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About our names How many ways have you seen our name spelled? Kmhmú Khamou, Kamu, Khmmu, Khmu. The Roman alphabet, employed by languages such as English, does not easily spell a word that has been used for centuries by a people in the jungle highlands of Southeast Asia, who themselves lack a written language. The preferred spelling is “Kmhmú”, meaning ‘the people’ or ‘a person’. There is an accent on the final letter, ú, to emphasis the last syllable. If only “Kha” is sounded it will signify ‘slave’ or ‘kill’. Much as the American Indians were made outcasts in their own lands, so the Kmhmú had to flee to the jungle highlands following the successful invasions of the 13th Century as the ethnic Tai peoples, themselves driven out of southern China, took control of the territory of the present day countries of Thailand and Laos. It is all too common for indigenous people to be called by derisive names.
But to the contrary Kmhmú have a long and distinguished history as the first inhabitants of the country. It was the Kmhmú ancestors who built the enormous burial mounds in the shape of jars that rival in age the Egyptian pyramids. The location is known today as “The Plain of Jars”. Kmhmú legend refers to the ancient builders as giants. In the story the jars are not mausoleums but rather they held quantities of rice wine large enough for a giant to quench his thirst. The Kmhmú language has 34 consonants and 22 vowels. Its oral tradition is
rich, filled with fascinating legends and inspiring folktales. It is one of the
Mon-Khmer family of languages that are spoken from Burma to Vietnam. A lot
of scholarly work is beginning to be done on our language. Soon we will be
able to make more information available to you.
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