Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Vientiane” come from?

Vientiane comes from French Vientiane, from Lao ວຽງຈັນ, ultimately from Lao ວຽງ, derived from Proto-Mon-Khmer wa(a)ŋ meaning "city" or "settlement."

Ancestry of “Vientiane”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1FrenchVientiane—
2Laoວຽງຈັນ—
3Laoຈັນmoon; Monday; sandalwood
4Palicandamoon
5Sanskritचन्द्रglittering, shining , having the brilliancy or...
6Proto-Indo-Aryan(s)ćandrás—
7Proto-Indo-Iranian(s)čandrás—
8Proto-Indo-European(s)kand-to glow, shine; to shine, glow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kand- →