Names of Cambodia

Etymology of the names of Cambodia

People's Republic of Kampuchea (1979–89)

Kingdom of Cambodia (1993–present)

Two Cambodian passports with official names of the country

The name of Cambodia in Khmer is កម្ពុជា (: Kâmpŭchéa, ALA-: Kambujā [kampuciə]), officially ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា (UNGEGN: Preăhréachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchéa, ALA-LC: Braḥrājāṇācakr Kambujā [preahriəciənaːcak kampuciə]; lit. 'Kingdom of Cambodia'). This term derives from Sanskrit कम्बोजदेश (IAST: Kambojadeśa), which means the "land of Kamboja".

## History

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The same name (i.e. Kamboj/Kambuja) is also found in Burmese and Thai chronicles referring to regions within those kingdoms. An origin-myth recorded in the Baksei Chamkrong inscription, dated AD 947, derives Kambuja from Svayambhuva Kamboj, a legendary Indian sage under whose gotra later, the merchant Kaundinya I reached the Indochinese peninsula and married a Nāga princess named Soma, thus uniting the Indian and local Southeast Asian Funanese cultures. In this story Kambuja derives from Kambu+ja, and means "descendants of Kambu."[1]

Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchéa means "Kingdom of Cambodia". Etymologically, its components are: preăh ("sacred"); réach- ("king, royal, realm", from Sanskrit); -éana- (from Pāli āṇā, "authority, command, power"); -châkr (from Sanskrit chakra, meaning "wheel", a symbol of power and rule).

The name used on formal occasions, such as political speeches and news programs, is ប្រទេសកម្ពុជា Prâtés Kâmpŭchéa [prɑteːh kampuciə], translated to "the Country of Cambodia". The colloquial name most used by Cambodians is ស្រុកខ្មែរ Srŏk Khmêr [srok kʰmae], translated to "Land of the Khmers" or "Khmer’s Land". srŏk is a Mon-Khmer word roughly equal to the Sanskritic Prâtés, but less formal.

## Official names of Cambodia since independence

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English | Khmer | Romanization of Khmer | French | Date | Notes

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Kingdom of Cambodia | ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា | Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchéa | Royaume du Cambodge | 1953–1970 | Under a monarchy.
Khmer Republic | សាធារណរដ្ឋខ្មែរ | Sathéarônârôdth Khmêr | République khmère | 1970–1975 | Under a military-led government.
Kingdom of Kampuchea | ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា | Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchéa | Royuame du Kampuchéa | 1975-1976 | Monarchy under a coalition between the Khmer Rouge regime and a monarchist government in exile.
Democratic Kampuchea | កម្ពុជាប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ | Kâmpŭchéa Prâchéathĭbâtéyy | Kampuchéa démocratique | 1976–1979 | Under the Khmer Rouge regime.
People's Republic of Kampuchea | សាធារណរដ្ឋប្រជាមានិតកម្ពុជា | Sathéarânârôdth Brâchéaméanĭt Kâmpŭchéa | République populaire du Kampuchéa | 1979–1989 | Under the rule of the Vietnamese-sponsored government.
State of Cambodia | រដ្ឋកម្ពុជា | Rôdth Kâmpŭchéa | État du Cambodge | 1989–1993 | Under the United Nations Transitional Authority.
Kingdom of Cambodia | ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា | Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchéa | Royaume du Cambodge | 1993–present | Under a restored monarchy.

## See also

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* Kambojas
* Chenla
* Greater India

## References

[edit]

1. ^ George Coedes, Inscriptions du Cambodge, II, pp. 10, 155

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