Names of Cambodia

Etymology of the names of Cambodia

The name of Cambodia in Khmer is កម្ពុជា (UNGEGN: , ALA LC: ), officially ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា (UNGEGN: , ALA LC: ; ). This term derives from Sanskrit कम्बोजदेश (IAST: ), which means the "land of Kamboja".

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." 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 , literally "the Country of Cambodia". The colloquial name most used by Cambodians is ស្រុកខ្មែរ , literally "Land of the Khmers" or "Khmer’s Land". srŏk is a Mon Khmer word roughly equal to the Sanskritic Prâtés, but less formal.

English Khmer French Date NotesKingdom of Cambodia ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា Royaume du Cambodge 1953–1970 Under a monarchy. Khmer Republic សាធារណរដ្ឋខ្មែរ République khmère 1970–1975 Under a military led government. Democratic Kampuchea កម្ពុជាប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ Kampuchéa démocratique 1975–1979 Under the Khmer Rouge regime. People's Republic of Kampuchea សាធារណរដ្ឋប្រជាមានិតកម្ពុជា République populaire du Kampuchéa 1979–1989 Under the rule of the Vietnamese sponsored government. State of Cambodia រដ្ឋកម្ពុជា État du Cambodge 1989–1993 Under the United Nations Transitional Authority. Cambodia ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា Royaume du Cambodge 1993–present Under a restored monarchy.