The Mon-Khmer Studies Journal

Scope of the Journal
MON-KHMER STUDIES is a journal devoted to the study of Southeast Asian languages and cultures, especially those of the Mon-Khmer family. The journal is produced annually, and welcomes articles or notes on any aspect of Mon-Khmer languages and cultures, as well as other Southeast Asian cultures, languages, and language families. Topics may include linguistic description, cultural description, comparison, bibliography, historical development, sociolinguistics, stylistics, orthography, and paleography.

Current Issue: Volume 42 (2013)

• SCHMUTZ, Jonathan:  The Ta'oi Language and People (MKSJ:42.i-xiii)    Download
  This paper provides a review on the linguistic and cultural background of the Ta'oi people in Laos and Vietnam from the available literature. Starting with an overview of the geographic location, historical and cultural context and linguistic nature, the paper pays special attention to the confusing amount of ethnonyms and glossonyms referring to these people and their language.
  Keywords: Ta'oi culture, glossonyms
  ISO 639-3: tth, tto


• NAGARAJA, K.S., SIDWELL, Paul, and GREENHILL, Simon  A Lexicostatistical Study of the Khasian Languages: Khasi, Pnar, Lyngngam, and War (MKSJ:42.1-11)    Download
  This paper presents the results of lexicostatistical, glottochronological, and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of a 200 word data set for Standard Khasi, Lyngngam, Pnar and War. ... The present analysis supports both the strong identity of Khasian as a unitary branch, with an internally nested branching structure that fits neatly with known historical, geographical and linguistic facts. Additionally, lexically based dating methods suggest that the internal diversification of Khasian began roughly between 1500 and 2000 years ago.
  Keywords: Lexicostatistics, Bayesian phylogenetics, language classification
  ISO 639-3: kha, lyg, pvb, aml


• Michelle MILLER  A Description of Kmhmu' Lao Script-Based Orthography (MKSJ:42.12-25)    Download
  Kmhmu' is a Mon-Khmer language; it is usually grouped into Northern, Western, and Southern dialect categories (Svantesson 1989). The Southern dialect orthography uses a Lao-based script that was refined by Suksavang and Preisig (Suksavang et al 1994). This paper explains how the Lao script is used and/or adapted to represent Southern Kmhmu' phonemes, presents orthographic conventions for writing words of various structural types, and summarizes teaching/learning experiences observed in mother-tongue Kmhmu' speakers.
  Keywords: Austroasiatic, orthography, sesquisyllables
  ISO 639-3: kjg

Publication note:  As of Vol. 41 (2012) the Mon-Khmer Studies Journal has moved to continuous on-line publication.  Peer review, yearly volume numbering, and continuous pagination will be maintained, but articles will be made available on line as soon as they complete the submission/referee/acceptance/revision process. 

A new stylesheet is available in this sample article: MKSTemplate.doc   See style sheet details and/or this brief video.  Please note that the page size is considerably larger in this format, and allows far better reproduction of tables and figures.

In Memoriam: a tribute to MKS Journal founding editor David Thomas (1930-2006).

MON-KHMER STUDIES
ILCRD Mahidol University at Salaya
Salaya, Nakhorn Pathom 73170 Thailand
Telephone: 66-2-800-2324.
Fax: 66-2-800-2332 Contact the Editor