A Morphological Review of Nouns and Verbs in Khmer and Indonesian

Abstract

This study examines the morphology of nouns and verbs in Cambodian (Khmer) and Indonesian, two languages that come from different cultural backgrounds. Although there are significant differences in the history and development of these two languages, the analysis shows similarities in some structural aspects that are interesting to study. This study aims to understand how morphology affects word formation as well as its use in sentences, focusing on the way both languages handle word formation and meaning changes. The research method used involves qualitative analysis of data taken from linguistic sources, including dictionaries and related academic works. The results showed that the Khmer language, which has a relatively simple morphological structure, tends to use the basic form of the word without much afjection. On the other hand, Indonesian shows a wealth of variation in word formation through the use of affixes, both prefixes, suffixes, and infixes. This process not only enriches vocabulary but also gives different nuances of meaning to the words produced. These findings highlight the importance of understanding morphological differences and similarities in both languages, which can provide deeper insights into linguistic and cultural interactions. This research is expected to contribute to the development of linguistics, especially in the field of morphology, as well as improve understanding of how languages adapt and evolve in different social contexts.