Meaning of Pol Pot?

[vardoger]

Hi,  Does anyone know the literal meaning of "Pol Pot", formerly Saloth Sar, the dead dictatorial leader of the Kampuchean Communists?  When did he get this name?

Any online links would help.

Thanks in advance.

[bernardo]

I don't think that Pol Pot actually "means" anything, apart from the fact that it is simply a very common name in Cambodia - a bit like "John Smith" or "Fred Bloggs" - and was presumably chosen by Saloth Sar to emphasise his identity as a member and representative of the ordinary proletariat.  As such it was a bit like "Big Brother" - a supposedly beneficial leader who looks after his subjects as brothers and as comrades.

 

In fact, so secretive was he about his identity that even some of the members of his own family did not know that "Pol Pot" was really him until he appeared on TV in 1977 - halfway through his period in power (1975 to 1979)