Thailand
/ˈtaɪ.lænd/noun
A country in Southeast Asia, formerly known as Siam.
Did you know?The name Thailand was officially adopted in 1939 and restored in 1949; it comes from Thai + English land, with Thai meaning “free” or “person of the Thai people,” not a mystical title but a national identity claim.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Tai
PTai
*daj²
“A word meaning “person” or “people” in the Tai language family.”
Old Chinese
OC
*daj
“An early form associated with the ethnonym that later developed into names for Tai peoples.”
Modern Thai
Thai
ไท (thai)
““Thai,” used for the people and, by extension, “free” in modern national interpretation.”
1939
English
Thailand
“Official English form of the new country name meaning “Land of the Thai.””
1949
English
Thailand
“Restored as the country’s official English name after a brief return to Siam.”