Expressing fear — Cultural note


នៅខ្មែរ មានអបិយជំនឿជាច្រើន ហើយប្រជាជនមួយចំនួនធំជឿថាមានខ្មោច ព្រាយ បីសាច អារក្សអ្នកតា វត្ថុស័ក្ដិសិទ្ធិពួកគេខ្លាចបារមីអរូបីទាំងនោះ ក្រែងពួកគេធ្វើលើសលស់ដោយមិនដឹងខ្លួនពួកគេខ្លាចត្រូវអំពើ ខ្លាចបាប ខ្លាចត្រូវគេដាក់បណ្ដាសា ខ្លាចឆុង ។ល។

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KhmerPronunciationEnglish/Notes
នៅ nɨv 1. in, at
2. to be located at, to live in or at, to reside, to stay, to be in
3. still, yet (pre-verbal marker of a durative or continuative aspect, as a final particle in the tag question ហើយឬនៅ it means 'yet' and as a reply to a question of this kind, it means 'not yet') {ញ៉ាំអីហើយនៅ? = Have you eaten already?}
ខ្មែរ kmae Khmer, Cambodian
មាន mien 1. to have, possess, own
2. to exist, there is, there are
3. to be rich, own property
4. indicates the accomplishment of an action, to happen to, to have occasion to
Notes: in spoken Khmer, negated មាន (មិនមាន or គ្មាន) can be contracted into មាន, e.g., មានអ្នកណាចង់ជួបឯង = ‘there's nobody who wants to meet you’ — contrast this with the affirmative: មានគេចង់ជួបឯង = ‘there’s somebody who wants to meet you’
អបិយជំនឿ ʔappəyyeaʔ cumnɨə superstition
Notes: also written អប្បិយជំនឿ
ជាច្រើន cie craən many, a lot, in abundance
ហើយ haǝy 1. to be finished, ended, completed
2. enough!
3. final particle indicating completed action, already, by now
4. in a future context indicates action that will be completed at some future time
5. and, afterwards, next, then, after that
ប្រជាជន prɑciecʊən the people, the population
មួយ muəy 1. one {មួយៗ = one by one}
2. one person/myself {សុំចេញមួយ = Please let me [go] out!} {សុំទៅមួយ = Please give way [for me one person]!} {សុំចុះមួយ = Please let me [one person] get off [the bus]!}
ចំនួន cɑmnuən amount, number, quantity
ធំ tʰom to be big, tall, vast, important
Notes: irregular pronunciation
ជឿ cɨə 1. to believe, to trust (in)
2. to buy on credit
ថា tʰaa 1. to say, tell, pronounce
2. that (introduces a question or indirect discourse)
3. I've [just] said, [...]
ខ្មោច kmaoc 1. corpse
2. ghost, spirit
3. the late …, the deceased
4. to be useless
ព្រាយ priey 1. to scatter/spray/emit sparks, to sparkle
2. to spurt, gush
3. class of supernatural female beings (especially the souls of women who have died in childbirth) usually seen as a will-o'-the-wisp
4. ghost, phantom
5. evil spirits believed to cause illnesses
6. class of guardian spirits believed to protect Buddhist temples and statues of the Buddha
បីសាច bəy saac monster
Notes: BCF
អារក្សអ្នកតា [ʔaarak/ʔaareak] neak taa a usually benevolent spirit protecting a place (like the forest or a house)
វត្ថុ voattʰoʔ 1. thing, object
2. matter, substance
3. wealth, property, place, farm, dwelling
4. reason, basis
ស័ក្ដិសិទ្ធិ sak sət sacred, holy
Notes: ជើង ដ
ពួកគេ puək kee they
ខ្លាច klaac to fear, to be afraid of
បារមី baareaʔməy 1. perfection, excellence, goodness, virtue, chastity
2. charisma
3. power/guardian spirit (especially one that guards Buddhist temples and statues of the Buddha)
4. power
អរូបី ʔaʔruupǝy abstract
ទាំងនោះ teaŋ nuh all of those
ក្រែង kraeŋ 1. to fear, be afraid, be in awe of
2. lest, for fear that, in case, in the event of
3. perhaps
4. Isn’t …? {ក្រែងម៉ោងម៉ាណ្ដប់អេ៎? = Isn’t [the appointment] 11 o’clock?}
ធ្វើ tvəə 1. to do, to make, to work, to prepare
2. to cultivate (a field) {ធ្វើស្រែ = to work in a rice field, be a farmer, grow rice}
លើសលស់ lǝǝh lʊəh 1. to be uneven, more or less
2. not thoroughly, not quite sufficient
3. to deviate from accepted norms
ដោយ daoy 1. by, with, along
2. (indicator of an adverb) in a ... manner
3. because
មិន mɨn negative particle not, non- (usually requires the final particle ទេ)
ដឹងខ្លួន dəŋ kluən 1. to understand, comprehend, feel, realize, imagine, conceive
2. to be aware, be conscious, be alert
ត្រូវអំពើ trəv ʔɑmpəə to be bewitched, under a magic spell
បាប baap 1. sin, evil
2. harm
3. to be sinful, bad, evil
ត្រូវ trəv 1. must, have to
2. to be correct, right, proper, exact, accurate
3. to concern, have to do with, to agree/jibe with, coincide with
4. to be affected with/by, to suffer, undergo (ត្រូវ + CLAUSE marks a passive-like construction in which the subject of the clause introduced by ត្រូវ is translated as the agent in the passive construction)
គេ kee 1. he, she
2. one, someone
3. other(s)
ដាក់បណ្ដាសា dak bɑndaasaa 1. to curse, wish someone bad luck
2. to put a curse on
Notes: ជើង ដ
ឆុង cʰoŋ 1. to brew (e.g., tea or coffee)
2. to steep, to pour boiling water over tea, herbs, noodles etc.
3. to be unlucky (e.g., related to one's fate, one's zodiac/year of birth etc.)
។ល។ laʔ etc., and so forth, and so on