Sampeah
| Sampeah | |
|---|---|
| Khmer name | សំពះ |
| Also known as | sâmpeăh; Cambodian greeting; Khmer greeting gesture |
| Practice type | Language practice |
| Usual occasion | Greetings, farewells, and worship |
| Subjects | Language & Literacy |
Sampeah is a everyday practice practised in Cambodia and Khmer communities. (Wikipedia)
Practice
Sampeah is performed by placing the palms together and bowing the head or body slightly. The height of the hands and depth of the bow express the level of respect shown: the gesture may be made at chest, mouth, nose, eyebrow, or forehead level depending on the person or sacred context. It accompanies formal Khmer greetings such as ជម្រាបសួរ, transliterated as chumréab suŏr, and formal farewells such as ជម្រាបលា, transliterated as chumréab léa. It is also used to express thanks or apology and in prayer or worship. (Wikipedia; Move to Cambodia)
History
The supplied text describes sampeah as based on the Indian Añjali Mudrā and connected to the spread of Hinduism and Buddhism from India into Southeast Asia. It also describes greeting customs in Cambodia as governed by centuries-old traditions of respect and hierarchy. (Wikipedia; Move to Cambodia)
Variations
There are five described forms: for people of the same age or younger, for bosses and other higher-ranking people, for parents, grandparents, and teachers, for the king or monks, and for God, Buddha, or sacred statues. The hand position rises from chest level through mouth, nose, and eyebrow level to forehead level, while the bow becomes more pronounced; forehead-level sampeah is reserved for prayer, sacred sites, and temple worship. (Wikipedia; Move to Cambodia)
Communities and practitioners
Cambodians perform sampeah in social, familial, religious, and formal settings. The practice varies according to age, status, relationship, and sacred role, and the supplied text advises that children, street vendors, and beggars are traditionally not sampeah-ed. (Wikipedia; Move to Cambodia)