Jenny Mathias. A Short Introduction to the Mon Language

Sangkhlaburi, The Mon Culture and Literature Survival Project (MCL), 2001. — 10 p.The Mon language belongs to the Mon-Khmer branch of the Austroasiatic language family. Its closest relative is Nyah Kur, a language spoken by a few thousand people in central and northeastern Thailand. The Nyah Kur are believed to be remnants of the old Mon nation of Dvaravati, which flourished in central Thailand between the 4th and 10th centuries. More distant, but clear relatives are Khmer, the language of the ancient empire of Ankor and the official language of the modern kingdom of Cambodia, and Vietnamese, the Austroasiatic language with the most speakers (over 60 mil.).