Nomenclature
Prasat Preah Vihear is the compound of words Prasat, Preah and Vihear. Prasat (ប្រាសាទ) mean "castle", sometimes "temple"; in Sanskrit प्रासाद. Preah (ព្រះ) mean "sacred". "Vihear" (វិហារ) mean "shrine" (the central structure of the temple). The word Vihear could be related to the Sanskrit word Vihara (विहार) which means "abode."
Prasat (ប្រាសាទ) in Sanskrit means ("castle", sometimes "temple"; in Sanskrit प्रासाद), and in Khmer: "phnom" (ភ្នំ) means mountain. Cambodians occasionally refer to it as "Phnom Preah Vihear" (ភ្នំព្រះវិហារ). The word "Preah" (ព្រះ) means "sacred", and the word "Vihear" (វិហារ) means "shrine" (the central structure of the temple).
The two versions of the name carry significant political and national connotations (see below: New dispute over ownership).
Read more about this topic: Preah Vihear Temple