Languages
- Khmer (official) 95%, English, French
Other languages:
- Vietnamese, Chinese, German, Thai, Russian, Japanese, Korean.
Note: In recent decades English and Chinese have become the most attracting foreign language in Cambodia with over 70 Chinese schools and 30,000 students and 1,000 teachers. Other languages spoken in Cambodia are minority languages.
Population of Cambodia according to mother tongue in 1998 and 2008
| Mother tongue |
Language family |
census 1998 | census 2008 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | ||
| Khmer | Mon-Khmer | 10,942,066 | 95.7 | 12,901,447 | 96.3 |
| Chaam | Austronesian | 204,080 | 1.52 | ||
| Vietnamese | Vietic | 140,328 | 1.23 | 72,775 | 0.54 |
| Phnong | Mon-Khmer | 37,507 | 0.28 | ||
| Tumpoon | Mon-Khmer | 31,013 | 0.23 | ||
| Kuoy | Mon-Khmer | 28,612 | 0.21 | ||
| Chaaraay | Austronesian | 26,335 | 0.20 | ||
| Krueng | Mon-Khmer | 19,988 | 0.15 | ||
| Lao | Tai-Kadai | 24,854 | 0.22 | 18,515 | 0.14 |
| Proav | 9,025 | 0.07 | |||
| Stieng | Mon-Khmer | 6,541 | 0.05 | ||
| Chinese | Sino-Tibetan | 26,721 | 0.23 | 6,530 | 0.05 |
| Kaaveat | Mon-Khmer | 6,218 | 0.05 | ||
| Kraol | Mon-Khmer | 4,202 | 0.03 | ||
| Thai | Tai-Kadai | 2,482 | 0.02 | 2,458 | 0.02 |
| Ro ong | 1,831 | 0.01 | |||
| Por (Pear) | Mon-Khmer | 1,827 | 0.01 | ||
| Mel | Mon-Khmer | 1,697 | 0.01 | ||
| Thmoon (T' Moan) | Mon-Khmer | 865 | 0.01 | ||
| Suoy | Mon-Khmer | 857 | 0.01 | ||
| Khogn | Mon-Khmer | 743 | 0.01 | ||
| Klueng | 702 | 0.01 | |||
| S'ouch | Mon-Khmer | 445 | 0.00 | ||
| Kchruk | 408 | 0.00 | |||
| Lon | 327 | 0.00 | |||
| Raadear | Austronesian | 21 | 0.00 | ||
| Mon | Mon-Khmer | 19 | 0.00 | ||
| Kchak | 10 | 0.00 | |||
| Others & not stated | 301,205 | 2.63 | 10684 | 0.08 | |
| Total | 11,437,656 | 13,395,682 | |||
Read more about this topic: Demographics Of Cambodia
Famous quotes containing the word languages:
“It is time for dead languages to be quiet.”
—Natalie Clifford Barney (1876–1972)
“The less sophisticated of my forbears avoided foreigners at all costs, for the very good reason that, in their circles, speaking in tongues was commonly a prelude to snake handling. The more tolerant among us regarded foreign languages as a kind of speech impediment that could be overcome by willpower.”
—Barbara Ehrenreich (b. 1941)
“Science and technology multiply around us. To an increasing extent they dictate the languages in which we speak and think. Either we use those languages, or we remain mute.”
—J.G. (James Graham)