In a groundbreaking achievement, the Royal Academy of Cambodia (RAC) has unveiled a brand-new Khmer dictionary, marking a significant milestone in lexicography. In an exclusive interview with Khmer Times, the head of the RAC team responsible for this monumental project expressed his hope that this dictionary would set a new standard and bring unity to the diverse spellings and pronunciations in the Khmer language.
The National Council for the Khmer Language of the Royal Academy launched the updated Khmer dictionary on September 25, available in both hard copy and digital formats. This marks the first update in over five decades since the publication of the previous version in 1967, authored by Venerable Chuon Nath, fondly known as the Father of the Modern Khmer Language.
President of the National Council for the Khmer Language, Hean Sokhom, highlighted the need for this updated dictionary, emphasizing that the previous version lacked definitions for many contemporary words and phrases, particularly those influenced by technological advancements. He stated, “The new dictionary is meant to solve this problem. However, we had to start from almost nothing, as we did not have a database for those linguistic elements except for the actual examples from people.”
The inception of this remarkable project was well-received by the government, with then Prime Minister Hun Sen offering crucial financial support. Over the course of five years, a dedicated committee of 65 individuals, comprising scholars, elders, and monks specializing in various fields, worked tirelessly to compile this comprehensive resource.
Sokhom acknowledged the immense challenge of incorporating foreign words and phrases into the dictionary while also creating new terminology to align with evolving technologies. Comparing their task to the decades Chuon Nath devoted to the first-ever Khmer dictionary, he said, “Nevertheless, we did what we could and completed the work.”
The new dictionary encompasses the content of the Chuon Nath dictionary, featuring approximately 20,000 main words, alongside newly introduced vocabulary. In total, it boasts an impressive 44,697 words, with phonetic transcriptions accompanying each entry to aid in correct pronunciation.
While only 700 hard copies of the new dictionary have been published and distributed to relevant individuals and institutions, including those offering Khmer Studies programs, an additional 7,000 copies are in the process of being produced. The public is encouraged to access the digital version, freely available for download on PCs and smartphones.
Within just three days of its release, the Khmer Dictionary 2022 app surged to the number one spot in the reference category on the App Store for iOS users and reached the top four in the productivity app category on the Play Store for Android users. This instant popularity highlights the importance of such a resource in the digital age.
President Sokhom expressed his delight at the widespread adoption of the new dictionary and welcomed constructive criticism from users as an opportunity for further improvement. He emphasized that lexicography is an ongoing endeavor, as languages continuously evolve.
Furthermore, Sokhom expressed his hope that the new dictionary would serve as a standard linguistic reference, fostering unity in the use of the Khmer language across Cambodia and other Khmer-speaking regions in Asia. He stated, “We cannot force everyone to follow it, but at least, we hope the dictionary will be a new standard of Khmer language that unites the Khmer language and the nation as a whole.”
This remarkable achievement by the Royal Academy of Cambodia is not just a testament to linguistic dedication but also a step towards preserving and unifying the rich Khmer language for generations to come. The new Khmer dictionary is a beacon of progress, bridging the gap between tradition and innovation, and it promises to be an invaluable resource for Khmer speakers worldwide. Khmer Times extends its gratitude to the dedicated individuals behind this monumental project for their invaluable contribution to the preservation and advancement of the Khmer language.
Source: Khmer Times
Resource:
Download Khmer Dictionary 2022 App using the link- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=kh.gov.rac.CNUpDicADR&pcampaignid=web_share
