Thename of Cambodia inKhmer isកម្ពុជា (:Kâmpŭchéa,ALA-:Kambujā[kampuciə]), officiallyព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា (UNGEGN:Preăhréachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchéa,ALA-LC:Braḥrājāṇācakr Kambujā[preahriəciənaːcakkampuciə];lit. 'Kingdom of Cambodia'). This term derives fromSanskritकम्बोजदेश (IAST:Kambojadeśa), which means the "land ofKamboja".
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 theBaksei Chamkrong inscription, dated AD 947, derivesKambuja fromSvayambhuva Kamboj, a legendary Indian sage under whose gotra later, the merchantKaundinya I reached theIndochinese peninsula and married aNāga princess namedSoma, thus uniting the Indian and local Southeast AsianFunanese 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- (fromPāliāṇā, "authority, command, power");-châkr (from Sanskritchakra, meaning "wheel", a symbol of power and rule).
The name used on formal occasions, such as political speeches and news programs, isប្រទេសកម្ពុជាPrâtés Kâmpŭchéa[prɑteːhkampuciə], literally "the Country of Cambodia". The colloquial name most used by Cambodians isស្រុកខ្មែរSrŏk Khmêr[srokkʰmae], literally "Land of the Khmers" or "Khmer’s Land".srŏk is aMon-Khmer word roughly equal to the SanskriticPrâtés, but less formal.
| English | Khmer | French | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingdom of Cambodia | ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា | Royaume du Cambodge | 1953–1970 | Under amonarchy. |
| Khmer Republic | សាធារណរដ្ឋខ្មែរ | République khmère | 1970–1975 | Under amilitary-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 theKhmer 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 theUnited Nations Transitional Authority. |
| Cambodia | ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា | Royaume du Cambodge | 1993–present | Under a restored monarchy. |
