Oknha

kh: ឧកញ៉ា  angk: uk-na | in ancient vn texts: Ốc nha (屋牙)

  1. Khmer honorific meaning 'nobleman' or 'lord'. Initially envoys of the Angkor kings, then title in used during the Oudong monarchy from the 18th century, substituting Ponhea (ពញា - equivalent to Phraya (พญา) in Thai). The title "Oknha" was transformed into Thai as Okya (ออกญา) by the Ayutthaya Kingdom. The word Oknha is referred to as  in ancient Vietnamese records.
  2. Since 1993, title bestowed by the King (later by the Cambodian government) on civilians (non-royalty) distinguished for their goods deeds. Recently, 'oknha' has become a Khmer version of 'tycoon', as since 2017 wealthy people donating a minimum of 500,000 USD to the State can obtain the title.

©Angkor Database

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