The artificial practice of inserting commas to "identify" all surnames, 
even initial ones that would never be written with a comma in the real 
world, was questioned during RDA development and included on the JSC's 
list of issues deferred until after the first release of RDA.

http://www.rda-jsc.org/docs/6JSC_Sec_1.pdf
p. 18-19, First part of the name is the surname

Unless there's some rationalization for treating Cambodian initial 
surnames differently from Chinese ones, it looks like Cambodian names 
have been under the radar enough that people establishing them have been 
able to ignore the current instruction to use the comma.

Robert Rendall

On 6/17/2013 2:47 PM, John Hostage wrote:
> RDA 9.2.2.9 says, inter alia, "lf a name consists of a surname followed by other parts of the name, record the surname and follow it by a comma and the parts of the name that follow it."  We do this also with Chinese names.  I'm not sure why we do this, since in a Western name, the comma usually indicates the name has been inverted.
>
> ------------------------------------------
> John Hostage
> Authorities and Database Integrity Librarian //
> Harvard Library--Information and Technical Services //
> Langdell Hall 194 //
> Cambridge, MA 02138
> [log in to unmask]
> +(1)(617) 495-3974 (voice)
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>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Program for Cooperative Cataloging
>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of James L. Woods
>> Sent: Monday, June 17, 2013 09:54
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: [PCCLIST] Cambodian list
>>
>> Here's what our SE Asian bibliographer told me about Cambodian names:
>>
>> Jamie
>>
>> --
>> *****************************
>> James L. Woods
>> Head, Original Cataloging Unit
>> 312 Memorial Library, University of Wisconsin-Madison
>> PHONE: (608) 262-3501
>>
>>
>>
>> Cambodian names should be last name, then first name with no
>> comma, at least for those writing as Cambodians in Cambodia
>> (vs. Cambodian-Americans, say, where they'll undoubtedly
>> adopt the "English" practice of inserting a comma)
>> - The work by the author in question here -- Chum Mey -- is
>> a Cambodian publication.
>> - Yes, Chum = the surname.
>> - The Mey or Manh matter is analogous, as it were, to
>> anyone's being called by more than one first name . . .
>> English included.
>> - As for establishing this person's name, I guess it needs
>> to be
>>
>> Chum Mey    as it appears in the book, but with a cross-ref.
>> to the "given" name
>>
>> Chum Manh    as the author referenced
>>
>>
>> Other exs. For Pol Pot, the infamous Khmer Rouge leader, the
>> authority record is
>>
>> Pol Pot
>>
>> Chum Ngek = another authorized name
>>
>> Unfortunately, there IS inconsistency since no real rule
>> seems to exist for Cambodian names, unlike for Lao&  Thai
>> ones, which are similar in being in direct order without a
>> comma.
>>
>>
>> On 6/13/2013 4:15 PM, Jennifer Lobb wrote:
>>> HI everyone,
>>>
>>> I am hoping that someone can help me with a Cambodian name.
>>>
>>> On the title page it says Chum Mey
>>>
>>> on page 9, it says "in my village people called me Chum
>>> Manh, but since I first came to Phnom Penh, I have been
>>> called Chum Mey.
>>>
>>> So is his name
>>>
>>> Chum Mey
>>>
>>> Mey, Chum
>>>
>>> or possibly Chum, Mey
>>>
>>> with a cross-reference from Chum Manh in some sort of form
>>> or another...
>>>
>>> Any help would be appreciated.
>>>
>>> Thanks.
>>>
>>> Jenny


-- 
Robert Rendall
Principal Serials Cataloger
Original and Special Materials Cataloging, Columbia University Libraries
102 Butler Library, 535 West 114th Street, New York, NY 10027
tel.: 212 851 2449  fax: 212 854 5167