Kandahar
/ˌkæn.dəˈhɑːr/noun
Kandahar is a major city and province in southern Afghanistan.
Did you know?The name is commonly connected with ancient Gandhāra, a Buddhist cultural center, while another long-standing theory links it to Alexander through forms of “Alexandria” or “Iskandar.”
Etymological Timeline
6th Century BCE
Old Persian
Gandāra
“The name of an ancient eastern province of the Achaemenid Persian Empire.”
1st Millennium BCE
Sanskrit
Gandhāra
“A kingdom and cultural region in what is now parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Gandaritis
“A Greek form referring to the land of Gandhāra.”
Late Antiquity
Middle Persian
Kandahār
“A later Iranian form of the place-name, reflecting regular historical sound changes.”
10th–13th Century
Arabic/Persian
Qandahār / Kandahār
“Medieval forms used for the city and surrounding region.”
Modern English
English
Kandahar
“The established English form of the Afghan city and province.”