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Etymology

The name Majapahit (sometimes also spelled Mojopait to reflect Javanese pronunciation), derives from Javanese, meaning "bitter maja ". German orientalist Berthold Laufer suggested that the maja element comes from the Javanese name of Aegle marmelos, an Indonesian tree. Majapahit is also referred to by the Sanskrit-derived synonym Wilwatikta (Sanskrit: विल्वतिक्त, romanized: vilvatikta, lit. ' bitter maja '). Toponyms containing the word maja are common in the area in and around Trowulan (e.g. Mojokerto), as it is a widespread practice in Java to name an area, a village or settlement with the most conspicuous or abundant tree or fruit species found in that region. The 16th-century chronicle Pararaton records a legend linked to the establishment of a new settlement in the forest of Trik by Raden Wijaya in 1292. It was said that the workers clearing the Trik forest encountered some maja trees and consumed their bitter-tasting fruit which then gave its name to the village.

Strictly speaking, the name Majapahit refers to the kingdom's capital, but today it is common to refer to the kingdom with its capital's name. In Javanese primary sources, the kingdom as an extended territory is generally referred to not as Majapahit but rather as bhūmi Jawa ("land of Java") in Old Javanese or yava-dvīpa- maṇḍala ("country of the island of Java") in Sanskrit.