Lhasa
/ˈlɑː.sə/noun
Lhasa is the capital of Tibet and a major religious and cultural center of Tibetan Buddhism.
Did you know?The name may preserve a historical reinterpretation: an older form, Rasa, was traditionally explained as “place of goats,” before being understood as Lhasa, “place of the gods.”
Etymological Timeline
Old Tibetan, 7th–9th Century
Old Tibetan
lha sa
“A compound traditionally interpreted as “god/deity” plus “place/earth””
Medieval Tibetan
Tibetan
ལྷ་ས་ (Lha-sa)
“Place of the gods; the sacred city’s Tibetan name”
Medieval Tibetan tradition
Tibetan
Ra-sa
“An older traditional form interpreted as “place of goats”; its relationship to Lhasa is debated”
17th Century
Tibetan
Lha-sa
“The city became the political and religious center of Tibet under the Fifth Dalai Lama”
18th Century
English
Lhasa
“English geographical name for the Tibetan capital”
Modern English
English
Lhasa
“Capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region and a major pilgrimage destination”