Tibet
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
Of unclear origin, but probably via Persian تبت (tabbat, tobbat). The ultimate origin may be Tibetan བོད (bod).
Pronunciation
- enPR: tĭ-bĕt', tə-bĕt', IPA(key): /tɪˈbet/, /təˈbet/
Audio (US) (file)
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
- Greater Tibet
- Inner Tibet
- Outer Tibet
- South Tibet
- Tibetan
- Tibetan Empire
- Tibetan Plateau
- Tibet Autonomous Region
Translations
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References
Breton
Catalan
French
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
German
Interlingua
Norwegian Bokmål
Norwegian Nynorsk
Romanian
Serbo-Croatian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /tǐbet/
- Hyphenation: Ti‧bet
Declension
singular | |
---|---|
nominative | Tibet |
genitive | Tibeta |
dative | Tibetu |
accusative | Tibet |
vocative | Tibetu |
locative | Tibetu |
instrumental | Tibetem |