Tibet
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
Of unclear origin, but probably via Persian تبت (tabbat, tobbat). In one proposed etymology the ultimate origin is Tibetan བོད (bod), used in the compound name sTod-bod (pronounced Tö-pöt), meaning “Upper Tibet”.[1] In another proposal, the name comes via Mongolian Töpüt from an alteration of Old Turkic 𐱅𐰇𐰯𐰇 (töpü, “height, summit”).[2]
Pronunciation
Proper noun
Tibet
- The Tibetan Plateau, a plateau region in Central Asia, where the Tibetan people traditionally live, encompassing what is now Tibet Autonomous Region (also called Xizang), most of Qinghai, the western half of Sichuan, a small part of Yunnan and a small part of Gansu in the People's Republic of China, and also the country of Bhutan, and the Indian regions of Sikkim and Ladakh.
- Synonyms: Tibetan Plateau, Tibet Plateau
- An independent kingdom that formerly existed in Central Asia where the Tibet Autonomous Region now is.
- Synonyms: The Hermit Kingdom, Hermit Kingdom
- A common shorthand name for Tibet Autonomous Region, previously mostly coterminous with the independent portion of Tibet until 1950.
- Synonyms: Xizang, Tibetan Autonomous Region
Usage notes
In Tibetan, བོད (bod, “Bod”) properly refers to the entire plateau region that is translated to English as Tibet or Tibetan Plateau, of which Tibet Autonomous Region (西藏自治區/西藏自治区 (Xīzàng Zìzhìqū)) only forms one part. In international media, Tibet is often used as the shorthand name for Tibet Autonomous Region entity. In modern Chinese of the People's Republic of China, 西藏 (Xīzàng) refers to Tibet Autonomous Region (including P.R.C.-claimed Arunachal Pradesh in India), but is named after Tibetan དབུས་གཙང (Dbus-gtsang or Ü-Tsang), one of the traditional provinces of Tibet that includes the capital Lhasa. Today in the complex politics surrounding Tibet, the use of Tibet for the entire plateau can be offensive to Chinese people particularly in the People's Republic of China, while the use of Tibet exclusively for Tibet Autonomous Region can be offensive to Tibetan people. Additionally, when the term Tibetan Plateau is used consistently instead of Tibet to refer to བོད (bod), it can also be considered insensitive to Tibetan people.
Derived terms
Translations
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References
- “Tibet”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
- “Tibet”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
- “Tibet” in TheFreeDictionary.com, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.: Farlex, Inc., 2003–2024.
Breton
Proper noun
Tibet
Catalan
Proper noun
Tibet m
Czech
Proper noun
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Derived terms
Dutch
Pronunciation
Audio: (file)
Proper noun
Tibet n
French
Pronunciation
Audio: (file)
Proper noun
Tibet m
Derived terms
Anagrams
German
Pronunciation
Audio: (file)
Noun
Tibet n (proper noun, strong, genitive Tibets)
Related terms
Further reading
- “Tibet” in Duden online
Interlingua
Proper noun
Tibet
Norwegian Bokmål
Proper noun
Tibet
- Tibet (region and autonomous region)
Related terms
Norwegian Nynorsk
Proper noun
Tibet
- Tibet (region and autonomous region)
Related terms
Romanian
Proper noun
Tibet n
Serbo-Croatian
Pronunciation
Proper noun
Tìbet m (Cyrillic spelling Тѝбет)
Declension
Turkish
Proper noun
Tibet
Declension
- English terms derived from Persian
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English proper nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- en:Autonomous regions of China
- en:Tibet
- Breton lemmas
- Breton proper nouns
- Catalan lemmas
- Catalan proper nouns
- Catalan masculine nouns
- Dutch terms with audio links
- Dutch lemmas
- Dutch proper nouns
- Dutch neuter nouns
- French terms with audio links
- French lemmas
- French proper nouns
- French masculine nouns
- German terms with audio links
- German lemmas
- German proper nouns
- German neuter nouns
- Interlingua lemmas
- Interlingua proper nouns
- Norwegian Bokmål lemmas
- Norwegian Bokmål proper nouns
- Norwegian Nynorsk lemmas
- Norwegian Nynorsk proper nouns
- Romanian lemmas
- Romanian proper nouns
- Romanian neuter nouns
- Serbo-Croatian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Serbo-Croatian lemmas
- Serbo-Croatian proper nouns
- Serbo-Croatian masculine nouns
- sh:Place names
- sh:Political subdivisions
- Turkish lemmas
- Turkish proper nouns
- tr:Political subdivisions