Mekong
/ˌmeɪˈkɒŋ/noun
A major river in Southeast Asia flowing through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Did you know?The name Mekong is not originally English at all; it comes through French from local Southeast Asian forms, and the river’s identity has shifted across languages and empires for centuries.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient/Traditional
Tibeto-Burman/Local
Mekong / Mae Nam Khong
“A local river name or river designation used in mainland Southeast Asia, with the river understood as a major waterway”
Classical/Regional
Thai/Lao
Mae Nam Khong
“Literally 'mother water of Khong,' a common regional river naming pattern”
19th Century
French
Mékong
“French transcription of the river name used in colonial-era geography”
Modern English
English
Mekong
“The standard English name of the river”