Laos
/ˈlaʊ.ɒs/noun
A country in Southeast Asia.
Did you know?The modern country name Laos comes from the Lao people and the historic Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, meaning “Million Elephants,” not from a mystical root word.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient period
Tai-Kadai
*lao
“An ethnonym referring to the Lao people or related Tai-speaking groups”
14th Century
Lao
Lan Xang
“The kingdom name meaning “Million Elephants””
19th Century
French
Laos
“French colonial rendering of the Lao lands and people”
Modern English
English
Laos
“The modern sovereign state in Southeast Asia”