Preferred language name(s): Khmer ([kʰmaːe])
Alternative names: Cambodian
Language classification: Austroasiatic Language Family, Eastern Mon-Khmer
Geographical areas where spoken: Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, France, United States
Approximate number of speakers: 16 million (2007)*
Other languages spoken in the community: Teochew Chinese, English, Vietnamese, French
Official language(s) in your country: Khmer
Does your language have a widely accepted writing system? Yes
If yes, what materials are written? Widely found in street signs, books, magazines, newspapers, etc. Many signs are now bilingual in Khmer/English or Khmer/French.
Language Background
My vitality assessment
Safe
Inter-generational transmission:
Most adults and some children are speakers.
Absolute number of speakers:
>100000
Speaker number trends:
Almost all community members speak the language; speaker numbers are stable or increasing.
Many people are emigrating from Cambodia to surrounding areas for work. Many younger people and people from tourist areas (Angkor Wat) speak English.
Domains of use of the language:
Used in all domains; nearly all speakers value their language;
education and literacy in the language is available; government and other institutional support for use is non-official.
Used in government, mass media, education and the workplace; most speakers value their language education and literacy in the language are valued by most community members; government and other institutions support the language.