Tibet

See also: tibet and Tíbet

English

Definition 1&2.

Definition 3.

Alternative forms

• Thibet, Tebet, Tibat, Tobbat (obsolete)
• Tibbet (obsolete)

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 sTod-bod (pronounced Tö-pöt), meaning “Upper Tibet”. In another proposal, the name comes via Mongolian Töpüt from an alteration of Old Turkic 𐱅𐰇𐰯𐰇 (töpü, “height, summit”). Bialek instead derives the name from Old Tibetan དཔོན (dpon, “leader, ruler”), with addition of the Old Turkic plural suffix -𐱅 (-t²) and a epenthetic vowel to break up the non-Turkic initial consonant cluster [tp]; according to her, Middle Chinese 吐蕃 (tʰuo^X pʉɐn) comes from the same source.

Pronunciation

• enPR: tĭ-bĕt', tə-bĕt', IPA^(key): /tɪˈbɛt/, /təˈbɛt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -et

Proper noun

Tibet

1. 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

   • [1693, Robert Morden, “Of China”, in Geography Rectified; or a Description of the World‎^[3], 3rd edition, page 439:

     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.]

   • 1959 February 4, Peter Roberts, 0:00 from the start, in Formosa Rallies In Support Of Tibet Rebels (1959)‎^[4], British Pathé:

     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.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Tibet.
2. A mountainous country in Central Asia annexed by China.

   Synonyms: The Hermit Kingdom, Hermit Kingdom

   • 1922, Bertrand Russell, The Problem of China‎^[5], London: George Allen & Unwin, →OCLC, →OL, page 33:

     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.

   • 1992, Richard Nixon, “The Pacific Triangle”, in Seize the Moment‎^[6], Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, pages 179–180:

     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.

   • 2005, Bill Clinton, My Life‎^[7], volume II, New York: Vintage Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 387:

     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.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Tibet.
3. An autonomous region of China. Official name: Tibet Autonomous Region. Capital: Lhasa.

   Synonyms: Tibet Autonomous Region, Xizang

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.
• In modern Chinese of the People's Republic of China, 西藏 (Xīzàng) refers to Tibet Autonomous Region (including Arunachal Pradesh administered by India), but is named after Tibetan དབུས་གཙང (dbus gtsang, “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

region in Inner Asia

• Amharic: ቲቤት (tibet)
• Apatani: [Term?] (ñi-mé)
• Arabic: التِّبِت m (at-tibit), تُبَّت m (tubbat) (archaic)
• Armenian: Տիբեթ (Tibetʿ)
• Bantawa: [script needed] (bhoTa)
• Belarusian: Тыбе́т m (Tybjét), Тыбэ́т m (Tybét)
• Bengali: তিব্বত (bn) (tibbot)
• Breton: Tibet (br)
• Bulgarian: Тибе́т m (Tibét)
• Burmese: တိဗက် (ti.bak)
• Catalan: Tibet (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 西藏 (sai³ zong³), 吐蕃 (tou³ bo³) (historically)

  Hokkien: 西藏 (zh-min-nan) (Se-chōng)

  Mandarin: 西藏 (zh) (Xīzàng), 吐蕃 (zh) (Tǔbō) (historically)

• Czech: Tibet (cs) m
• Danish: Tibet
• Dutch: Tibet (nl) n
• Estonian: Tiibet
• Finnish: Tiibet (fi)
• French: Tibet (fr) m
• Georgian: ტიბეტი (ka) (ṭibeṭi)
• German: Tibet (de) n
• Greek: Θιβέτ (el) n (Thivét)
• Hebrew: טיבט (tibet)
• Hindi: तिब्बत (hi) m (tibbat), भोट (hi) m (bhoṭ)
• Hungarian: Tibet (hu)
• Interlingua: Tibet
• Irish: An Tibéid f
• Italian: Tibet (it) m
• Japanese: チベット (ja) (Chibetto), 西蔵 (ja) (せいぞう, Seizō)
• Kanauri: [script needed] (nyam mŭlök) 
• Kannada: ಟಿಬೆಟ್ (ṭibeṭ)
• Khmer: ទីបេ (km) (tiibee)
• Korean: 티베트 (Tibeteu), 시짱 (Sijjang), 서장(西藏) (ko) (Seojang)
• Latvian: Tibeta f
• Limbu: [script needed] (mudEn)
• Lithuanian: Tibetas (lt) m
• Macedonian: Ти́бет m (Tíbet)
• Manchu: ᠸᠠᡵᡤᡳ
  ᡯᠠᠩ (wargi dzang), ᡯᠠᠩ (dzang), ᡨᡠ᠋ᠪᡝᡨ (tubet), ᡨᠠᠩᡤᡡᡨ (tanggūt)
• Maori: Tepete
• Marathi: टिबेट (ṭibeṭ)
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: Төвөд (Tövöd)

