Seam Long

Long Seam ឡុង សៀម [or Long Siem; Лонг Сеам in Russian] (15 July 1935, Thla Village, Kampong Thom Province — 15 July 2007, Phnom Penh) was a Cambodian historian, philologist and specialist of Khmer epigraphy who was instrumental in the revival of Cambodian cultural research from the 1980s and contributed in a major way to the study of the Ancient Khmer linguistic system.

While completing his studies at the Faculty of Letters at the University of Phnom Penh, Long Seam received his certification from the National Institute of Pedagogy ans taught Khmer language in various high schools across the Kingdom. In 1965, he was officially appointed Professor of Khmer at Moscow Institute of International Relations [Московский государственный институт международных отношений] in 1965, he continued his linguistic studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences [Институт востоковедения АН СССР], graduating in 1971 with a thesis on Khmer lexicology. His collaboration with famed Russian grammarian Yuri A. Gorgonev [Ю. А. Горгониев] and other scholars paved the way for cultural exchanges between Russia and Cambodia after the civil war. 

1) Long Seam c. 1965, boarding a plane to Moscow with wife and daughter Saothan and Sokunthea, who tragically disappeared under the Khmer Rouge. 2) With his second wife Klara in Moscow in the late 1980s. After Klara’s death in 2004, he married Vanna, his widow since 2007 [photos from the Biography published by INL/RAC on Long Seam’s passing.] 

1) Long Seam c. 1965, boarding a plane to Moscow with wife and daughter Saothan and Sokunthea, who tragically disappeared under the Khmer Rouge. 2) With his second wife Klara in Moscow in the late 1980s. After Klara’s death in 2004, he married Vanna, his widow since 2007 [photos from the Biography published by INL/RAC on Long Seam’s passing.] 

Long Seam was in Moscow when the Khmer Rouge forces took over Phnom Penh in April 1975, and he had to take refuge in France. In 1976, he started to prepare at Sorbonne University his doctoral thesis (1980) on Old Khmer vocabulary in the 6^th-14^th-century inscriptions, under the supervision of Jean Delvert [see Sakou Samoth, Hommes et Histoire du Cambodge, 2012, p. 119]. His wife, Khleang Saothan, — they were married in 1955 — and their daughter, Long Sokonthea, both disappeared under the Khmer Rouge régime.

He was able to finally return to Cambodia in 1982, part of a Russian delegation on an assessment mission, contributing to the development of Russian support in the fields of education and health (the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh), while keeping on with his scholarly activities in Moscow. He remarried with Klara, a head doctor in a Moscow hospital who died in 2004. In 1993, following the Paris Peace Agreement, he resettled permanently in Cambodia, launching a vast program of epigraphic and linguistic studies thanks to the TOKTEN (Transfer of Knowledge Through Expatriate Nationals) United Nations program. Appointed advisor to the Royal Government of Cambodia in 1994, he founded the National Language Institute វិទ្យាស្ថានភាសាជាតិ while teaching Old Khmer at the Faculty of Archeology, Royal University of Phnom Penh to new generations of researchers. In 2006, he was appointed vice-president of the Royal Academy of Cambodia រាជបណ្ឌិត្យសភាកម្ពុជា — which he had joined in 2001 — with the rank of Secretary of State.

Long Seam’s summary of Khmer history (ប្រវត្តិសាស្ត្រសង្ខេបនៃប្រទេសកម្ពុជា [A Brief History of Cambodia], 1985) contributed to the refoundation of the curriculum in history teaching endorsed by the Cambodian Ministry of Education. Earlier, he had explored the Cambodian Buddhist tradition with an essay on the Mahavesantharajataka, a version of the Vessantara Jataka, this tale of ultimate generosity (dāna pāramī) at the core of Theravada Buddhism. Yet, his major interest remained the historical and linguistic significance of pre-Angkorian and Angkorian inscriptions.

