Designed as both a digital platform and an e-publication, this trilingual Fashion and Textile Glossary鈥攁vailable in English, French, and Khmer鈥攊s an innovative resource that aims to bridge linguistic and cultural gaps in the study of Cambodian fashion and textiles.
While a few textile-related glossaries exist within academic literature, these resources remain limited in scope. They are often inaccessible to Cambodian students, researchers, and designers. At the same time, Cambodian textile and fashion history remains underrepresented in scholarly literature, notably in the fields of Cambodian studies and fashion studies.
A crucial motivation behind this project lies in Cambodia鈥檚 traumatic twentieth-century history. During the 1970s, the civil war and the Khmer Rouge regime had catastrophic effects on artisanal textile production as well as the way people dress, especially for ceremonies and rituals. This decade of political, social, and humanitarian upheaval led to the collapse of fiber production, especially sericulture, and disrupted the transmission of weaving skills. Knowledge about techniques, looms, and equipment, as well as styles and motifs, was severely affected. In the post-conflict period, artisanal textile production gradually resumed, despite not returning to prewar levels. The genocide claimed about two million people between 1975 and 1979, a quarter of the population at the time, which led to a generational gap upending the transmission of specific dress customs.
The glossary currently identifies and defines 100 key technical, material, and cultural terms relating to Cambodian textiles and fashion, offering translations and descriptions in English, French, and Khmer. It is the result of extensive research into Cambodian dress and textile heritage. The terms were identified through fieldwork research and conversations with weavers, analysis of extant sources, collaborative work with the translator, and input from Cambodian experts.
Though not exhaustive, the selection of terms is intended to be comprehensive, covering various facets of textile and fashion production. The glossary is organized into categories that include fibers and raw materials, dyes, textile techniques, sewing techniques, types of textiles, clothing, and preventative conservation. Some of the etymology of Khmer fashion terminology originates from French, reflecting Cambodia鈥檚 colonial past. Other terms connect with a history of technological development with textile machinery, including sewing machines in the twentieth century. The glossary also contributes to the ongoing effort to decolonize fashion studies by redressing marginalized histories and decentralizing knowledge production. In that regard, this project provides a didactic and user-friendly model for other terminology databases on fashion and textiles that include technical vocabulary, practices, objects, and materials.
Devised as a shareable resource, the online database invites contributions, updates, and revisions. Each term is equally accessible in all three languages to foster a de-hierarchized approach. We hope that the database can continue to expand via collaborations with Cambodian, French, and Anglophone institutions, and beyond.
100 Fashion and Textile Terms in Khmer, English and French 漏 2025 by Magali An Berthon is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit
芦钓斸瀰釤掅瀰釤佱瀫钓栣灦钓赌釤掅灆钓戓灦釤吗瀯釤♂煚釤&苍产蝉辫;钓热灅釤掅灇钓夺灁釤嬦灉钓丰灍釤愥灆钓樶焿钓坚瀶&苍产蝉辫;钓抚灧钓勧灉钓夺灆钓抚灄钓庒炼钓&苍产蝉辫;钓囜灦钓椺灦钓热灦钓佱炼钓樶焸钓&苍产蝉辫;钓⑨瀯釤嬦瀭釤掅灈釤佱灍&苍产蝉辫;钓抚灧钓勧灁钓夺灇钓夺焼钓劼&苍产蝉辫;钓傖灪钓囜灦钓热灀釤掅澜钓夺灀钓会瀫釤掅灇钓樶灁钓羔灄钓夺灍钓夺瀶釤傖灈钓樶灦钓抚灃钓夺瀫釤掅灆钓傖灀釤掅灈钓贯焽钓戓灦钓赌釤嬦澜钓勧灀钓贯瀯钓溼灧钓热煇钓欋灅釤夅灱钓&苍产蝉辫;钓抚灧钓勧灉钓夺灆钓抚灄钓庒炼钓屷瀫钓樶炼钓栣灮钓囜灦釤&苍产蝉辫;钓热炼钓抚灦钓娽焹钓娽焸钓涐瀲钓夺瀫钓夺灇钓斸瀯釤掅瀫钓踞瀼钓愥炼钓樶灨钓抚焷釤囜灀钓贯瀯钓樶灦钓抚瀶钓夺瀫釤嬦灢釤掅灆钓斸炼钓氠灳钓斸炼钓氠灦钓热煁钓涐灳钓斸炼钓氠灃釤愥灀釤掅瀿钓⑨灀钓♂灦钓&苍产蝉辫;钓犪灳钓欋灅钓抚灮钓热炼钓热澜钓坚澜釤呩洒钓夺瀰钓戓灦钓夅灆钓赌钓热焵钓溼灄釤呩灀釤佱焽钓囜灦钓戓灅釤掅灇钓勧煁钓热焵钓溼灄釤呩洒釤佱灐钓丰瀰钓忈炼钓氠灱钓抚灧钓呩灅钓赌钓斸炼钓氠灳钓斸炼钓氠灦钓热煁钓斸灦钓抚瀼钓夺灅钓氠灆釤堘瀭釤佱灎钓戓焼钓栣煇钓欰鲍笔釤&苍产蝉辫;
"100 mots de la mode et du textile en khmer, anglais et fran莽ais" est un glossaire trilingue qui explore le vocabulaire cl茅 associ茅 脿 la mode et aux textiles cambodgiens. D茅velopp茅 par Magali An Berthon, professeure assistante en 茅tudes de mode 脿 l'American University of Paris (黑料网), et d鈥檜ne 茅quipe d茅di茅e, cette ressource innovante existe comme base de donn茅es en ligne ainsi que sous la forme d'un ebook illustr茅 t茅l茅chargeable sur cette page.
Functionalities
The fields
There are several functionalities to the glossary. The first field shows the Khmer term in Khmer script. Next is the Khmer transliteration, followed by notes on Khmer pronunciation. Next field is the term in French, then in English, and then in Danish. The final fields show a long definition in Khmer, a long definition in English, and an illustration (photo and drawing).
To make it more searchable, the database includes the field 鈥淐ategory鈥. This way, you may search for terms by color-coded category in French, Khmer and English.
Grouping
You are able to group the different fields of the glossary to your liking. This is done by clicking the "Group" button at the top of the glossary. You will thereafter see the records organized together based on one (or more) fields of your choosing.
Sorting
Each field can be individually sorted in alphabetical order (forwards and backwards) by clicking the "Sort" button.
Searching
When using the 鈥淪earch鈥 button, the term you enter will appear from all the different fields of the glossary. You may conduct your search in the different languages offered in the database.
Copyright for the visuals
The copyright of the images is indicated in the term record. Illustrations are by MAO Sreymao. Photographs are by Magali An BERTHON or free of rights from Wikimedia Commons, unless stated otherwise.
eBook
Download here 100 Fashion and Textile Terms in Khmer, English and French in its eBook version.
Acknowledgements
This project was developed by Assistant Professor in Fashion Studies Magali An BERTHON, in collaboration with MOEUNG Seyha for the translation, Morten Grymer-Hansen for the database conception, Luisa Dominguez-Rey for the eBook design, and SAO Sreymao for the original illustrations.
This project has received the generous support of the John Lewis Fund at the American University of Paris.