Chong language

Chong
Western Chong
Spoken in	Cambodia and into Thailand
Region	Pursat Province, Chantaburi
Native speakers	5,000 (undated, perhaps including several non-western varieties)  (date missing)
Language family	Austro-Asiatic Pearic Chong languages Chong
Dialects	Trat Chong, Kasong, and Chung dialects are closer to other Pearic languages that to Western Chong
Writing system	Thai, Khmer
Language codes
ISO 639-3	cog

Chong, or more specifically Western Chong (also spelled Chawng, Shong, Xong), is an endangered language spoken in Cambodia and southeastern Thailand. It is a Western Pearic language in the Eastern Mon–Khmer language family branch.^[1] Chong is currently the focus of a language revitalization project in Thailand.

The Chong language is marked by its unusual 4-way contrast in register. Its grammar has not been extensively studied, but it is unrelated to the Thai language which is in the Tai–Kadai language family. Chong had no written form until 2000, when researchers at Mahidol University used a simplified version of standard Thai characters to create a Chong writing system, after which the first teaching materials in the language appeared.^[2] Chong is currently considered to be at stage 7 in Joshua Fishman's Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale (GIDS), where stage 8 is the closest to extinction.^[3]

The language only has about 5500 speakers remaining, 5000 in Cambodia and 500 in Thailand. The Chong community in Thailand is primarily located in and around Chanthaburi.^[2] While the language spoken in Thailand has been studied recently, the Chong language in Cambodia has not been investigated yet.

Classification

Main article: Pearic languages

A number of varieties of Pearic are called "Chong", and they do not constitute a single language. The majority of varieties are what Sidwell (2009) labeled "Western Chong". This includes the main dialect around Chantaburi on the Thai–Cambodian border. However, the variety called "Chong" in Trat Province of western Thailand, as well as "Kasong" Chong, were classified as "Central Chong" along with Samre, and so should perhaps be considered dialects of Samre rather than of Chong. Similarly, varieties called "Chung" in neighboring Kanchanaburi, but also in Cambodia, were classified as "Southern Chong" along with Suoi and Saoch. The Western Chong dialects are as follows:^[4]

• Chong of Chantaburi (Baradat ms.)
• (Branch)
  • Chong həəp (Martin 1974)
  • Khlong Phlu Chong (Siripen Ungsitibonporn 2001)
• (Branch)
  • Chong lɔɔ (Martin 1974)
  • Wang Kraphrae Chong (Siripen Ungsitibonporn 2001)
  • Chong (Huffman 1983)

Further reading

• Isarangura, N. N. (19XX.). Vocubulary of Chawng words collected in Krat Province. [S.l: s.n.].

Chong is one of the Ethnic groups called Tai who now live in Eastern part of Thailand. Losing the battle with Burma in AD 1767, King Taksin mobilized 5, 000 Chong warriors and 100 warships to fight against Burma. Eventually, then Siam (today’s Thailand) won the war. Without help from Chong, Siam might not have won that battle. Queen Kavi was known as Chong’s legend.

Chong language is still being used verbally for basic communication in their villages. However, some of them cannot speak the language. In the conversation, Chong people always finish their sentence with “ Hi “ for which contemporary Thai people make fun of Chong. The best poet of Thailand is known as Sun-Ton-Poo who is famous for his poem called “ Poem of Klang City “ in AD 1807, describing his Chong relatives. Chong people believe in “Animism“, where they culturally and traditionally worship spirits and perform various rituals according to their belief to get rid of devils and to protect people and villages from those bad spirits.

Chong people make their living from planting spices called “Ka-Van” on the Soy-Daw hill. They also export Ka-Van and other spices like “Rell-Hom” and “Look-Sum-Rong” from Paneit City. Since they live in the forests, Chong has tremendous experience in traditional physical healing by combining the use of herbs and massage skills. The blending of these skills are still seen being practiced in Thailand. This invaluable local knowledge has been passed down from one generation to another of Chong ethnic groups. Chong Massage has conducted numerous researches to collect and preserve Chong’s treatment knowledge and skills and has successfully applied them in basic body treatment.

Chong Sculpture Massage mainly focuses on what is called “Massage Points and Lines” which is believed to be the cause of body problems like musculoskeletal injuries, stress, tension, anxiety, depression, and pain. Chong Massage has indentified 6 basic causes of these problems as follows: 1. Moving Massage Line : It is the feeling of pain that will move to other parts of your body as you treat it. 2. Sunk Massage Line: It is the feeling of deep extreme pain in a part of the body like in the Shoulders. 3. Adjoined Massage Line (Trigger Point): The tissue is tensely stuck to the bones, which causes severe pain. 4. Fallen Massage Line: The feeling of severe pain in the Joints. 5. Twisted Massage Line: The feel of pain caused by the twisted collagen fibers and tendons. 6. Stuck Air Flow: The feeling of pain caused by swollen tissues. After identifying the causes of pain, Chong Sculpture Massage apply various techniques to manipulate the body with structured, unstructured, stationary, or moving pressures, tension, motion, and vibration with hands, fingers, elbows, forearms, knees, feet and other mechanical aids. The target tissues include muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, joints, lymphatic vessels, organs of the gastrointestinal system and other connective tissues and collagen fibers.

References

1. ^ "Austro-Asiatic, Mon–Khmer, Eastern Mon–Khmer, Pearic". ethnologue. http://www.ethnologue.com/show_family.asp?subid=91040. Retrieved 2007-10-12. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Lim Li Min (October 23, 2006). "Saving Thailand's Other Languages". International Herald Tribune. http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/10/23/features/lang.php. Retrieved 2006-10-24. 
3. ^ "Chong Language Revitalization Project (PDF)". June 2005. http://www.unescobkk.org/fileadmin/user_upload/aims/Pattaya_SCB_Jun05/Chong_Language_-_Part_1.pdf. Retrieved 2006-10-24. 
4. ^ Sidwell, Paul (2009). Classifying the Austroasiatic languages: history and state of the art. LINCOM studies in Asian linguistics, 76. Munich: Lincom Europa.

External links

• Chong language at Ethnologue