| Kambojan | |
| States: | Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and India |
| Era: | 600BC - ? |
| Familycolor: | Indo-European |
| Fam2: | Indo-Iranian |
| Fam3: | Iranian |
Kambojan is a poorly attested Indo-Iranian language spoken by Kambojas, a tribe that lived in modern day Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Only two words are known, and at the present moment Kambojan is an unclasssifed Iranian language.
In Yaska's book Nirukta, he comments that the word "Shavati", a verb of motion, is exclusively used by Kambojas. The same word is echoed again by grammarian Patanjali in his text, Mahabhasya. However Patanjali also notes that the word "zav" was also used by Kambojas.Gerard Fussman suggests that the unknown language in the inscriptions of Dasht-e-Nawar was perhaps spoken by Kambojas possibly an earlier Ormuri language. French linguist, Emile Benveniste believed that the Ashokan Kandahar inscriptions had two non-indo-aryan languages. He believed that the Aramao-Iranian language may have been used by Kambojas. Iranlogists Mary Boyce and Frantz Grenet also support the idea saying "The fact that Aramaic versions were made indicates that the Kambojas enjoyed a measure of autonomy, and that they not only preserved their Iranian identity, but were governed in some measure by members of their own community, on whom was laid the responsibility of transmitting to them the king's words, and having these engraved on stone."[1] [2]
Dr. Ernest Kuhn believed Kambojas spoke a language that was Indo-Aryan and Iranian. Dr. G. A. Grierson believed that Kambojas spoke an Indo-Aryan with Iranian loanwords or a language that was part Indo-Aryan and Iranian. However he redacted his answer believing that Kambojas spoke an Iranian language instead.[3]