Page Type: languageCham, Western | Ethnologue

CJA ISO 639-3

Cham, Western

Chăm Autonym

A language of Cambodia

ISO 639
cja
Alternate Names
Cambodian Cham, Cham, New Cham, Tjam
Autonym
Chăm
Population
249,000 in Cambodia (2019 J. Leclerc). No monolinguals. Total users in all countries: 312,500.
Location:
Scattered, nearly half of the Cham in Cambodia live in Kampong Cham and Tbong Khmum provinces, where they are about 6% of the total population. Cham also live dispersed through all other provinces especially Kampong Chhnang and Kratié provinces.
Language Status
5 (Developing).
Classification
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Chamic, Chamic, Coastal, Cham
Dialects
None known. Cannot communicate with Eastern Cham [cjm] of central Viet Nam. Lexical similarity: 84% with Eastern Cham [cjm] of Viet Nam (Pawley and Pawley 2010), 69% with Jarai [jra] of northeast Cambodia.
Language Use
All domains. Used by all. Positive attitudes. All also use Khmer [khm].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 30%. Literacy rate in L2: 50% in Khmer [khm]. Many children learn to read Cham using Arabic-based script in madrassah schools. In one sect, most people over age 50 can read using the ancient Cham script called Kakha. Literature. Radio. Dictionary. Texts.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Cham, Western
Writing
Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab]. Cham script [Cham]. Latin script [Latn].
Other Comments
Small ethnic groups from Cambodia settled in Thailand but no longer speak Cham (Bradley 2007a). Muslim.

Also Spoken in

Language Name
Cham, Western
User Population
1,000 in France.
Language Status
Unestablished
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
View other languages of France
Language Name
Cham
User Population
Ethnic population: 340 (Schliesinger 2003a).
Location
Viengchan Capital City: Chanthaburi district, Ban Pounsavath Tai; Savannahkhet province.
Language Status
8a (Moribund)
Other Comments
Non-indigenous. Muslim.
View other languages of Laos
Language Name
Cham, Western
User Population
12,000 in Malaysia (2011).
Location
Scattered in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah.
Language Status
Unestablished
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
View other languages of Malaysia
Language Name
Cham, Western
User Population
4,000 in Thailand.
Location
Krung Thep province: Ban Khrue section of city (Bangkok), otherwise scattered.
Language Status
6b (Threatened)
Other Comments
Non-indigenous. Austro-Asiatic influences. Thought to be remnants of Cham who fought in the Thai army about 200 years ago. Muslim.
View other languages of Thailand
Language Name
Cham, Western
User Population
46,500 in Viet Nam (2019 census). , based on ethnicity. All Cham: 178,948 (2019 census) but as many as 250,000 (Bradley 2007a).
Location
An Giang and Tay Ninh provinces; Ho Chi Minh city.
Language Status
6b (Threatened)
Other Comments
Official Cham ethnic group includes Eastern Cham [cjm] and Haroi [hro]. Differs a bit from Eastern Cham [cjm] of central Viet Nam. Muslim.
View other languages of Vietnam

Map

Location: Scattered, nearly half of the Cham in Cambodia live in Kampong Cham and Tbong Khmum provinces, where they are about 6% of the total population. Cham also live dispersed through all other provinces especially Kampong Chhnang and Kratié provinces.