The culmination of three decades of work, the first volume of his monumental Dictionary of Old Khmer [វចនានុក្រមខ្មែរបុរាណសម័យ មុនអង្គរ] came out in 2000, based on the study of Khmer inscriptions from the 6^th to the 8^th centuries. According to researcher Olivier de Bernon, Long Seam’s dictionary 

surpasse tous les travaux publiés jusqu’alors dans ce domaine. Il comporte, pour chaque entrée, une graphie reproduisant approximativement celle des inscriptions ainsi que de nombreuses références et citations traduites. Plus remarquable encore, il signale scrupuleusement le caractère hautement hypothétique qu’a bien souvent la tentative de traduction des très nombreux noms propres khmers rencontrés dans de longues listes de serviteurs ; le sens assigné à ces noms propres est alors systématiquement précédé de l’indice « n.p. » soulignant ainsi l’incertitude qui s’y rattache. 

[“surpasses all the work published so far in this field. Each entry includes a written form that roughly reproduces that of the inscriptions as well as numerous translated references and quotations. Even more remarkable, it scrupulously points out the highly hypothetical nature of the attempt to translate the countless Khmer proper names encountered in long lists of servants; the meaning assigned to these proper names is then systematically preceded by the index ​“n.p.”, thus underlining the uncertainty attached to it.”] [O. de Bernon, ​‘In memoriam Long Seam (1935−2007)’, Aséanie 19, 2007. pp. 9 – 11].

Long Seam near a a Khmer inscribed stele at Bangkok National Museum, undated [photo from INL/RAC Biography].

The handwritten material for the following volumes Long Seam couldn’t complete before his passing in 2007 is still being processed by a team of Cambodian linguists under the direction of Meakh Bora, head of inscriptions at the Institute of National Language. The posthumous publication of this masterpiece, extending to post-Angkorian inscriptions from the 16 th century, will be the first comprehensive rendition of the ancient corpus in modern Khmer.

