Where does “Vientiane” come from?
Vientiane (French) comes from Lao ວຽງຈັນ, from Lao ຈັນ, from Pali canda, from Sanskrit चन्द्र, from Proto-Indo-Aryan (s)ćandrás, from Proto-Indo-Iranian (s)čandrás, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kand- — to glow, shine; to shine, glow.
Ancestry of “Vientiane”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lao | ວຽງຈັນ | — |
| 2 | Lao | ຈັນ | moon; Monday; sandalwood |
| 3 | Pali | canda | moon |
| 4 | Sanskrit | चन्द्र | glittering, shining (as gold), having the brilliancy or hue of light (said of gods, of water and of soma) |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | (s)ćandrás | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | (s)čandrás | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kand- | to glow, shine; to shine, glow |