Re: Fluency Wish-List

In a message dated 4/13/2000 4:27:35 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
kljensen@IMAGE.DK writes:

<< KHMER: Since I have trouble dealing with tones, but I love the way those
 mainland SEAsian languages sound like (their rich vocalic systems with
 unrounded back vowels especially), then Khmer is a good one to learn. No
 tones, but plenty of vowels (including unrounded back ones). I also love
 the rhythme it has created by complex syllable onsets but simple syllable
 offsets. Morphology is also quite simple. In other words, phonologically
 pleasing and challenging at the same time, but otherwise easy to learn.
  >>
I've heard it said that Khmer is on its way to becoming a tonal language,
hardly surprising since it's surrounded by them.  Its influence on Acinese
(N.Sumatra) is clear (such that Austronesian pattern CVCVC > Acn. CCVC, plus
many loans). It's also possible Mon-Khmer and AN are ultimately related;
unfortunately in modern times at least, the set of MK scholars and the set of
AN scholars barely intersect.