Publications

1. សាកល្បងសិក្សារឿងមហាវេស្សន្តរជាតក [A Temptative Study on the Mahavesantharajataka], Phnom Penh, 1966.
2. [graduation thesis in Philological Sciences, 1971] Очерки по лексикологии [Essays in Lexicology], Moscow, Институт востоковедения АН СССР [Institute of Oriental Studies, USSR Academy of Sciences], 1976, 321 p.
3. “Les lexèmes primaires et leur champ sémantique dans la langue khmère.,” in International Congress of Orientalists, 29^th, Paris, 1973. Asie du Sud-est continentale, organisé par Pierre-Bernard Lafont, Paris, L’Asiathèque, 1973: 88 – 99.
4. សិក្សាពីវចនាសព្ទ័វិទ្យាខ្មែរ — Очерки по лексикологии кхмерского языка] [Studies in Khmer Lexicography], Moscow, Издательство Наука [Naouka Pub.], 1971, 2^nd ed. 1975, 142 p. [RU, KH]
5. [ed. with E. O. Berzin Э. О. Берзин] А. Миго: Кхмеры (история Камбоджи с древнейших вре­мен), Перевод с франц. и предисловие Ю. П. Дементьева [tr. and presentation by Y. P. Dementev of Апdré Migot’s Les Khmers: Des origines d’Аngkor аu Саmbodge d‘aujourd’hui, Paris, Lе Livre Contemporain, 1960], Moscow, Наука [Naouka], 1973. 350 p.
6. “Les lexèmes primaires et leur champ sémantique dans la langue khmère”, ASC, 1976: 288 – 92.
7. ‘Об антропонимах в надписях Камбоджи (VI – XIII вв.)’ [‘On anthroponyms in the inscriptions of Cambodia (6^th – 13^th Centuries)’, Народы Азии и Африки [Peoples of Asia and Africa] N. 3., 1977: 151 – 66.
8. ‘Aspects caractéristiques du lexique de l’ancien khmer’, in Тезисы докладов I Международного симпозиума ученых социалистических стран на тему ​“Теоретические проблемы восточного языкознания” [Contributions to the 1^st International Symposium of Specialists from the Socialist Countries, Panel ​“Theoretical Issues of Oriental Languages”, Moscow, Naouka, 1977: 114 – 116.
9. “L’étude de la langue khmère en URSS”, Cahiers de l’Asie du Sud-Est (CASE), 1978: 481 – 8.
10. “The Basic Lexicon in the Munda, Mon-Khmer, and Viet-Muong Languages,” in Genealogical and typological relations in Southeast and Far East Asian languages, Moscow, Naouka, 1980, 40 p.
11. Редупликация как стилистическое средство кхмерского языка [Reduplicative Words in the Khmer Literary Language], институт востоковедения АН СССР [Institute of Oriental Studies, USSR Academy of Sciences], Naouka, 1980.
12. [with Y.P. Dementev Ю. П. Дементьев] ​‘Bibliographie en langue russe sur le Cambodge (1956−1979)’, BEFEO 68, 1980: 289 – 311.
13. Внешние связи мон-кхмерских языков [‘External Relations of the Mon-Khmer Languages’], in Генетические и типологические отношения языков ЮВА и Дальнего Востока [Genealogical and Typological Relationships of the Languages​of Southeast Asia and the Far East], Moscow, Naouka, 1981, 40 p.
14. ‘Contacts externes des langues Mon-Khmer’, BEFEO 70, 1981: 195 – 230.
15. ប្រវត្តិសាស្ត្រសង្ខេបនៃប្រទេសកម្ពុជា (ជាអ្នករៀបរៀងនិងបកប្រែ ឡុង សៀម) [A Brief History of Cambodia, compiled and translated by Prof. Long Seam], Moscow, Издательство Прогресс [Progress Pub.], 1985. [KH]
16. សៀវភៅសិក្សាភាសាខ្មែរ [Khmer Language Textbook], Phnom Penh, nd.
17. [with R. Plam Р. Плам] Краткий русско-кхмерский словарь [Concise Russian-Khmer Dictionary], Moscow, Russkii Yazik, 1987, 712 p.
18. [translator from Russian to Khmer] ការស្ថាបនាប្រទេសកម្ពុជាក្រោយគ្រោះមហន្តរាយ [Cambodia: Rebuilding After the Disaster], Moscow-Phnom Penh, RIA-Novosti, c. 1989.
19. Исследования по лексикологии и грамматике древне-кхмерского языка по надписям Камбоджи Х1-Х1У вв. [Research on Lexicology and Grammar of the ancient Khmer language based on Cambodian inscriptions of the 11^th-14^th centuries], Moscow, Naouka, 1989, 113 p.
