in the northeast of Cambodia such as Rattanakiri, Mondulkiri, Steong Strieng, some parts of Kratie and also the southern like Svay Rieng Province. This style is quite hard to understand and sometime you might not know since the different intonation from us. Their intonation seems like wave go down and up called Raw Dearn. The grammatical structure seems not really important for them. It is used by groups of people known as Kuoy, Somriel, Kracauy and so on.
For example, the word “hard-working” used for them, it’s /Coav/ but for us we say /Sou/ or / Toun/. The last word /Toun/ for them, it means “relax” / Somrak/ for us.
All in all, it is really difficult for us to decide the meaning between the intimate style and the native style. We need to think about the place where they are, what type of group of people they come from (Kouy or Kracauy) and so forth.
Speech for Ancestral Spirit
It is used in every province in the rest of the country. When we do something wrong to the ancestor spirits, they will go to the stupa or other worship places to make an offering for releasing their mistakes. They always say /Goun Cab, Goun Praep/ instead of word /Khcoum/ “I” and the word “to eat” replaced by / Seeb Saoj/.
Speech for animal
It is used for animal only. The words or phrases sound ugly. We do not use this style with human but if we did, that person must be a cruel one who commits the crime or worse thing in the family, or society.
For instance, to word “to eat” for animal, it’s / Si/, /Chrast/ or /Bouse/. Another word “to die” for them, it’s / ŋaoeng/ but for us, it’s /Slab/. Moreover, the word “to sleep” for birds, it’s / Tum/ but us, it’s / Oang Gouy/ and so on.
Conclusion
Khmer language is very complicated which is hard to understand. Sometime the language is dependent on the intonation and your voice. Even though you use polite speech but your intonation and voice go up or quite long or many pauses during you’re speaking to someone, the meaning will differentiate from the original one. One sentence can have two or three meaning; it is up to your intonation. For example, the sentence / Bong Tver Khos Com Pos Oun/:
The denotative/literal meaning is “You did something wrong to your girlfriend.” The connotative meaning is “You betray your girlfriend.” However, if you read it one by one and slowly--/Bong…Tver…Khos…Com…Pos…Oun/, the meaning is “Something about sexual activity.”
Last but not least, I would like to apologize for my mistakes occurring in my article—grammatical structure, vocabulary, tenses, sentence structure or the word collocation. About the information most of it comes from my idea that I used to meet in the past few year and some I get from my friend in Cambodia. It is really hard to find sources to support my ideas even I try more than three months on this topic. Therefore, I hope you understand and accept my apology.
aaaôbbb
References
v The Register Problems in Fifteen Mon-Khmer Languages, Franklin E. Huffman, Cornell University
eeeófff
ไม่มีความคิดเห็น:
แสดงความคิดเห็น