Names of Cambodia

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.
Kingdom of Cambodia	ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា	Royaume du Cambodge	1993–present	Under a restored monarchy.

See also

• Kambojas
• Chenla
• Greater India