Northern Khmer 2003 Edition (KXMTBS)

Overview

The Northern Khmer 2003 Edition is a New Testament translation published by the Bible Society of Thailand in Bangkok. [1] Northern Khmer (also known as Khmer Surin or Thai-Khmer) is an Austroasiatic language spoken by ethnic Khmer communities in the lower northeastern provinces of Thailand, particularly Surin, Buriram, and Sisaket, which border Cambodia. [2] Bible portions in Northern Khmer first appeared in 1983, followed by the New Testament in 1996 and a complete Bible in 2003. [2] The translation is written in the Thai script and employs an honorific divine pronoun when referring to the persons of the Trinity, a feature common in Southeast Asian Bible translations. [3] Few Northern Khmer speakers are literate in their native language, since public schooling in Thailand is conducted exclusively in Thai. [2]

Language and People

Northern Khmer (ISO 639-3: kxm) is spoken by approximately 90,000 people in Northern Thailand. [Glottolog: nort2684]

The Northern Khmer population in Thailand is estimated at approximately 1.4-1.5 million, inhabiting the provinces of Buriram, Surin, Sisaket, and parts of Ubon Ratchathani and Chanthaburi. [2] Although culturally and linguistically related to the Khmer of Cambodia, the Northern Khmer have been part of Thailand for centuries and practice Theravada Buddhism alongside traditional spirit veneration. [2] Northern Khmer is mutually intelligible with standard Khmer to a degree, but has been significantly influenced by Thai in vocabulary and tone.

Publishing and Organizations

Published by Thailand BS, Bangkok.

References