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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※
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 [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※
| 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. |
| 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. |
See also※
References※
- ^ George Coedes, Inscriptions du Cambodge, II, pp. 10, 155
