Bengal
/bɛŋˈɡɔːl/noun
A region in South Asia, now divided mainly between Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal.
Did you know?The name of Bengal is historically tied to the ancient Vanga/Vanga kingdom, and European spellings shifted through Persian and Portuguese contact before settling into modern English.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient India
Sanskrit
Vaṅga
“An ancient regional name for part of eastern Bengal”
Classical/Medieval India
Prakrit
Vanga
“A regional and ethnic name for the same eastern territory”
Medieval Persian
Persian
Bangāla
“The Bengal region, as known in Indo-Persian usage”
16th Century
Portuguese
Bengala
“The Bengal region, recorded by European travelers and traders”
17th Century
English
Bengal
“The Bengal region in South Asia”
Explore more surprising origins