Old Khmer language

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June 17, 2026

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Old Khmer was the language of the ancient Khmer empire and its capital, Angkor. It is the direct ancestor of modern Khmer, which is spoken by most of the population of Cambodia and by communities in Thailand and Vietnam. Numerous inscriptions from the 7th to 15th centuries attest to Old Khmer's widespread use and prestige. The language has significantly influenced regional languages and has borrowed extensively from Sanskrit and Pali.1

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Austroasiatic languages
Writing systems and texts
…are in Old Mon and Old Khmer in the early 7th century. The monuments of Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and Cambodia have preserved a large number of official inscriptions in these two languages. Both alphabets were in turn used as models by other peoples for writing their own languages, the Thai…
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…are in Old Mon and Old Khmer in the early 7th century. The monuments of Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and Cambodia have preserved a large number of official inscriptions in these two languages. Both alphabets were in turn used as models by other peoples for writing their own languages, the Thai…
Read More