Where does “เมืองไทย” come from?

เมืองไทย (Thai) comes from Thai ไทย, from Pali deyya, from Hindi देय, from Sanskrit देय॑.

Ancestry of “เมืองไทย”, step by step

เมืองไทย traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Thai ไทย

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Thaiไทยperson; human being; Siamese person; Thai person
2Palideyyato be given
3Hindiदेयgiven
4Sanskritदेय॑—

via Thai เมือง

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Thaiเมืองcity-state; fortified polity; any polity, as...
2Proto-Taimɯəŋᴬtownship
Every word from Sanskrit देय॑ →Every word from Hindi देय →Every word from Pali deyya →