20. ‘Toponymes et réalités socio-économiques et culturelles de l’ancien Cambodge (d’après les textes des inscriptions)’, Premier symposium franco-soviétique sur l’Asie du Sud-Est: La réappropriation du patrimoine culturel dans le contexte du mouvement nationaliste et de la décolonisation en Asie du Sud-Est, 3 – 5 juillet 1989, Moscou, Moscow, Russian Academy of Sciences, 1990: 144 – 150.
21. “Quelques traits grammaticaux caractéristiques de l’ancien khmer”, Mon-Khmer Studies 20, 1992: 19 – 30.
22. ‘Khmer Toponyms of Sanskrit origin’, Pan-Asiatic Linguistics, Bangkok, Chulalongkorn University, 1992: 791 – 803.
23. Dictionnaire du vieux-khmer d’après les inscriptions du Cambodge du VIe au XIVe siècle [completed, unpublished, FR & RU, deposited at the Academy of Sciences Central Library under number 46818(4)], Moscow, 1992.
24. ‘Études de toponymie en ancien khmer’, Cahiers d’études franco-cambodgiens, n° 2, Phnom Penh, Centre culturel et de coopération linguistique, Service culturel de l’Ambassade de France, 1993, 79 p.
25. ‘Les noms géographiques khmers d’après les inscriptions du Cambodge’, Mon-Khmer Studies 22, 1993: 127 – 147.
26. ‘Quelques traits grammaticaux caractéristiques de l’ancien khmer’, Cahiers de l’Asie du Sud-Est (CASE) 31, 1995: 127 – 143.
27. ឋានន្តរនាមនិងនរនាមតាមរយៈ សិលាចារឹកនៃប្រទេសកម្ពុជាសតវត្សទី៦‑៨ [‘Titles and Nouns through the Inscriptions of Cambodia in the 6^th-8^th Centuries’], កម្ពុជសុរិយា Kambujasuriyā 50:4, 1996.
28. ស្ថាននាមវិទ្យាខ្មែរ [The Khmer Onomastics Institute], Phnom Penh, សាកល វិទ្យាល័យភូមិន្ទភ្នំពេញ វិជ្ជាស្ថានជាតិភាសាខ្មែរ [Royal University of Phnom Penh, National Institute of Khmer Language], 1997.
29. Sthânanâmavidyâ khmèr tâm ekasâr silâcârik prades kambujâ (satavats di VI-XIV) [Khmer Toponymy from the Inscriptions of Cambodia, 6^th-14^th centuries], Phnom Penh, Buddhist Institute, 1997, 156 p.
30. “Modern Khmer Lexicology,” កម្ពុជសុរិយា Kambujasuriyā 51 – 4, 1997: 36 – 52.
31. “Les recherches sur les inscriptions au Cambodge,” in Bilan et perspectives des études khmeres (langue et culture): actes du colloque de Phnom Penh, 29 – 30 Nov‑1 Dec. 1995, Pierre L. Lamant ed., Paris, L’Harmattan, 1997: 95 – 101.
32. បញ្ហាវចនស័ព្ទវិទ្យាខ្មែរ / សាកល វិទ្យាល័យភូមិន្ទភ្នំពេញ វិជ្ជាស្ថានជាតិភាសាខ្មែរ, 1999.
33. វចនានុក្រមខ្មែរបុរាណសម័យ មុនអង្គរ‑តាមរយៈសិលាចារឹកពីសតវត្សទី៦‑៨ [Dictionary of Old Khmer (Pre-Angkor Period) — through the inscriptions from the 6^th-8^th centuries], វិទ្យាស្ថានភាសាជាតិនិងសាកលវិទ្យាល័យភូមិន្ទ វិចិត្រសិល្ [National Language Institute and Royal University of Fine Arts], Phnom Penh, Toyota Foundation, 2000, 694 p.
34. សិក្សាកថាសិលាចារឹករកឃើញ ថ្មីរបស់ព្រះបាទសុរិយាវម្មិទី១ ទស្សនាវដ្ដី [‘Studying the newly discovered inscriptions of King Suryavamm I’], ភាសានិងសិលាចារឹកវិទ្យា [Journal of Linguistics and Epigraphy], ឆ្នាំទី១ លេខ១ [Year 1, N. 1], Phnom Penh, 2000.
35. ទំនាក់ទំនងភាសាមន‑ខ្មែរជាមួយ ភាសាផ្សេងៗ [Mon-Khmer language relations with other languages], Phnom Penh, សាកលវិទ្យាល័យភូមិន្ទវិចិត្រសិល្បៈ មហាវិទ្យាល័យ បុរាណវិទ្យា [Royal University of Fine Arts, Faculty of Archaeology], 2002.
36. សេចក្តីបកប្រែសិលាចារឹកស្តុក កក់ធំ (ភាសាសំស្ក្រឹត‑ខ្មែរ) [‘Translation of the Sdok Kok Thom inscription (Sanskrit-Khmer)’], ទស្សនាវដ្តីភាសាជាតិ National Language Magazine, Year 4, No. 4, Phnom Penh, National Language Institute of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, 2003.
37. ‘Les toponymes en khmer ancien’, Aséanie 19, 2007: 15 – 74. 

See also ជីវប្រវត្តិ ឯកឧត្តមសាស្ត្រាចារ្យបណ្ឌិត ឡុង សៀម [A Biography of Prof. Dr. Long Seam], វិទ្យាស្ថានភាសាជាតិ-រាជបណ្ឌិតសភាកម្ពុជា [National Language Institute — Royal Academy of Cambodia], Phnom Penh, BE 2551 (2007), 38 p. [Memorial publication on Long Seam’s funerals].