Tianshan
/ˌtiːənˈʃɑːn/noun
A major mountain system extending across Central Asia, especially through Xinjiang, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.
Did you know?Tianshan is the anglicized form of Chinese 天山, meaning “Heaven Mountains,” while the variant “Tien Shan” reflects an older transliteration system.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
天山
“A compound meaning “heaven” or “sky” plus “mountain.””
Medieval China
Middle Chinese
天山
“The same written name, pronounced with the sound changes of Middle Chinese.”
Modern Mandarin
Mandarin
天山 Tiānshān
““Heaven Mountains,” the standard Chinese name for the range.”
19th Century
Russian/European usage
Тянь-Шань / Tien Shan
“Transliterated forms used in Russian and European geographic writing.”
Modern English
English
Tianshan
“The established English name for the Central Asian mountain system.”