PHNOM PENH: The Royal Academy of Cambodia officially launched the 2022 version on the Khmer dictionary in both print and digital formats.

At the launching ceremony on September 25, the Royal Academy’s President of the National Council for the Khmer Language, Hean Sokhom, said that the new version is the result of a five-year project undertaken by a committee of 65 scholars, elders, monks and priests who specialize in linguistics, literature, history, economics, and other specialized fields.

The new dictionary is the fifth version to be released since 1967 and has a total of 44,697 words. This is a great deal more than Cambodia’s revered Venerable Chuon Nath Dictionary, which has just over 18,000 words.

The updated dictionary has everyday vocabulary in addition to terms from the fields of law, administration, and science. "The update of the Khmer dictionary must be ongoing to meet the needs of Khmer language users and to be in line with the state of development of Cambodian society and the world at large,” he said. “Especially in the fields of economy and information science within the context of globalization.”

Hean Sokhom affirmed that the National Council for the Khmer Language will continue its mission by keeping up with economic and technological developments, as well as further digitalizing the Khmer language.

The President of the Royal Academy, Sok Touch, said that publishing the dictionary in print and in digital form via an app will make it easier for the public to use the Khmer language accurately.

Deputy Prime Minister Vongsey Visoth praised the Royal Academy and other contributors for their successful efforts in compiling the Khmer dictionary, despite the challenges of the past five years.

He said that the dictionary will promote the use of the Khmer language and is a necessary support tool for education, study, research, administration, and communication in both the private and public sectors.

"This digital dictionary, which can be used on phones and computers, makes it easy for the public to quickly search for words and provides spell checkers that can be used anytime, anywhere," he said.

He urged educational institutions, ministries, and the public institutions to use the newly-published Khmer dictionary to promote the correct use of the Khmer language and to contribute to the preservation and development of the Khmer language

He also encouraged development partners and private investors to support the continued development of the Khmer dictionary, especially in terms of digital modernization.