Lhotshampa
/loʊˈtsɑːm.pə/noun
A Nepali-speaking Bhutanese person, especially one belonging to Bhutan’s southern ethnic community.
Did you know?The Lhotshampa identity became especially politically charged during Bhutan’s citizenship disputes and the forced displacement of many Nepali-speaking southern Bhutanese in the late 20th century.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Tibetan
Tibetan
lho
“South”
Classical Tibetan
Tibetan
tshampa
“A person who lives in or belongs to a place; a dweller”
20th Century
Dzongkha/English
Lhotshampa
“Southern dweller; a southern Bhutanese person”
Late 20th Century
English
Lhotshampa
“A term increasingly used for Bhutan’s Nepali-speaking southern population”
Modern English
English
Lhotshampa
“A member of the Nepali-speaking Bhutanese community, including its large diaspora”
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