Editing Khmer language (section)

===Intonation===
[[Intonation (linguistics)|Intonation]] often conveys [[semantic]] context in Khmer, as in distinguishing [[declarative sentence|declarative statements]], questions and exclamations. The available grammatical means of making such distinctions are not always used, or may be ambiguous; for example, the final [[interrogative particle]] {{lang|km|ទេ}} {{IPA|/teː/}} can also serve as an emphasizing (or in some cases negating) particle.<ref name=CamParts>{{cite journal|last1=Jacob|first1=Judith M|title=A Diachronic Survey of some Khmer particles (7th to 17th centuries)|journal=Essays in Honour of HL Shorto|date=1991|volume=1991|page=193|url=http://sealang.net/sala/archives/pdf4/jacob1991diachronic.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://sealang.net/sala/archives/pdf4/jacob1991diachronic.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|access-date=24 January 2016}}</ref>

The intonation pattern of a typical Khmer declarative phrase is a steady rise throughout followed by an abrupt drop on the last syllable.<ref name=ppak />
:{{lang|km|ខ្ញុំមិនចង់បានទេ}}&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;{{IPA|[↗kʰɲom mɨn cɑŋ baːn <nowiki>|</nowiki> ↘teː]}}&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ('I don't want it')<ref name=ppak />

Other intonation contours signify a different type of phrase such as the "full doubt" interrogative, similar to [[yes–no question]]s in English. Full doubt interrogatives remain fairly even in tone throughout, but rise sharply towards the end.
:{{lang|km|អ្នកចង់ទៅលេងសៀមរាបទេ}}&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;{{IPA|[↗neaʔ cɑŋ <nowiki>|</nowiki> ↗tɨw leːŋ siəm riəp <nowiki>|</nowiki> ꜛteː]}}&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ('do you want to go to Siem Reap?')<ref name=ppak />

Exclamatory phrases follow the typical steadily rising pattern, but rise sharply on the last syllable instead of falling.<ref name=ppak />
:{{lang|km|សៀវភៅនេះថ្លៃណាស់}}&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;{{IPA|[↗siəw pʰɨw nih <nowiki>|</nowiki> ↗tʰlaj <nowiki>|</nowiki> ꜛnah]}}&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ('this book is expensive!')<ref name=ppak />