The predominant language of Cambodia, characterised by nuance and subtlety.

Sixteen million speakers employ Khmer, which predates its Austrosciatic counterparts Mon and Vietnamese on account of being the official language of the Chenla and Angkor kingdoms.  Like its counterparts, Khmer constitutes a rarity in this region of Southeast Asia on account of its reliance on stress rather than tone.

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Read more: Madura is an invisible island off the northeast corner of Java. If you ever find it, try using some Madurese.

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Visitors should recognise the importance of Som Pas in Cambodia. This traditional greeting is characterised by palms pressed together in an attitude of prayer; the hands are then lifted to chest level, accompanied by a bow. The higher the hands and lower the bow, the greater the show of respect. Som Pas tends to be used in tandem with saying hello and goodbye and fulfils the same role as a handshake.

It is thus: