Where does “Saigon” come from?
Saigon comes from Vietnamese Sài Gòn, which derives from Khmer ព្រៃគរ, a place name of uncertain etymological origin and meaning.
Ancestry of “Saigon”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vietnamese | Sài Gòn | Saigon River (that rises near Phum Daung in southeastern Cambodia and empties into the Nhà Bè River) |
| 2 | Khmer | ព្រៃនគរ | — |
| 3 | Khmer | នគរ | kingdom |
| 4 | Sanskrit | नगर | town, city; urban |
| 5 | Sanskrit | गर | mountain, top |
| 6 | Sanskrit | गुरु | heavy; weighty |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | gr̥Húṣ | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | gr̥Húš | heavy |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷréh₂us | heavy |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -us | Forms adjectives from Caland system roots |