សៀវភៅនេះចងក្រងឡើងដើម្បីឆ្លើយតបទៅការខ្វះខាតជាបន្ទាន់មួយ។ ប្រមាណពីរទសវត្សមកហើយដែលនៅប្រទេសកម្ពុជានិសិ្សតនិងអ្នកស្រាវជ្រាវខ្លះចាប់អារម្មណ៍កាន់តែខ្លាំងឡើងៗទៅលើវិជ្ជាសិលាចារិកខ្មែរបុរាណ។ តាមពិតទៅ ការស្រាវជ្រាវក្នុងវិស័យនេះកើតឡើងនៅប្រទេសបារាំងសេសតាំងពីទសវត្ស១៨៨០មកម្ល៉េះ ហើយតាំងអំពីនោះមកមានសន្ទុះទៅមុខស្វាហាប់ណាស់។ ប៉ុន្តែដើម្បីក្រេបជញ្ជក់បានទាល់តែចេះភាសាបារាំងច្បាស់លាស់ឬយ៉ាងហោចណាស់ក៏ចេះភាសាអង់គ្លេស៍ដែរ មានន័យថាខ្មែរដែលមិនចេះភាសាបរទេសទាំងនេះមានឧបសគ្គរារាំងមិនឲ្យរៀនបាន។

សៀវភៅនេះអាចផ្តល់ប្រយោជន៍ដល់ខ្មែរឬបរទេសដែលចេះខ្មែរច្បាស់ ហើយដែលមានចិត្តចង់រៀនខ្មែរបុរាណ។ សូមបញ្ជាក់ថាសិលាចារឹកឬសម្រង់ដែលយកមកបង្ហាញទាំងអម្បាលម៉ានសុទ្ធសឹងជាភាសាខ្មែរមួយមុខប៉ុណ្ណោះ មានន័យថាផ្នែកមួយទៀតនៃសិលាចារឹកប្រទេសកម្ពុជា ពោលគឺសិលាចារឹកជាភាសាសំស្រ្កឹតពុំមានយកមកលាតត្រដាងនៅទីនេះឡើយ។

លំដាប់ដែលយកមករៀនគឺចាប់ផ្តើមពីស្រួលទៅពិបាក ស្របតាមបទពិសោធន៍ដែលអ្នកនិពន្ធបានមកពីការបង្រៀនច្រើនឆ្នាំនៅមហាវិទ្យាល័យបុរាណវិទ្យា។

 

Basics on Old Khmer Epigraphy
by Ang Choulean
Published by Yosothor, Phnom Penh
First edition: 2013, out of the stock
Second edition: 2018
vii + 282 pages
ISBN: 978-99963-818-0-5

This volume responds to a pressing need. For some two decades now the epigraphy of Cambodia has captured the interest of Khmers in Cambodia. Born in the 1880s, epigraphic study has made exceptional progress since. But access is through French primarily, as well as through English to some degree; this means that those Khmers who are essentially or uniquely Khmer-speaking face an insurmountable handicap. A second issue further aggravates this situation: there is to date no manual for learning Old Khmer, neither in French nor in any other international language. Extant works consist in scholarly critical editions addressed solely to established scholars.

This book is driven by a purely practical concern, and is addressed above all to Khmers and Khmer speakers. It should be noted that it aims to teach epigraphy in Khmer only, and sets aside the other important dimension of the epigraphy of Cambodia, inscriptions in Sanskrit.

Many years of teaching at Phnom Penh’s Department of Archaeology have enabled the author to identify student needs and recurrent difficulties. This experience has dictated the volume’s organisation, following a particular path of progression from one text to the next. For example, the texts are not ordered according to chronology or palaeographic evolution; the ordering was instead determined by levels of difficulty in deciphering letters, beginning with the most easily accessible.

 

Eléments d'épigraphie vieux-khmère
par Ang Chouléan
Publié par Yosothor, Phnom Penh
Première édition : 2013, épuisée
Deuxième édition : 2018
vii + 282 pages
ISBN: 978-99963-818-0-5

La confection de ce manuel est dictée avant tout par le besoin impérieux de répondre à une nécessité. L’épigraphie du Cambodge, depuis environ deux décennies, a capté l’intérêt des Khmers, au Cambodge. Or cette épigraphie, née dans les années 1880, a fait depuis lors d’énormes progrès. Mais on y accède via le français surtout, et en deuxième lieu via l’anglais, ce qui revient à dire que les Khmers uniquement ou essentiellement khmérophones se trouvent confrontés à un handicap insurmontable. A ce premier problème s’en ajoute un deuxième : même en français, ou dans une autre langue internationale, on ne connaît pas, à ce jour, de manuel, c’est-à-dire qu’il n’existe aucun outil d’apprentissage du vieux-khmer. Les ouvrages et articles existants sont des éditions de textes produites par les savants et chercheurs à l’adresse d’autres savants et chercheurs.

Ce livre, motivé par un souci purement pratique, est destiné avant tout aux étudiants khmers et khmérophones. Il faut préciser qu’il ne concerne que l’apprentissage des inscriptions en langue khmère, alors que l'autre volet important de l'épigraphie du Cambodge, les inscriptions en langue sanskrite, est laissé de côté.

Plusieurs années d’enseignement à la Faculté d’Archéologie de Phnom-Penh ont permis de cerner les carences des étudiants et leurs difficultés récurrentes. C’est ce qui a dicté le plan, la progression et l’agencement des inscriptions ici présentées. Par exemple l’ordre des textes ne suit ni la chronologie ni l’évolution paléographique des inscriptions, mais le niveau de difficulté dans le déchiffrement des lettres, du plus facile au plus difficile.