ខ្ញុំ

Etymology

From Old Khmer khñuṃ, kñuṃ or Pre-Angkorian Old Khmer kñuṃ, kñuṃm, kñum, kñumm, kñaṃ, kñaum, kyuṃg (“person assigned to or offering himself for the service of divinities or sanctuaries; bondsman, servant, slave”); being extended forms of Old Khmer ñaṃ, *ñuṃ, Pre-Angkorian Old Khmer ñaṃ, *ñuṃ, or Middle Khmer ñom (“emancipated slave assigned to monastery service; servant, slave; inferior, subordinate; minor, young”), corresponding to Modern Khmer ញោម (ñoom).

Compare Thai ขยม (“attendant, servant”, used as a first person pronoun), โขยม (“attendant, servant”, used as a first person pronoun), อัญขยม (an-kà-yǒm, first person pronoun); Northern Thai ขะโยม (“monastic attendant, devotee, or servant”); Lao ຂະຍົມ (kha nyom).

Pronunciation

Noun

ខ្ញុំ • (khñom)

1. servant, slave

Pronoun

ខ្ញុំ • (khñom)

1. I, me (first-person singular)
2. my

   ផ្ទះខ្ញុំ ― pteah kɲom ― my house