Traces of Thai Royal Vocabulary in Middle Khmer Royal Vocabulary

Abstract

This article aims to study the traces of Thai royal vocabulary in Middle Khmer royal vocabulary by comparing the differences between Middle Khmer and Old Khmer royal vocabulary focusing on the source and word formation. Together with this, the similarity between Middle Khmer and Sukhothai royal vocabulary in their form and word formation was also studied. The findings show that the source of Old Khmer royal vocabulary was from Sanskrit and Khmer, while the source of Middle Khmer royal vocabulary was from these two languages as well as Pali. The formation of Old and Middle Khmer royal vocabulary was generally the same, but Middle Khmer word formation had such variations as the use of nominal prefix 'samฺtecbrahฺ-' and the use of verbal prefix 'dranํ-' that were not found in Old Khmer. The comparison between Middle Khmer and Sukhothai royal vocabulary reveals that the variation of formation in Middle Khmer not founded in Old Khmer was already found in Sukhothai royal vocabulary. Moreover, Sukhothai and Middle Khmer royal vocabulary shared some commonalities in word forms and formation. This indicates that Middle Khmer royal vocabulary was influenced by Sukhothai royal vocabulary.