Tsangpo
/ˈtsæŋ.poʊ/noun
A name used in English for the upper course of the Brahmaputra River in Tibet, especially the Yarlung Tsangpo.
Did you know?In Tibetan geography, the Yarlung Tsangpo is regarded as a sacred river, and its dramatic turn through the Himalayas long helped inspire legends of hidden lands and inaccessible realms.
Etymological Timeline
Old Tibetan period
Tibetan
gtsang po
“Pure, clear, or purified one; the traditional Tibetan name associated with the river”
Classical Tibetan
Tibetan
གཙང་པོ
“gtsang po, literally interpreted as “the pure one””
19th Century
English
Tsangpo
“An English geographical name for the Tibetan upper course of the Brahmaputra”
20th Century
English
Yarlung Tsangpo
“The river known in Tibet as the Yarlung Tsangpo, or “pure” river of the Yarlung valley”
Modern English
English
Tsangpo
“A recognized English name for the Tibetan section of the Brahmaputra system”
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