Meghalaya
/ˌmeɪɡəˈleɪə/noun
A state in northeastern India, whose name refers to a land associated with clouds.
Did you know?The name was coined from Sanskrit elements in the twentieth century to evoke Meghalaya’s cloud-covered hills, especially the exceptionally rainy Khasi highlands.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
megha
“Cloud; also associated with rain and thunder”
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
ālaya
“Abode, dwelling, or resting place”
20th Century
Modern Sanskrit formation
Meghālaya
“Abode of clouds”
1972
English
Meghalaya
“The northeastern Indian state established under this name”
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