Ancient Angkor Inscriptions and the Question of Bi-Lingualism

One of the most easily available guides to the Angkor Temple complex (and one of my favorites) is Michael Freeman and Claude Jacque's "Ancient Angkor"

Of course I mean available here in Cambodia. Probably printed without permission. Sorry about that Messieurs. It is a magnificent book.

If you plan to visit Siem Reap, don't worry if you can't find it before you travel, the kids who hawk goods at all the major temples are well stocked with this book, and aggressive. Even if you have one already they will offer all kinds of excuses for you to buy another, like: your partner needs one; you need another to give your family at home. You know they have reached the end of their list when they ask you to buy one simply to help them out (knowing all the time that you have one already).

But all of that, taken with the right attitude, is part of the charm of your visit to these magnificent temples.

What I would like to take a look at here is a quote found in Freeman and Jacque's book in the section on inscriptions.

They tell us that most of what is 'known' about the history of the Angkor kingdoms and empire is derived from these inscriptions, more than 1,200 of them. The authors say that "it is likely that many more have disappeared, or have not yet been found." They were written in "Sanscrit or Khmer, in more or less equal quantities, but their content was very different depending on the language used."

"The difference in character between the two languages can be appreciated in the rare inscriptions incorrectly refered to as bi-lingual. Here the same facts are recounted in both languages but with a very different slant. While the sanscrit lists the gifts made to the gods by the founder, the Khmer emphasizes that the founder's family maintains the right to dispose of these gifts."

No translation, really. Same 'facts', but the meaning or import of the inscriptions varied according to the linguistic conventions that shaped their production, the audience perhaps, and the needs of the temple founder, or those who were writing a eulogy to him. The Khmer inscriptions were "written in prose and are generally more like an inventory."

Certainly worth more investigation. The inscription picture in this post can be found sitting in the open at the Angkor era temple at Tonlee Bati, Takeo Province, an hour and a half drive south of Phnom Penh.

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