‘Tiger’ falls prey to linguistics
Tigers and black bears look nothing alike, but their identical names in some Khmer dialects left some thinking that one of Cambodia’s most endangered species may be attacking people in the Cardamom Mountains. Sitting outside his Santre commune home in Pursat province’s Kravanh district, with bandages on his head, arms and legs, Ngem Ngen, 51, yesterday said he told police when receiving medical treatment at a clinic on Sunday that a bear had attacked him. But many took his report as a tiger attack. The Khmer word for bear is kla khmom and tiger is kla thom. But in Ngen’s dialect, a large bear – he estimated it at 200 kilograms – is referred to as a kla thom, he said. …
Khouth Sophak Chakrya and Sean Teehan
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/%E2%80%98tiger%E2%80%99-falls-prey-linguistics
