History and Founding
A language cannot endure on passion alone
CLI was founded in 2026 so Cham language work could be coordinated, documented, and adopted.
01 / The condition of the language
Endangerment is a symptom
Cham is an endangered language sustained across Cambodia, Vietnam, and communities throughout the diaspora. Its speakers navigate regional varieties, distinct scripts, different educational settings, and uneven access to teaching and reference materials.
Endangerment is not measured only by speaker numbers. When terminology does not keep pace with modern life, when reference systems remain disconnected, and when continued learning is not formally supported, language transmission becomes harder to sustain.
02 / The institutional gap
Important work existed without a shared institutional framework
What exists
Cham language development has depended on the commitment of scholars, educators, communities, religious institutions, families, and individual projects. Those efforts carry enormous value. Their reach, however, has remained fragmented across regions and initiatives.
What is required
The Cham language needs a setting where linguistic decisions can be publicly reviewed, modern vocabulary developed, and research can become practical language resources.
2026
Institutional formation / California, USA
03 / The formation of CLI
A durable home for Cham language work
Cham Language Institute was incorporated in California in 2026 as a public-benefit nonprofit dedicated exclusively to the Cham language. Its U.S. legal structure provides independent governance, public accountability, and continuity beyond any single individual.
The Institute transforms preservation and development from a collection of separate efforts into an organized institutional program. It gives Cham language work a permanent home, a formal decision structure, specialized working bodies, and a platform for collaboration across borders and disciplines.
04 / The work ahead
From heritage to infrastructure
CLI begins from a simple institutional conviction: preservation succeeds when a language has infrastructure.
That requires shared writing standards, vocabulary for modern domains, dependable reference works, and much more.
CLI exists to build that infrastructure and carry it forward.