Dictionary

Tibet en · PROPN

Pronunciation

• tə-bĕt'
• tĭ-bĕt'
• /təˈbɛt/
• (US) audio
• /tɪˈbɛt/
• (UK) audio

Etymology

Of unclear origin, but probably from Old Turkic 𐱅𐰇𐰯𐰇𐱅 (Töpüt) ('hilly, mountainous place') via Classical Persian تبت (tabbat, tubbat). In one proposed etymology the ultimate origin is Tibetan བོད (Bod), used in the compound name Tibetan སྟོད་བོད (stod bod, “Upper Tibet”), pronounced Tö-pöt, from སྟོད (stod, “upper, higher”) + བོད (bod, “Tibet”). In another proposal, the name comes via Classical Mongolian [script needed] (Töpüt) from an alteration of Old Turkic 𐱅𐰇𐰯𐰇 (töpü, “height, summit”). Bialek instead derives the name from Old Tibetan དཔོན (dpon, “leader, ruler”) + Old Turkic -𐱅 (-t²) plural suffix and a epenthetic vowel to break up the non-Turkic initial consonant cluster [tp]; according to her, Middle Chinese 吐蕃 (thu^X bjon) comes from the same source.

Meanings

1. A geographic region in Central Asia (mostly in China), the homeland of the Tibetan people, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau.
   • A giant rally on Formosa reflects the worldwide concern for Tibet's heroic rebels. Speaking to sixty-thousand people in Taipei, President Chiang Kai-shek says Tibet's resistance foreshadows a vast anti-communist uprising on the mainland of China. 1959 February 4, Peter Roberts, 0:00 from the start, in Formosa Rallies In Support Of Tibet Rebels (1959), British Pathé:
   • The Province of Xenſi extends to the Kingdom of Preſter John. Caſcar and Thebet, which the Chineſes in a general Name call Sifan it is a large Province, and is divided into eight Counties, having one hundred and eighty Cities: Sigan is the Metropolis of the whole, ſeated on the River Guei, in a moſt pleaſant and delightful place, of a noble Proſpect, and good Trade. [1693, Robert Morden, “Of China”, in Geography Rectified; or a Description of the World, 3rd edition, page 439:
2. (historical) A former country in East Asia that existed from 1912 until its annexation by China in 1951.
   • I also supported more political freedom in China, and had recently invited the Dalai Lama and Hong Kong human rights activist Martin Lee to the White House to highlight my support for the cultural and religious integrity of Tibet and for maintaining Hong Kong's democracy now that the UK had restored it to China. 2005, Bill Clinton, My Life, volume II, New York: Vintage Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 387:
   • Third, we should open up two new international broadcasting stations—Radio Free China and Radio Free Tibet— to provide these nations with independent information and commentary.[...]The people of Tibet represent a separate case. Conquered by the Chinese in 1950, occupied brutally by troops who killed thousands, desecrated local cultural and religious sites, and denied reasonable demands for autonomy, Tibetans have elicited much sympathy but little support from the outside world. The outrage over the brutal killings of peaceful demonstrators in Lhasa in March 1989 quickly faded after the massacres in Beijing in June. While there is a limit to what we can do, we should do more than we have done. In addition to raising the issue of Tibet in bilateral talks, we should establish Radio Free Tibet so that its people, though isolated, will no longer feel abandoned. 1992, Richard Nixon, “The Pacific Triangle”, in Seize the Moment, Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, pages 179–180:
   • The estimated population of the Chinese Empire (exclusive of Tibet) is given, on the basis of this census, as 329,542,000, while the population of Tibet is estimated at 1,500,000. 1922, Bertrand Russell, The Problem of China, London: George Allen & Unwin, →OCLC, →OL, page 33:
3. An autonomous region of China. Official name: Tibet Autonomous Region. Capital: Lhasa.

Forms

Deriveds

Greater Tibet · Tibet Autonomous Region · South Tibet · Tibetan · Inner Tibet · Tibetan Empire · Tibetic · Outer Tibet · Tibetology · Tibetiana · Tibetan Plateau

Relateds

Countries and territories of the world

Synonyms

Hermit Kingdom · Tibetan Plateau · Tibet Autonomous Region · Xizang · Tibet Plateau

Translations (149)

