100 Fashion and Textile Terms in Khmer, English and French

Designed as both a digital platform and an e-publication, this trilingual Fashion and Textile Glossary—available in English, French, and Khmer—is 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’s 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’s 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 © 2025 by Magali An Berthon is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Functionalities

The fields
There are several functionalities to the glossary. From left to right: 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 “Category”. 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 “Search” 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.