  Mongolian: ᠲᠥ᠋ᠪᠡᠳ (töbed), ᠪᠠᠷᠠᠭᠤᠨ
  ᠲᠥ᠋ᠪᠡᠳ (baraɣun töbed) (historically), ᠲᠠᠩᠭᠤᠳ (taŋɣud) (historically)

• Nepali: तिब्बत (tibbat), भोट (bhot)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: Tibet

  Nynorsk: Tibet

• Occitan: Tibet (oc) m
• Old Turkic: 𐱅𐰇𐰯𐰇𐱅 (t²üpüt² /⁠tüpüt⁠/)
• Persian: تبت (fa) (tebbet, tabbat)
• Polish: Tybet (pl) m
• Portuguese: Tibete (pt) m
• Romanian: Tibet n
• Russian: Тибе́т (ru) m (Tibét), Сицза́н m (Siczán)
• Salar: Tüvit, Tüyit, Tiut
• Sanskrit: भोट (sa) m (bhoṭa), भोटः (sa) m (bhoṭaḥ)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: Тибет m

  Roman: Tibet (sh) m

• Sherpa: please add this translation if you can
• Sinhalese: ටිබෙට් (ṭibeṭ)
• Slovak: Tibet m
• Slovene: Tibet (sl) m
• Southern Altai: Тӧбӧт (Töböt)
• Spanish: Tíbet m
• Swedish: Tibet (sv)
• Tagalog: Tibet
• Tajik: Тибет (Tibet)
• Telugu: తిబెట్ (tibeṭ)
• Thai: ทิเบต (tí-bèet)
• Tibetan: བོད (bod)
• Tuvan: Төвүт (Tövüt), Тангыт (Tangıt), Таңғат (Soyot-Dukhan dialect)
• Ukrainian: Тибе́т m (Tybét)
• Uyghur: تىبەت (tibet), شىزاڭ (shizang), Tangghit
• Vietnamese: Tây Tạng (vi) (西藏 (vi))
• Volapük: Tibätän (vo)
• Written Oirat: ᡐᡈᡋᡈᡑ (töböd)
• Zhuang: Sihcang

shorthand for the Tibet Autonomous Region

• Arabic: شِيزَانْغ m (šīzānḡ), التِّبِت m (at-tibit)
• Bengali: তিব্বৎ (tibbot)
• Burmese: ဦစံး (ucam:)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 西藏 (sai¹ zong⁶)

  Hokkien: 西藏 (zh-min-nan) (Se-chōng)

  Mandarin: 西藏 (zh) (Xīzàng)

• Czech: Tibet (cs) m
• Danish: Tibet
• Finnish: Tiibet (fi)
• Georgian: ტიბეტი (ka) (ṭibeṭi)
• Greek: Θιβέτ (el) n (Thivét)
• Hindi: तिब्बत (hi) m (tibbat), भोट (hi) m (bhoṭ)
• Hungarian: Tibet (hu), Hszicang
• Irish: An Tibéid f
• Japanese: 西蔵 (ja) (せいぞう, Seizō)
• Kannada: ಟಿಬೆಟ್ (ṭibeṭ)
• Korean: 시짱 (Sijjang), 서장(西藏) (ko) (Seojang)
• Latvian: Tibeta f
• Macedonian: Ти́бет m (Tíbet)
• Manchu: ᠸᠠᡵᡤᡳ
  ᡯᠠᠩ (wargi dzang)
• Marathi: टिबेट (ṭibeṭ)
• Mongolian: Төвөд (Tövöd)
• Nepali: please add this translation if you can
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: Tibet

