© koninklijke brill nv, leiden, ���5 | doi � �. ��63/9789004�8357�_0�5 chapter 9 Kơho-Sre Neil H. Olsen 1 Background Kơho (kpm) is one of the South Bahnaric languages of Vietnam (along with Chrau, Mnong, and Stieng). According to Sidwell (2002), the South Bahnaric group falls within the Central sub-branch of the Bahnaric branch of Austroasiatic. The speakers call themselves kon cau [kɔn.caw],1 and are often referred to as montagnards or highlanders. The Kơho number over 207,500 people (2009 Vietnam Census); additionally, several thousand live overseas in France and the U.S.A. The Kơho homeland is located in the southernmost part of the Tây Nguyên (Western Highlands) region of Việt Nam. Their habitat includes most of Lâm Đồng province and includes settlements in neighboring provinces. Within the territory inhabited by the Kơho, the topography includes the Lang Biang mountains (2,200 meters) in the northeast that overlook the Đà Lạt Plateau. The Đà Lạt Plateau, made up of rolling hills, is separated from the Djiring (Di Linh) Plateau by the wide alluvial valley of the Đa Đưng (Đồng Nai) River. South of the Di Linh Plateau, a chain of mountain peaks, averaging 1,000 meters, separate the plateau from the coastal plain. The region is known for its terres rouges—very fertile red volcanic soils. In the southwest, the elevation drops to 200 meters at Madagui on the coastal plain. The climate is character- ized by a tropical savanna consisting of two monsoon seasons: the southwest summer monsoon; and the northeast winter monsoon. The average annual temperature is 19° C.; average annual precipitation is 2,070 mm. There are at least twelve Kơho dialect groups for the area: Chil (Cil, Til); Kalop (Tulop); Kơyon (Kodu, Co-Don); Làc (Làt, Lach); Mà; Nồp (Nop, Xre Nop, Noup); Pru; Ryông Tô (Riồng, Rion); Sop, Sre (Chau Sơre, Xrê); Talà (To La); and Tring (Trinh). Although, Mà is linguistically a Kơho dialect group, it is 1 The ethnonym Kơho [kə’hɔ] is derived from a Cham word that refers collectively to a group of several peoples speaking mutually intelligible dialects in the southern part of the high- lands (Olsen 1968, 1976). 746-788_JENNY AND SIDWELL_F15.indd 746 9/29/2014 6:30:14 PM