Jarai language

Jarai
Jrai
Native toVietnam, Cambodia
RegionCentral Highlands, Vietnam
Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia
Native speakers
530,000 (2019)[1]
Vietnam: modified Vietnamese alphabet
Cambodia: none
Official status
Recognised minority
language in
Language codes
ISO 639-3jra
Glottologjara1266
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Jarai (/əˈr/; Vietnamese: Cho-Rai, Chor, Chrai, Djarai, Gia-Rai, Gio-Rai, Jorai or Mthur; Khmer: ចារ៉ាយ, Charay [caːraːj]) is a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken by the Jarai people of Vietnam and Cambodia. The speakers of Jarai number approximately 530,000,[1] not including other possible Jarai communities in countries other than Vietnam and Cambodia such as United States of America. They are the largest of the upland ethnic groups of Vietnam's Central Highlands known as Degar or Montagnards, and 25 per cent of the population in the Cambodian province of Ratanakiri.

The language is in the Chamic subgroup of the Malayo-Polynesian languages, and is thus related to the Cham language of central Vietnam.

A number of Jarai also live in the United States, having resettled there following the Vietnam War.

  1. ^ a b Jarai at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon