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Names of Cambodia

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The name of Cambodia in Khmer is កម្ពុជា (UNGEGN: Kâmpŭchéa, ALA-LC: 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], literally "the Country of Cambodia". The colloquial name most used by Cambodians is ស្រុកខ្មែរ Srŏk Khmêr [srok kʰmae], literally "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 French Date Notes
Kingdom of Cambodia ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា Royaume du Cambodge 1953–1970 Under a monarchy.
Khmer Republic សាធារណរដ្ឋខ្មែរ République khmère 1970–1975 Under a military-led government.
Kingdom of Kampuchea ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា Royuame du Kampuchéa 1975-1976 Monarchy under a coalition between the Khmer Rouge regime and a monarchistgovernment in exile.
Democratic Kampuchea កម្ពុជាប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ Kampuchéa démocratique 1976–1979 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.

See also

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References

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