Post #7

If the Amazon River were included in the linguistic world, it would be the Khmer alphabet.

Today We will begin by remembering the somewhat peculiar languages that we have known so far, among all those languages. The Pirahã always comes to light before my eyes. This time, I remember it because it had 11 letters in its alphabet. For me, a native speaker of Spanish, which has 27 letters in its alphabet, it was something very curious. Now, dear readers, you may wonder why I am mentioning this.... well

What would you think of an alphabet of 74 letters, of which 32 are vowels?

Let's move to Asia, specifically Cambodia, which has Khmer as its official language. Do you remember the language of Yoga that we saw a few weeks ago? Sanskrit has influenced this language. Which, despite its intimidating alphabet, some may believe is even easier to learn or use than Spanish. This is alleged because this language has no verb tenses, no gender, no number, and no articles in its grammar. Khmer is the oldest recorded language. 

Regional differences are small and generally mutually understandable. Based on the dialect of the capital, Phnom Penh, modern Khmer is used throughout the country and is widely understood by residents. Much of the Khmer vocabulary used in literature, the military, and administration is borrowed from Sanskrit or Pali. Due to the French colonial rule of the year, many French words have been transposed into the language as well.

How do you feel about the fact that this language contains what is considered to be the longest alphabet in the world? Do you find it easy? I certainly still find it intimidating.