Yarlung Tsangpo
/ˌjɑːr.lʊŋ ˈtsɑːŋ.poʊ/noun
The Tibetan name for the upper course of the Brahmaputra River, flowing across the Tibetan Plateau.
Did you know?The Yarlung Tsangpo forms the world’s deepest river gorge before turning south into India, where it is known as the Brahmaputra.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Tibetan
Tibetan
ཡར་ཀླུང་ (yar lung)
“Upper valley; the Yarlung Valley region of southern Tibet”
Classical Tibetan
Tibetan
གཙང་པོ (gtsang po)
“Pure or purified one; a traditional Tibetan river name”
Medieval Tibetan usage
Tibetan
Yarlung Tsangpo
“The river associated with the upper Yarlung valley”
19th Century
English
Yarlung Tsangpo
“English transliteration of the Tibetan river name”
Modern English
English
Yarlung Tsangpo
“The upper Tibetan course of the river called the Brahmaputra downstream”
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