Mongolia
/mɒŋˈɡoʊ.li.ə/noun
A landlocked country in East-Central Asia, between Russia and China.
Did you know?The name ultimately comes from the ethnonym Mongol, which appears in medieval sources, but its deeper origin is uncertain enough that scholars still debate whether it reflects a tribal name, a geographic term, or an older inner-Asian root.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval Period
Middle Mongolian
mongɣol
“The Mongols, the ethnos of the steppe confederation”
13th Century
Persian
Mongol
“The Mongols, especially the people of Chinggis Khan's empire”
13th-14th Century
Latin
Mongalia / Mongolia
“A Latinized form referring to the land of the Mongols”
16th-19th Century
European languages
Mongolia
“The region and polity associated with the Mongol people”
Modern English
English
Mongolia
“The modern country in East-Central Asia”