Arunachal Pradesh

[ ahr-uh-noch-uhl pruh-deysh ]

noun

1. a state in northeastern India. 32,333 sq. mi. (83,743 sq. km). : Itanagar.

Arunachal Pradesh

/ ˌɑːrəˈnɑːkəl prəˈdɛʃ /

noun

1. a state in NE India, formed in 1986 from the former Union Territory. Capital: Itanagar. Pop: 1 091 117 (2001). Area: 83 743 sq km (32 648 sq miles) Former name (until 1972)North East Frontier Agency

Word History and Origins

Origin of Arunachal Pradesh¹

First recorded in 1970–75; from Hindi Aruṇācal Pradeś, figuratively, “Land of the Dawn-Lit Mountains,” from aruṇācal “dawn-lit mountain, mountain of the rising sun” (equivalent to Sanskrit aruṇa “dawn,” also “reddish-brown, ruddy” + acala “mountain, rock,” also “immovable, non-moving”) + pradeś “province, territory”