Himalaya
/ˌhɪməˈleɪə/noun
A mountain system in South Asia containing the world’s highest peaks, including Mount Everest.
Did you know?The Sanskrit name Himālaya combines hima, “snow,” with ālaya, “dwelling” or “abode,” creating one of the world’s most poetic geographic names.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵʰeym-
“Winter or cold season; a reconstructed root linked to Sanskrit hima and Latin hiems.”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
himá
“Snow, frost, or winter.”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
ālaya
“Abode, dwelling, or resting place.”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Himālaya
“The abode of snow; the mountain region associated with perpetual snow.”
Medieval and early modern usage
Sanskrit/Hindustani
Himālaya
“The Himalayan mountain range in South Asia.”
18th–19th Century
English
Himalaya
“The great mountain system north of the Indian subcontinent.”
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