Comments on: I have to pronounce this properly for students.

Question: I have to pronounce this properly for students.

Fuka — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:12:32 -0800

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'

By: le morte de bea arthur

le morte de bea arthur — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:18:07 -0800

I believe it's pronounced pretty much as the spelling suggests - 'ton-lay sap', with the 'ton' rhyming with 'gone'.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:02:04 -0800

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.')

By: Falconetti

Falconetti — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:06:09 -0800

"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.

By: changeling

changeling — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:24:43 -0800

I've been there too and that's essentially how the Cambodians pronnounced it

By: Fuka

Fuka — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:52:56 -0800

thanks!