Hi r/Cambodia
I am currently writing an academic paper on the syntactic structure of Khmer idioms. I am having trouble thinking of many idioms myself and am looking for suggestions on some idioms I could analyze.
For example in English:
Kill the dog.
Kill the night.
Kill the bottle.
These three phrases are examples of idiomatic expressions in English where the meaning of the verb is dependent on the object. Another example:
Cutting corners
Doesn't literally mean to cut corners, it means doing something poorly in order to save time or money.
I don't want English idioms translated to Khmer rather, the natural idioms in the language. It would be really helpful if you could spell the phrases phonetically because I can't read Khmer only speak. I am also not necessarily looking for 2/3-word sentences but ill take anything you have. Thank you so much.
Syntax Research on Khmer Idioms
-
- 440 newbie - handle with care
- Reactions: 0
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2020 3:14 am
syntaxresearch wrote: ↑Thu Sep 10, 2020 3:17 amHi r/Cambodia
I am currently writing an academic paper on the syntactic structure of Khmer idioms. I am having trouble thinking of many idioms myself and am looking for suggestions on some idioms I could analyze.
For example in English:
Kill the dog.
Kill the night.
Kill the bottle.
These three phrases are examples of idiomatic expressions in English where the meaning of the verb is dependent on the object. Another example:
Cutting corners
Doesn't literally mean to cut corners, it means doing something poorly in order to save time or money.
I don't want English idioms translated to Khmer rather, the natural idioms in the language. It would be really helpful if you could spell the phrases phonetically because I can't read Khmer only speak. I am also not necessarily looking for 2/3-word sentences but ill take anything you have. Thank you so much.
"Not my circus, not my monkeys" - KiR
I meant to say, 'kill the dog' (kill everything, actually) and 'cutting corners' is very Khmer, coincidentally.
"Not my circus, not my monkeys" - KiR
ot krup teuk, "not enough water" This phrase generally refers to plants that are not completely whole or are mal-formed in some way due to a deficiency of water. With people however, the phrase means "stupid". For example: samrai otkrupteuk- stupid hillbilly.
Meul neaknaamuey doch kbai meul turatua. To look stupidly with total non comprehension at some body or something. Literally "to look at someone like a water buffalo looking at television.
There are also many idioms dealing, not surprisingly, with poverty. One of my favorites,
rosi ban m'ke, m'ke refers to a bird's crop. "To earn a lving from one crop to the next. Here, again, crop does not mean harvest. To live from one day to the next or to scratch out a living.
Toat kchhawl- "to kick the wind" to be unemployed
tweer kaa peak kandaal kuot- to work half assed, ""to work with the shirt covering only half of the ass.
http://khamerican.blogspot.com/2008/01/ ... dioms.html
Meul neaknaamuey doch kbai meul turatua. To look stupidly with total non comprehension at some body or something. Literally "to look at someone like a water buffalo looking at television.
There are also many idioms dealing, not surprisingly, with poverty. One of my favorites,
rosi ban m'ke, m'ke refers to a bird's crop. "To earn a lving from one crop to the next. Here, again, crop does not mean harvest. To live from one day to the next or to scratch out a living.
Toat kchhawl- "to kick the wind" to be unemployed
tweer kaa peak kandaal kuot- to work half assed, ""to work with the shirt covering only half of the ass.
http://khamerican.blogspot.com/2008/01/ ... dioms.html
- Playboy
- 20,000 Posts; I need professional help !
- Reactions: 288
- Posts: 24827
- Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2003 6:30 pm
- Location: Hotel K: Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha
- Contact:
Have a quick look at this old 440 thread, might be something helpful in there:
https://khmer440.com/chat_forum/viewtopic.php?t=26783
https://khmer440.com/chat_forum/viewtopic.php?t=26783
"We, the sons of John Company, have arrived"
-
- Felicity Kendal Mint-Cake
- Reactions: 6
- Posts: 530
- Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2014 11:08 am
- Location: Phnom Penh
- Contact:
Not quite. Ot krup tuk (or prambuon tuk gonlah, 9.5 tuk) refers to decimeters. 1 tuk = 10cm, therefore 'ot krup tuk' is short of a metre (or 1 sandwich short of a picnic)Steeeeeveeeeeeee wrote: ↑Thu Sep 10, 2020 1:26 pmot krup teuk, "not enough water" This phrase generally refers to plants that are not completely whole or are mal-formed in some way due to a deficiency of water. With people however, the phrase means "stupid". For example: samrai otkrupteuk- stupid hillbilly.
http://khamerican.blogspot.com/2008/01/ ... dioms.html
- ផោមក្លិនស្អុយ
- Daylight, I need Daylight !?!
- Reactions: 685
- Posts: 4716
- Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2017 4:42 pm
Steeeeeveeeeeeee wrote: ↑Thu Sep 10, 2020 1:26 pmot krup teuk, "not enough water" This phrase generally refers to plants that are not completely whole or are mal-formed in some way due to a deficiency of water. With people however, the phrase means "stupid". For example: samrai otkrupteuk- stupid hillbilly.
Also, quite unfortunately is used to describe someone with downs syndrome
-
- 440 newbie - handle with care
- Reactions: 0
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2020 3:14 am
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
-
What Would Happen If a Khmer Punched a Khmer Shopkeeper On the Nose for Trying To Cheat Him?
by Aseriousman » Sat May 18, 2019 6:36 pm » in Cambodia Speakeasy - 30 Replies
- 13444 Views
-
Last post by RainMan
Fri May 24, 2019 1:02 pm
-
-
- 2 Replies
- 1548 Views
-
Last post by newnewnewbie
Tue Apr 30, 2019 7:02 am
-
- 13 Replies
- 4181 Views
-
Last post by Orichá
Wed Jan 27, 2021 6:18 pm
-
- 1 Replies
- 755 Views
-
Last post by raendi
Tue Mar 01, 2022 10:58 am
-
- 7 Replies
- 1344 Views
-
Last post by Lucky Lucan
Fri Apr 29, 2022 11:40 pm