Editing Kathmandu (section)

== Etymology ==

The indigenous [[Newar language|Nepal Bhasa]] term for Kathmandu is ''Yen''.{{cn|date=October 2024}} The [[Nepali language|Nepali]] name ''Kathmandu'' comes from [[Kasthamandap]], a building that stood in [[Kathmandu Durbar Square]] and was completely destroyed by the [[April 2015 Nepal earthquake]] (it has since been reconstructed). In [[Sanskrit]], {{Transliteration|sa|Kāṣṭha}} ({{langx|sa|काष्ठ}}) means "wood" and {{Transliteration|sa|Maṇḍapa}} ({{langx|sa|मण्डप}}) means "pavilion". This public pavilion, also known as ''Maru Satta'' in Newari, was rebuilt in 1596 by Biseth in the period of King Laxmi Narsingh Malla. The three-storey structure was made entirely of wood and used no iron nails nor supports. According to legends, all the timber used to build the [[pagoda]] was obtained from a single tree.<ref name=introd>{{cite web |url=http://www.kathmandu.gov.np/index.php?cid=1&pr_id=1 |title=Introduction |access-date=12 December 2009 |publisher=Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Government of Nepal |archive-date=24 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724190236/http://www.kathmandu.gov.np/index.php?cid=1&pr_id=1 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[colophon (publishing)|colophons]] of ancient manuscripts, dated as late as the 20th century, refer to Kathmandu as {{Transliteration|ne|Kāṣṭhamaṇḍap Mahānagar}} in [[Nepal Mandala]]. Mahānagar means "great city". The city is called {{Transliteration|ne|Kāṣṭhamaṇḍap}} in a vow that Buddhist priests still recite to this day. Thus, Kathmandu is also known as {{Transliteration|ne|Kāṣṭhamaṇḍap}}. During medieval times, the city was sometimes called [[Kantipur|Kāntipur]] ({{langx|sa|कान्तिपुर}}). This name is derived from two Sanskrit words – {{Transliteration|sa|Kānti}} and {{Transliteration|sa|Pur}}. {{Transliteration|sa|Kānti}} is a word that stands for "beauty" and is mostly associated with light and {{Transliteration|sa|Pur}} means place, thus giving it the meaning, "City of light".

Among the indigenous Newar people, Kathmandu is known as ''Yeṃ Dey'' ({{Langx|new|येँ देय्}}), and Patan and Bhaktapur are known as ''Yala Dey'' ({{Langx|new|यल देय्}}) and ''Khwopa Dey'' ({{Langx|new|ख्वप देय्}}) respectively.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kirkpatrick |first=Colonel |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_ijxAAAAAYAAJ |title=An Account of the Kingdom of Nepaul |publisher=London: William Miller |year=1811 |access-date=9 March 2012 |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_ijxAAAAAYAAJ/page/n191 159]}} pp. 162–63</ref> "Yen" is the shorter form of ''Yambu'' ({{Langx|new|यम्बु}}), which originally referred to the northern half of Kathmandu. The older northern settlements were referred to as Yambi while the southern settlement was known as Yangala.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/422791468124158019/pdf/481440CDS0v20R00Box338889B00PUBLIC0.pdf |title=City Diagnostic Report for City Development Strategy: Kathmandu |date=2001 |page=5 |editor-last=Tenzin |editor-first=Sunam G. |place=Kathmandu |access-date=17 July 2019 |archive-date=17 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717090110/http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/422791468124158019/pdf/481440CDS0v20R00Box338889B00PUBLIC0.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/contributions/pdf/CNAS_11_01_reviews.pdf |title=The Limits of Surface Archaeology |journal=CNAS Journal |publisher=Tribhuvan University |access-date=28 July 2012 |date=December 1983 |volume=11 |number=1 |last=Malla |first=Kamal P. |archive-date=27 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327210240/http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/contributions/pdf/CNAS_11_01_reviews.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>