Mount Paektu
/ˌmaʊnt pɛkˈtuː/noun
A volcanic mountain on the China–North Korea border, regarded as a sacred mountain in Korean tradition.
Did you know?Mount Paektu’s crater lake, Lake Cheonji, is traditionally identified as the birthplace of Dangun, the mythical founder of the Korean people.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*men-
“A reconstructed root associated with projecting or standing out; it is commonly connected to the ancestry of Latin mons, “mountain.””
Classical Latin
Latin
mons, montis
“Mountain or elevated landform.”
Old French
Old French
mont
“Mountain, hill, or elevated ground.”
Middle English
English
mount
“A mountain or hill; also, to climb or ascend.”
Ancient Chinese
Sinitic
白頭山 (Báitóu Shān)
“White-Head Mountain, the Chinese name referring to the summit’s snow-covered appearance.”
Modern Korean
Korean
백두산 (Baekdusan)
“White-Head Mountain: 백두 (baekdu), “white head,” plus 산 (san), “mountain.””
Modern English
English
Mount Paektu
“The English name for the volcano known in Korean as Baekdusan and in Chinese as Changbai Mountain.”