Nagaland
/ˈnɑːɡəlænd/noun
A state in northeastern India, inhabited primarily by Naga peoples.
Did you know?Although Naga is often linked to the Sanskrit nāga, meaning “snake” or “serpent being,” scholars generally treat that connection as uncertain rather than proven.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
nāga
“A cobra, serpent, or semi-divine serpent being; sometimes proposed as the source of “Naga,” though the connection remains disputed.”
Precolonial period
Naga languages
Naga
“A collective name applied to numerous distinct peoples of the eastern Himalayan borderlands; the communities themselves traditionally used their own ethnic names.”
18th–19th Century
Assamese/Burmese usage
Naga
“A regional exonym used for various hill peoples east of Assam; its precise original meaning is uncertain.”
Old English
Old English
land
“Land, ground, or territory.”
19th Century
English
Nagaland
“A colonial-era English formation meaning the territory or land associated with the Naga peoples.”
1963
Modern English
Nagaland
“The official name of an Indian state created in 1963.”