Lesson 20 // Nepalese Vocabulary

Nepalese Vocabulary

Use the following Nepalese vocabulary words for quizzes, word searches, and spelling tests.

Climbing & Trekking

Baato—trail

Bhanjyang—pass

Bhatti—tea stalls found along the trekking trails

Chautaara—rock walls built as resting places for porters and Sherpa. These walls can usually be found near a banyan tree.

Chomolungma— Sherpa name for Mt. Everest. Chomolungma's resident goddess is Miyo Lungsangma. She is the mother goddess of the earth. According to a religious story, father Lhola Tebu and mother Menthang had five daughters: Tashi Tseringma, the main one who resides on Gauri Shanker, gives long life; Miyo Lungsangma gives food; Tekar Dosangma gives good fortune; Chopen Dinsangma gives wealth and Thingi Shelsangma gives telepathic powers.

Col (or la)—high mountain pass

Crevasse—deep fissure in snow or ice usually found in glaciers. Climbers rope-up together and walk far apart in case one drops into a hidden crevasse, others on the rope may be able to stop the fall.

Cwm (koom)—welsh term for a cirque. The high, glaciated, southwest valley encircled by Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse was named the Western Cwm by George Mallory on a 1920 British Expedition.

Danda—ridge

Deurali—pass on a ridge

Dharmsala—pilgrim's rest house

Drangka—stream

Dzo— male crossbreed between a yak and a cow

GPS—Global Positioning System; a device that calculates opposition and elevation by reading and decoding signals from satellites

Himal—snow mountain

Kaani—an arch over a trail, usually decorated with paintings

Kang—mountain

Khola (or kosi)—river

Khumbu—region near Mount Everest. The Khumbu glacier runs down and below the southwest side of Everest.

Kund—holy lake

Lekh—hill, or foothill ridge

Lho—south

Maati baato—upper trail

Nak—female yak

Nup—west

Parbat—mountain

Phedi—literally "the place at the foot of the hill"

Pokhari (or tal)—lake

Ri—peak

Sagarmatha—Nepalese name for Everest, meaning "churning stick in the sea of existence." Tibetan, Nepalese and Sherpa mythologies believe this mountain was the first land mass to rise from the sea.

Shar—east

Sherpa—"People from the East." Both a tribal group and a job description for porter, climber or trek leader. Sherpas have been crucial to the success of most Western expeditions to Everest. (Click here to learn more about Sherpas and their culture.)

Sherpani—female Sherpa. In 1993, Pasang Lhamu Sherpa was the first Sherpani to ever summit Everest. Through her, fame and pride shone on the Sherpa people.

Sirdar—man in charge of trek crew

Ukaalo—steep uphill

Yak—animals used to help carry loads in high altitude regions. On an Everest expedition, each yak carries 140 pound of supplies.

Yeti—the abominable snowman living amidst the Himalayas. Yetis can be found populating many contemporary tankas.

Daily Life

Baayaan—left (direction)

Baksheesh—money or goods used as a donation, gift, or bribe

Banthanti—the place in the forest

Charpi—latrine

Daahine—right (direction)

Dokan (or pasal)—shop

Doko—porter's conical load-carrying basket

Ghar (or khangba)—house

Jaat—caste or ethnic group

Namaste—common greeting. Literally, "I salute the god in you."

Paisa—1/100 of one Rupee

Rupee —unit of currency in Nepal. Roughly 55 Rupees to the US dollar

Sidha—straight ahead (direction)

Sonam—good luck (Tibetan)

Tashi Delek—another common greeting

Tempo—three-wheeled taxi similar to a rickshaw found throughout the streets in Kathmandu

Tonga—two-wheeled, horse-drawn cart