Khmer - Worldwide Distribution

Home » What Language Do Cambodians Speak » Khmer - Worldwide Distribution

Maybe your like

Picture KhmerSpread of the Khmer languageKhmer is the official language of Cambodia and is only spoken as a native language in a few other countries in Southeast Asia. Khmer (native name: ខ្មែរ, ខេមរភាសា, ភាសាខ្មែរ) belongs to the Mon-Khmer subgroup of the Austroasiatic language family.

Khmer is clearly most widespread in Cambodia itself. Here, 15.6 million people, or around 89% of the population, are Khmer.Distribution Khmer► Interactive map

CountryOfficial languageDistributionTotal
Cambodiayes88.6 %15,628,000
Vietnamno1.4 %1,414,000
Laosno16.5 %1,282,000
Thailandno1.3 %932,000

Origins and development of Khmer

Khmer is one of the oldest languages in Southeast Asia and can be traced back to the 7th century through historical inscriptions. Its geographical origins lie in present-day Cambodia and parts of southern Vietnam. The Khmer language developed from Proto-Mon-Khmer, which was spoken by the early population groups in this region. The language was significantly influenced by the Khmer Empire, also known as the Angkor Empire, which existed from the 9th to the 15th century. During this heyday, the language also spread to neighboring regions and became the lingua franca in other parts of Southeast Asia.

The development of Khmer is divided into three main phases: Old Khmer (up to the 14th century), Middle Khmer (from the 14th to the 18th century) and Modern Khmer, which has been spoken since the 18th century. Old Khmer is documented by stone inscriptions and was the language of the Angkor Empire. Middle Khmer already shows some changes in grammar and vocabulary, partly influenced by Sanskrit and Pali through religious and cultural contacts, especially with India. Modern Khmer, the Khmer spoken today, shows more developed phonetic and grammatical characteristics and has influences from French, which is due to the colonial past under French rule in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The term "Khmer" is the name of both the language and the script and also of the largest ethnic group in Cambodia. Occasionally, the name is also used for all citizens of the country.

Unless otherwise described in the text, this page is about native speakers — not the total number of speakers. How many people understand or speak Khmer as a subsequently learned language is not the subject of this page. Countries where native speakers make up only a few thousand, or even a few hundred people, or countries with a percentage well below 1% are unlikely to be listed here.

Official language, national language or lingua franca: explanation of frequently used terms🔎︎

Tag » What Language Do Cambodians Speak