  Nynorsk: Tibet

• Occitan: Tibet (oc) m
• Portuguese: Tibete (pt) m
• Russian: Сицза́н m (Siczán), Тибе́т (ru) m (Tibét)
• Swedish: Tibet (sv)
• Thai: ทิเบต (tí-bèet), ซีจ้าง
• Tibetan: དབུས་གཙང (dbus gtsang)
• Uyghur: شىزاڭ (shizang)
• Vietnamese: Tây Tạng (vi) (西藏 (vi))
• Zhuang: Sihcang

See also

• Countries and territories of the world

Further reading

• Tibet on Wikiquote.Wikiquote
• “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

1. Tibet (a plateau region of China)
2. Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [tiˈβɛt]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) unknown
• IPA^(key): (Valencian) [tiˈbet]

Proper noun

Tibet m

1. Tibet (a plateau region of China)
2. Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

Derived terms

• tibetà

Related terms

• Regió Autònoma del Tibet

Czech

Proper noun

Tibet m inan (related adjective tibetský, demonym Tibeťan, female demonym Tibeťanka)

1. Tibet (a plateau region of China)
2. Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

Declension

Declension of Tibet (sg-only hard masculine inanimate)

	singular
nominative	Tibet
genitive	Tibetu
dative	Tibetu
accusative	Tibet
vocative	Tibete
locative	Tibetu
instrumental	Tibetem

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Proper noun

Tibet n

1. Tibet (a plateau region of China)
2. Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): \ti.bɛ\

• Audio

  (file)

Proper noun

Tibet m

1. Tibet (a plateau region of China)
2. Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

Derived terms

• Tibétain/Tibétaine
• tibétain/tibétaine

Anagrams

• bitte

German

Alternative forms

• Thibet (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtiːbɛt/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

Tibet n (proper noun, genitive Tibets or (optionally with an article) Tibet)

1. Tibet (a plateau region of China)
2. Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

Related terms

• Tibeter, Tibetaner
• tibetisch, tibetanisch
• Tibetisch

Further reading

• “Tibet” in Duden online

Anagrams

• bitte

Interlingua

Proper noun

Tibet

1. Tibet (a plateau region of China)
2. Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

Norwegian Bokmål

Proper noun

Tibet

1. Tibet (a plateau region of China)
2. Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

Related terms

• tibetaner
• tibetansk

Norwegian Nynorsk

Proper noun

Tibet

1. Tibet (a plateau region of China)
2. Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

Related terms

• tibetanar
• tibetansk

Romanian

Proper noun

Tibet n

1. Tibet (a plateau region of China)
2. Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tǐbet/
• Hyphenation: Ti‧bet

Proper noun

Tìbet m (Cyrillic spelling Тѝбет)

1. Tibet (a plateau region of China)
2. Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

Declension

Declension of Tibet

	singular
nominative	Tibet
genitive	Tibeta
dative	Tibetu
accusative	Tibet
vocative	Tibetu
locative	Tibetu
instrumental	Tibetem

Turkish

Proper noun

Tibet

1. Tibet (a plateau region of China)
2. Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

Declension

Declension of Tibet

	singular (tekil)	plural (çoğul)
nominative (yalın)	Tibet	-
definite accusative (belirtme)	Tibet'i	-
dative (yönelme)	Tibet'e	-
locative (bulunma)	Tibet'te	-
ablative (ayrılma)	Tibet'ten	-
genitive (tamlayan)	Tibet'in	-

Welsh

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɪˈbɛt/

Proper noun

Tibet f

1. Tibet (a plateau region of China)
2. Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

Derived terms

• Tibetaidd
• Tibeteg
• Tibetiad

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
Tibet	Dibet	Nhibet	Thibet
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.