vi Tây Tạng (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · pt Tibé (region in Inner Asia) · alt Тӧбӧт (region in Inner Asia) · ja 西蔵 (region in Inner Asia) · mnc ᠸᠠᡵᡤᡳ ᡯᠠᠩ (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · ko 서장 (region in Inner Asia) · xal Төвд (region in Inner Asia) · xwo ᡐᡈᡋᡈᡑ (region in Inner Asia) · hu Hszicang (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · fa تبت (region in Inner Asia) · nan-hbl 西藏 (region in Inner Asia) · th ทิเบต (region in Inner Asia) · slr Tüyit (region in Inner Asia) · mnc ᡨᡠ᠋ᠪᡝᡨ (region in Inner Asia) · sa भोट (region in Inner Asia) · yue 西藏 (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · ta திபெத் (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · el Θιβέτ (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · mnc ᠸᠠᡵᡤᡳ ᡯᠠᠩ (region in Inner Asia) · yue 吐蕃 (region in Inner Asia) · otk 𐱅𐰇𐰯𐰇𐱅 (region in Inner Asia) · nn Tibet (region in Inner Asia) · sk Tibet (region in Inner Asia) · pt Tibé (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · hi तिब्बत (region in Inner Asia) · sv Tibet (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · oc Tibet (region in Inner Asia) · gu તિબેટ (region in Inner Asia) · ast Tíbet (region in Inner Asia) · vi Tây Tạng (region in Inner Asia) · mr टिबेट (region in Inner Asia) · tyv Тангыт (region in Inner Asia) · ca Tibet (region in Inner Asia) · be Тыбе́т (region in Inner Asia) · da Tibet (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · ja チベット (region in Inner Asia) · ia Tibet (region in Inner Asia) · si ටිබෙට් (region in Inner Asia) · xal Төвд (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · cs Tibet (region in Inner Asia) · ar التِّبِت (region in Inner Asia) · hu Tibet (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · am ቲቤት (region in Inner Asia) · hi तिब्बत (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · mk Ти́бет (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · ug شىزاڭ (region in Inner Asia) · fi Tiibet (region in Inner Asia) · nn Tibet (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · nan-hbl 西藏 (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · ta திபெத் (region in Inner Asia) · hi भोट (region in Inner Asia) · be Тыбэ́т (region in Inner Asia) · tg Тибет (region in Inner Asia) · hi भोट (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · cs Tibet (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · es Tíbet (region in Inner Asia) · my တိဗက် (region in Inner Asia) · pt Tibete (region in Inner Asia) · ur تبت (region in Inner Asia) · lt Tibetas (region in Inner Asia) · slr Tüvit (region in Inner Asia) · mn ᠲᠥ᠋ᠪᠡᠳ (region in Inner Asia) · mk Ти́бет (region in Inner Asia) · ast Tíbet (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · mnc ᡯᠠᠩ (region in Inner Asia) · kjh Тӱбӱт (region in Inner Asia) · sl Tibet (region in Inner Asia) · bg Тибе́т (region in Inner Asia) · de Tibet (region in Inner Asia) · ug Tangghit (region in Inner Asia) · fr Tibet (region in Inner Asia) · bn তিব্বৎ (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · ko 시짱 (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · slr Tiut (region in Inner Asia) · my ဦစံး (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · ug شىزاڭ (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · ka ტიბეტი (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · ru Тибе́т (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · kn ಟಿಬೆಟ್ (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · cmn 吐蕃 (region in Inner Asia) · he טיבט (region in Inner Asia) · ne तिब्बत (region in Inner Asia) · ar التِّبِت (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · th ทิเบต (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · ru Сицза́н (region in Inner Asia) · sv Tibet (region in Inner Asia) · ru Тибе́т (region in Inner Asia) · br Tibet (region in Inner Asia) · hu Tibet (region in Inner Asia) · ga An Tibéid (region in Inner Asia) · za Sihcang (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · ru Сицза́н (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · sh Тибет (region in Inner Asia) · cmn 西藏 (region in Inner Asia) · kn ಟಿಬೆಟ್ (region in Inner Asia) · nl Tibet (region in Inner Asia) · pl Tybet (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · ug تىبەت (region in Inner Asia) · ko 티베트 (region in Inner Asia) · ja 西蔵 (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · za Sihcang (region in Inner Asia) · km ទីបេ (region in Inner Asia) · fi Tiibet (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · hy Տիբեթ (region in Inner Asia) · yue 西藏 (region in Inner Asia) · bua Түбэд (region in Inner Asia) · mi Tepete (region in Inner Asia) · uk Тибе́т (region in Inner Asia) · bn তিব্বত (region in Inner Asia) · mn ᠲᠠᠩᠭᠤᠳ (region in Inner Asia) · ko 서장 (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · pl Tybet (region in Inner Asia) · bo བོད (region in Inner Asia) · mn Төвөд (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · tyv Төвүт (region in Inner Asia) · sq Tibetit (region in Inner Asia) · lv Tibeta (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · lv Tibeta (region in Inner Asia) · bo དབུས་གཙང (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · mn ᠪᠠᠷᠠᠭᠤᠨ ᠲᠥ᠋ᠪᠡᠳ (region in Inner Asia) · ko 시짱 (region in Inner Asia) · et Tiibet (region in Inner Asia) · apt [Term?] (ñi-mé) (region in Inner Asia) · pt Tibete (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · nb Tibet (region in Inner Asia) · it Tibet (region in Inner Asia) · ga An Tibéid (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · ka ტიბეტი (region in Inner Asia) · mnc ᡨᠠᠩᡤᡡᡨ (region in Inner Asia) · mr टिबेट (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · tyv Таңғат (region in Inner Asia) · oc Tibet (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · el Θιβέτ (region in Inner Asia) · cmn 西藏 (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · ne भोट (region in Inner Asia) · da Tibet (region in Inner Asia) · ar شِيزَانْغ (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · te తిబెట్ (region in Inner Asia) · th ซีจ้าง (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · vo Tibätän (region in Inner Asia) · tl Tibet (region in Inner Asia) · ar تُبَّت (region in Inner Asia) · ur تبت (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region) · sa भोटः (region in Inner Asia) · mn Төвд (region in Inner Asia) · mn Төвөд (region in Inner Asia) · ro Tibet (region in Inner Asia) · sh Tibet (region in Inner Asia) · nb Tibet (shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region)

wikidata: Q17252 · wikidata: Q2444884 · wikidata: Q17269