Cham
Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian, Chamic)
Western Cham (cam) is the Chamic Austronesian language of the Cham Muslim communities in Cambodia (Kampong Cham, Battambang, Pursat) and parts of southern Vietnam (An Giang, Tây Ninh), with ~190K speakers. After the fall of Champa kingdom (Vijaya, 1471 CE) to Đại Việt and the final destruction in 1832, large Cham populations fled west, gradually converting to Sunni Islam in Cambodia under Malay influence. Today Western Cham uses the Arabic script in Jawi style for religious texts; the historic Cham Brahmic script (descended from Pallava-Grantha) is preserved by Eastern Cham (cjm) in Vietnam. The language has lost the tones of Vietnamese contact and developed register based on glottal contrast.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Cham
Water
ia
/ja/
Fire
apuei
/apuei/
Sun
aditiak
/aditiak/
Moon
bilan
/bilan/
Mother
mai
/mai/
Father
amaa
/amaː/
Eat
huak
/huak/
Drink
maum
/maum/
Love
gauh
/ɡauh/
Heart
hatai
/hatai/
Tree
kayuw
/kajuv/
House
thang
/tʰaŋ/
Dog
athuw
/atʰuv/
Cat
meuw
/meuv/
Hand
tangin
/taŋin/
Eye
matá
/mata/
Hello
salam
/salam/
Thank you
tarima kasih
/tarima kasiʔ/
One
tha
/tʰa/
Good
siam
/siam/
Sources
- Ethnologue: cja
- Thurgood (1999) From Ancient Cham to Modern Dialects
- Aymonier & Cabaton (1906) Dictionnaire čam-français
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian, Chamic) languages
| Meaning | Cham | Minangkabau | Musi | Banjar | Old Cham | Iban | Lampung |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ia /ja/ | aia /aia/ | ayek /ajek/ | banyu /baɲu/ | ie /ʔiə/ | ai /ai/ | way /waj/ |
| Fire | apuei /apuei/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | apuy /ʔapuj/ | api /api/ | apui /apui/ |
| Sun | aditiak /aditiak/ | matoari /matoaɾi/ | matahari /matahari/ | matahari /matahari/ | aṇdaw /ʔadaw/ | mata-ari /mataari/ | matarani /matarani/ |
| Moon | bilan /bilan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ |
| Mother | mai /mai/ | amak /amaʔ/ | mak /mak/ | uma /uma/ | amɛ /amɛ/ | indai /indai/ | ina /ina/ |
| Father | amaa /amaː/ | abak /abaʔ/ | bapak /bapak/ | abah /abah/ | amaŋ /amaŋ/ | apai /apai/ | kemamang /kemamaŋ/ |
| Eat | huak /huak/ | makan /makan/ | makan /makan/ | makan /makan/ | bɔh /bɔh/ | makai /makai/ | nganik /ŋanik/ |
| Drink | maum /maum/ | minum /minum/ | minum /minum/ | nginum /ŋinum/ | mɛnum /mɛnum/ | ngirup /ŋirup/ | nginum /ŋinum/ |
| Love | gauh /ɡauh/ | cinto /tʃinto/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ | klɛn /klɛn/ | rinduai /rinduai/ | gawoh /ɡawoh/ |
| Heart | hatai /hatai/ | ati /ati/ | hati /hati/ | ati /ati/ | hatai /hatai/ | ati /ati/ | hati /hati/ |
| Tree | kayuw /kajuv/ | kayu /kaju/ | kayu /kaju/ | batang /bataŋ/ | phuəŋ /pʰuəŋ/ | kayu /kaju/ | batang kayu /bataŋ kaju/ |
| House | thang /tʰaŋ/ | rumah /ɾumah/ | rumah /rumah/ | rumah /rumah/ | sɔŋ /sɔŋ/ | rumah /rumah/ | lamban /lamban/ |
| Dog | athuw /atʰuv/ | anjiang /aɲdʒiaŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | asɔ /asɔ/ | ukui /ukui/ | asu /asu/ |
| Cat | meuw /meuv/ | kuciang /kutʃiaŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | pusa /pusa/ | mɛw /mɛw/ | mayau /majau/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ |
| Hand | tangin /taŋin/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | taŋin /taŋin/ | jari /dʒari/ | pungow /puŋow/ |
| Eye | matá /mata/ | mato /mato/ | mato /mato/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | salam /salam/ | salam /salam/ | halo /halo/ | salam /salam/ | — /—/ | salam /salam/ | tabik /tabik/ |
| Thank you | tarima kasih /tarima kasiʔ/ | tarimo kasiah /taɾimo kasiah/ | terimo kasih /terimo kasih/ | tarima kasih /tarima kasih/ | — /—/ | terima kasih /terima kasih/ | tarima kasih /tarima kasih/ |
| One | tha /tʰa/ | ciek /tʃieʔ/ | siko /siko/ | asa /asa/ | sa /sa/ | satu /satu/ | sai /sai/ |
| Good | siam /siam/ | rancak /ɾantʃaʔ/ | bagus /baɡus/ | bagus /baɡus/ | siam /siam/ | manah /manah/ | hayep /hajep/ |
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