Somray language explained

Somray language should not be confused with Samre language.

Somray
Also Known As:	Northern Chong
States:	Cambodia
Region:	Pursat Province
Speakers:	4,100
Date:	2005
Ref:	e18
Familycolor:	Austro-Asiatic
Fam2:	Pearic
Fam3:	Chong languages
Iso3:	smu
Lc1:	sxm
Ld1:	Somre of Siem Reap
Script:	Khmer script
Glotto:	somr1240
Glottorefname:	Somray of Battambang–Somre of Siem Reap

Somray, or Northern Chong, is a Pearic language of Cambodia.

Geographical distribution

Somray is spoken in the following areas of Cambodia.

• Battambang province

Phumi Chhak Rokar area (Baradat ms.)

• Koh Kong province

far north

• Pursat province

2 areas, north, east, and west of Phum Tasanh, and Tanyong river around Phum Pra Moi

The extinct Somre of Siem Reap (Moura 1883) was a dialect of the same language.

Phonology

Consonants

		Labial	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Nasal		pronounced as /m/	pronounced as /n/	(pronounced as /ɲ/)	pronounced as /ŋ/
Stop	voiceless	pronounced as /p/	pronounced as /t/	pronounced as /c/	pronounced as /k/	pronounced as /ʔ/
	aspirated	pronounced as /pʰ/	pronounced as /tʰ/	pronounced as /cʰ/	pronounced as /kʰ/
	voiced	pronounced as /b/	pronounced as /d/
Fricative		pronounced as /v/	pronounced as /s/			pronounced as /h/
Trill			pronounced as /r/
Approximant			pronounced as /l/	pronounced as /j/

• An initial pronounced as /[ɲ]/ mainly exists from Khmer word-borrowings.
• The voiced stops pronounced as //b, d// in word-initial position are heard as glottalized pronounced as /[ˀb, ˀd]/.

Final consonants!!Labial!Alveolar!Palatal!Velar!Glottal

Nasal	pronounced as /m/	pronounced as /n/	pronounced as /ɲ/	pronounced as /ŋ/
Stop	pronounced as /p/	pronounced as /t/	pronounced as /c/	pronounced as /k/	pronounced as /ʔ/
Fricative	pronounced as /v/				pronounced as /h/
Trill		pronounced as /r/
Approximant		pronounced as /l/	pronounced as /j/

*- only in a few cases in final position.

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
Close	pronounced as /i, iː/	pronounced as /ɯ, ɯː/	pronounced as /u, uː/
Close-Mid	pronounced as /e, eː/	pronounced as /ə, əː/	pronounced as /o, oː/
Open-mid	pronounced as /ɛ, ɛː/		pronounced as /ɔ, ɔː/
Open		pronounced as /a, aː/

• Vowels may also occur as glottalized pronounced as /[Vˀ]/.
• Vowels pronounced as //ɯ, ɯː// can be heard as either back pronounced as /[ɯ, ɯː]/ or central pronounced as /[ɨ, ɨː]/.
• pronounced as //a// can also be heard as pronounced as /[ɤ, ə]/ when preceding pronounced as //n, t//.^[1]

Notes and References

1. Book: Martin, Marie Alexandrine . Esquisse phonologique du Somree . 1974 . Asie du sud-est et monde insulindien 5 . 97–106.