or Cambodian language
Mon-Khmer language spoken by more than seven million people in Cambodia (where it is the national language), southern Vietnam, and parts of Thailand.
Khmer is written in a distinctive script, which, like the writing systems of Burmese, Thai, and Lao, is descended from the South Asian Pallava script (see Indic writing systems ); the earliest inscription in Old Khmer is from the 7th century. During the Angkor period (9th15th centuries), Khmer lent many words to Thai, Lao, and other languages of the region (see Tai languages ). Khmer itself has borrowed many learned words from Sanskrit and Pali .