science

Khom script (Ong Kommadam)

Khom script (Ong Kommadam) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Khom script (Ong Kommadam) rather than just read about it. In short: The Khom script is a writing system formerly used in Laos. The term "Khom" is also used to refer to the Ancient Khmer lettering used in Thailand's Buddhist temples to inscribe sacred Buddhist mantras and prayers, but that is an entirely different script.

Key takeaways

Khom script (Ong Kommadam) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Khom script (Ong Kommadam) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Khom script (Ong Kommadam) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Khom script is a writing system formerly used in Laos. The term "Khom" is also used to refer to the Ancient Khmer lettering used in Thailand's Buddhist temples to inscribe sacred Buddhist mantras and prayers, but that is an entirely different script.

History The script was invented by Ong Kommadam, a leader in the rebellion against the French colonizers. He began using the script as early as 1924, but its use did not continue after his death in 1936. Ong Kommadam claimed supernatural titles, including “King of the Khom”, “God of the Khom”, “Sky God of the Khom” (Sidwell 2008:17). The script was linked to his divine claims, messages written in this script carried mystical power as well as meaning. The script was invented by Ong Kommandam for conveying secret messages that could not be deciphered by the French or Siamese forces that had divided Laos. He had taken over as leader after the death of Ong Kèo during the Holy Man's Rebellion. As Ong Kommandam and many of his closest followers were speakers of Bahnaric languages spoken in southern Laos, most of the known texts in the language were written in Alak—Ong Kommandam's native language—and the Bahnaric Loven languages of Juk, Su' and Jru', and some in Lao. The script was revealed to outsiders by old, dying insiders on two occasions (Sidwell 2008:18). Although the word Khom originally referred to the Khmer, it was later applied to related Austroasiatic peoples such as the Lao Theung, many of which had supported Ong Kammandam.

Characteristics This Khom script is unusual in the way it divides syllables. It has one set of symbols to represent initial consonants. Then it uses another set of symbols to represent the final vowel and consonant. That is, unlike a syllabary (which has unitary symbols for consonants followed by vowels (CV), with maybe a vowelless consonant following), Khom script divides the syllable as C-VC, rather than CV-C (Sidwell 2008). This onset-rime division is not readily accommodated in any of the existing typologies of scripts, though shared by Zhuyin Fuhao. Some of the symbols resemble those from nearby scripts, but many are original. The script contains more than 300 characters, in order to fully encompass the rich morphology of the Bahnaric languages. Although the shapes of the letters have a superficial resemblance to several writing systems in the area, it was not related to any of them. The script could be used to write various Bahnaric languages, including the Laven dialects, especially Jru', and languages like Alak, Ong Kommadam's native language.

Notes

References

Jacq, Pascale. 2001. A Description of Jruq (Loven): a Mon-Khmer language of the Lao PDR. Unpublished MA thesis, Australian National University. (Script described in appendix II, pp. 521–525) Sidwell, Paul. 2008. The Khom script of the Kommodam Rebellion. International Journal of the Sociology of Language 192.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Khom script (Ong Kommadam)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Khom script (Ong Kommadam) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Khom script (Ong Kommadam) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Khom script (Ong Kommadam) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Khom script (Ong Kommadam)

In research: Khom script (Ong Kommadam) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Khom script (Ong Kommadam) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Khom script (Ong Kommadam) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1924 introductions, 20th century in Laos, Bahnaric languages, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Khom script (Ong Kommadam) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Khom script (Ong Kommadam) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Khom script (Ong Kommadam) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Khom script (Ong Kommadam) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Khom script (Ong Kommadam) in simple terms?

Why does Khom script (Ong Kommadam) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Khom script (Ong Kommadam)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Khom script (Ong Kommadam).