The modern Khmer or Cambodian language is a direct descendent of the Old Khmer language spoken in the empire of ancient Khmer and its capital, Angkor. Around 200 BC, the Khmer peoples migrated from modern-day Thailand into the Mekong Delta area.
The first Khmer kingdom, referred to as Funan by Chinese historians of the time, was established around the 1st century. In its early history, the Khmer were greatly influenced by southern Indian language and culture. As a result, the Old Khmer language came to borrow heavily from Sanskrit, as well as Pali. Many loanwords were taken from these languages in the fields of business and philosophy.