I have to pronounce this properly for students.

April 29, 2008 7:12 AM

In simplest possible terms, how do I pronounce the Khmer term 'Tonle Sap'

(ref: wikipedia )

Yes, I know i've omitted the accent on the 'e'

posted by Fuka to education (5 comments total)

I believe it's pronounced pretty much as the spelling suggests - 'ton-lay sap', with the 'ton' rhyming with 'gone'.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 7:18 AM on April 29, 2008

I believe le morte de bea arthur has it basically right; at any rate, that's the way I say it and the way Webster's Geographical Dictionary says to say it. It's certainly good enough for classroom use. But if you want to say it "correctly" (meaning the way a Cambodian would), you'll have to ask a Cambodian, and I don't know if we have any around MeFi. You might look for a Southeast Asian restaurant in your area and see if anyone there is Cambodian. (If you're curious, by the way, tonle means 'river.')
posted by languagehat at 8:02 AM on April 29, 2008

"ton-lay sap" is what it sounded like to me when I was there, but of course I may have been mishearing or not hearing nuances in the Cambodian pronounciation.
posted by Falconetti at 8:06 AM on April 29, 2008

I've been there too and that's essentially how the Cambodians pronnounced it
posted by changeling at 8:24 AM on April 29, 2008

thanks!
posted by Fuka at 9:52 AM on April 29, 2008