Tien Shan
/ˌtiːɛn ˈʃɑːn/noun
A vast mountain system in Central Asia extending across China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.
Did you know?Tien Shan is an older English and Russian-style romanization of Chinese 天山, now more commonly written Tian Shan; the name appears in Chinese geographical tradition as a reference to the mountains’ immense, sky-reaching height.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
天山
“A compound meaning “heaven/sky” plus “mountain.””
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
天山
“Pronounced approximately as “tʰen syɛn,” retaining the sense “Heaven Mountain.””
Medieval Chinese usage
Chinese
天山
“The name used for the great mountain system north of the Tarim Basin and east of Central Asian ranges.”
18th–19th Century
Russian/European
Тянь-Шань / Tien Shan
“A Russian and European transliteration of the Chinese name, popularized in Western geographic writing.”
Modern English
English
Tien Shan / Tian Shan
“The recognized name of the Central Asian mountain system; “Tian Shan” is now the more direct modern Chinese romanization.”