Monday, 21 January 2008
What is the Khmer translation for the word 'Khmerization'?
Recently, one of my blog's visitor, Wanna Khan, made a very valid comment about the choice of my translation of the word 'Khmerization' into Khmer as 'khmerupaniyakamm'. He raised a valid point that Khmerization should be translated as Khemarakyeanakamm ខេមរយានកម្ម. First, I'd like to explain my reason for translating Khmerization as ខែ្មរូបនីយកម្ម (Khmerupaniyakamm) instead of ខេមរយានកម្ម(khemarakyeanakamm). First, khemarakyeanakamm only came into Khmer vocabulary during the Lon Nol regime of 1970-1975 when Prof. Keng Vannsak attempted to use the Khmer language in all official documents and correspondences instead of the French language. On the other hand Khmerupaniyakamm had been in the Khmer vocabulary long before the Khmer Republic of 1970-1975. During the Vietnam War there had been talked about the ខែ្មរូបនីយកម្មសង្គ្រាមវៀតណាម or the Khmerization of the Vietnam War. The word ខែ្មរូបនីយកម្ម (khmerupaniyakamm)comes from ខែ្មរ +ឧបនីយកម្ម (Khmer+upaniyakamm) meaning making something 'Khmer'. Khmer dictionaries had been translating the word 'Khmerization' as both Khmerupaniyakamm and Khemarakyeanakamm. But, to me, the word Khmerupanyakamm is more acceptable in general usage because these days the words that end with the suffix'-ization' are usually translated with the Khmer suffix 'ឧបនីយកម្ម' '-upanyakamm', like 'globalization' is translated as 'sakalpheavupanyakamm' not 'sakalyeanakamm'. 'nationalization' is translated as 'cheatopaniyakamm', not 'cheatiyeanakamm' and 'naturalization' is translated as 'sancheatopaniyakamm' etc. In my opinion the word 'khemarakyeanakamm' only use to refer to the 'Khmerization of the Khmer language in the official usage in documents and official correspondences etc'. But 'khmerupaniyakamm' has broader appeal and usage. I would like to hear if anyone have any opinion about my translation. all comments are welcome.
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2 comments:
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។
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.
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