Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Pearic languages

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Geographic distribution
  
Indo-China

Subdivisions
  
Chong Pear

Linguistic classification
  
Austroasiatic Pearic

Glottolog
  
pear1246

The Pearic languages are a group of endangered languages of the Eastern Mon–Khmer branch of the Austroasiatic language family, spoken by Pear people (the Por, the Samré, the Samray, the Suoy, and the Chong) living in western Cambodia and southeastern Thailand.

Pearic languages are remnants of the aboriginal languages of much of Cambodia, but have dwindled in numbers due to assimilation. "Pear" is a pejorative term meaning slave or caste.

Classification

Paul Sidwell proposed the following classification of the Pearic languages in (Sidwell 2009:137), synthesizing analyses from Headley (1985), Choosri (2002), Martin (1974), and Peiros (2004) He divides Pearic into two primary branches (Pear and Chong), with Chong being further divided into four groups.

  • Pear of Kompong Thom (Baradat ms.)
  • Chong
  • Southern
  • Suoi of Kampong Speu (Pannetier ms., Baradat ms.)
  • Saoch, two dialects:
  • Chung of Cambodia - Phum Veal Renh, Prey Nob District in Kampong Som (Isara Chooseri 2007), (Pannetier ms.)
  • Chung of Thailand - Kanchanaburi (Isara Chooseri 2007)
  • Western (Chong)
  • Chong of Chantaburi (Baradat ms.)
  • (Branch)
  • Chong həəp (Martin 1974)
  • Khlong Phlu Chong (Siripen Ungsitibonporn 2001)
  • (Branch)
  • Chong lɔɔ (Martin 1974)
  • Wang Kraphrae Chong (Siripen Ungsitibonporn 2001)
  • Chong (Huffman 1983)
  • Central (Samre)
  • Samre of Pursat
  • Samre (Pornsawan Ploykaew 2001)
  • Chong (Baradat ms.)
  • Kasong (Noppawan Thongkham 2003), historically called, Chong of Trat (Pannetier ms., Isarangura 1935)
  • Northern (Somray)
  • Somray of Battambang (Baradat ms.)
  • Somre of Siem Reap [extinct] (Moura 1883)

    • References

    Pearic languages Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA