The Debate Over the Translation of the Word "Khmerization" Continues...

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Wanna Khan said...
You have reason!However, I made little mistake in the last comment. I should have suggested «ខេមររូបនីយកម្ម». As you know, when we need to make a compound noun combining with the word «ខ្មែរ», we always use «ខេមរ» instead. Ex: «ខេមរបុត្រ» «ខេមរជន» ។ល។
January 20, 2008 8:03 PM
khmerization said...
Wanna,I have seen the word 'Khmerization' being translated as ខេមររូបនីយកម្ម​ (khemarakrupaniyakamm) in some dictionaries but grammatically it is wrong. Why I said it is wrong? Because the word 'Khmerization' comes from the 'Khmer+ization' and in Khmer ខែ្មរូបនីយកម្ម​'khmerupaniyakamm' comes from the word ខែ្មរ +ឧបនីយកម្ម . Only one 'r' not two 'r's' as in ខេមររូបនីយកម្ម(khemarakrupaniyakamm). The question is, where does the extra 'r' come from? If 'khmerization' is translated as ខេមរូបនីយកម្ម(khemarupaniyakamm) then it is gramatically correct and it makes more sense because the word comes from ខេមរះ+ឧបនីយកម្ម'khemara+upaniyakamm'. Only one 'r' instead of the two 'r's'. You are very right that, in the Khmer language, when we want to combine a compound noun, if the word is from Pali or Sanskrit the suffix of that word must be from Pali or Sanskrit as well. It cannot be a pure Khmer word. But the word ខែ្មរ'Khmer' is not a pure Khmer word. It is a Pali word derived from the word ខេមរះ'khemarak'. You are not wrong. But in the past I have never seen the wordខេមររូបនីយកម្ម'khemarakrupaniyakamm' used anywhere yet but I've seen the word ខែ្មរូបនីយកម្ម'khmerupaniyakamm' being used somewhere a few times before. Anyway, thanks for your comments. you are such a smart young man. I think we should leave the translation of this word to the expert. Thanks.