Amdo
/ˈɑːm.doʊ/noun
A historical region of northeastern Tibet, now largely within Qinghai and neighboring Chinese provinces.
Did you know?Amdo was traditionally one of Tibet’s three major cultural regions, alongside Ü-Tsang and Kham, and was home to influential Buddhist figures including the Fourteenth Dalai Lama.
Etymological Timeline
Early Tibetan
Tibetan
a mdo
“A regional name interpreted as referring to the lower or southeastern part of the Tibetan cultural world.”
Classical Tibetan
Tibetan
mdo
“A lower part, lower reaches, or border region; the term also has other meanings depending on context.”
Medieval period
Tibetan
A-mdo
“A recognized northeastern Tibetan cultural and geographical region.”
17th–19th Century
Tibetan
A mdo
“A major Tibetan region associated with distinctive dialects, monasteries, pastoral communities, and trade routes.”
19th–20th Century
English
Amdo
“The conventional English transliteration of the Tibetan regional name.”
Modern English
English
Amdo
“A historical-cultural region of Tibet, administratively divided mainly among areas of modern China.”