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Cam·bo·di·a

(kăm-bōdē-ə) or Kam·pu·che·a (kăm′p-chēə)

A country of southeast Asia on the Gulf of Thailand. Once part of the Khmer empire that ruled the entire Mekong River valley, the area was controlled after the 15th century by the neighboring kingdoms of Siam and Annam. Cambodia became part of French Indochina in the 19th century and proclaimed its independence as a kingdom in 1953. After the overthrow of the monarchy in 1970, Cambodia commenced a long period of political and social disruption, especially under the Khmer Rouge regime led by Pol Pot, which was responsible for more than a million deaths from 1975 to 1979. The monarchy was restored in 1993. Phnom Penh is the capital and the largest city.

Cam·bodi·an adj. & n.

(click for a larger image)

Cambodia

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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