# Tibet
## English
### Alternative forms

* Thibet, Tebet, Tibat, Tobbat (obsolete)
* Tibbet (obsolete)

### Etymology

Of unclear origin, but probably from Old Turkic 𐱅𐰇𐰯𐰇𐱅 (Töpüt) ('hilly, mountainous place') via Classical Persian تبت (tabbat, tubbat). In one proposed etymology the ultimate origin is Tibetan བོད (Bod), used in the compound name sTod-bod (pronounced Tö-pöt), meaning “Upper Tibet”. In another proposal, the name comes via Mongolian Töpüt from an alteration of Old Turkic 𐱅𐰇𐰯𐰇 (töpü, “height, summit”). Bialek instead derives the name from Old Tibetan དཔོན (dpon, “leader, ruler”), with addition of the Old Turkic plural suffix -𐱅 (-t²) and a epenthetic vowel to break up the non-Turkic initial consonant cluster [tp]; according to her, Middle Chinese 吐蕃 (tʰuo$^X$ pʉɐn) comes from the same source.

### Pronunciation

* enPR: tĭ-bĕt', tə-bĕt', IPA: /tɪˈbɛt/, /təˈbɛt/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Audio (UK):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛt

### Proper noun

Tibet
* A geographic region in Central Asia (mostly in China), the homeland of the Tibetan people, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau.
    Synonyms: Tibetan Plateau, Tibet Plateau
** [1693, Robert Morden, “Of China”, in Geography Rectified; or a Description of the World‎, 3rd edition, page 439:The Province of Xenſi extends to the Kingdom of Preſter John. Caſcar and Thebet, which the Chineſes in a general Name call Sifan it is a large Province, and is divided into eight Counties, having one hundred and eighty Cities: Sigan is the Metropolis of the whole, ſeated on the River Guei, in a moſt pleaſant and delightful place, of a noble Proſpect, and good Trade.]
** 1959 February 4, Peter Roberts, 0:00 from the start, in Formosa Rallies In Support Of Tibet Rebels (1959)‎, British Pathé:A giant rally on Formosa reflects the worldwide concern for Tibet's heroic rebels. Speaking to sixty-thousand people in Taipei, President Chiang Kai-shek says Tibet's resistance foreshadows a vast anti-communist uprising on the mainland of China.
** For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Tibet.
* (historical) A former country in East Asia that existed from 1912 until its annexation by China in 1951.
    Synonyms: The Hermit Kingdom, Hermit Kingdom
** 1922, Bertrand Russell, The Problem of China‎, London: George Allen & Unwin, →OCLC, →OL, page 33:The estimated population of the Chinese Empire (exclusive of Tibet) is given, on the basis of this census, as 329,542,000, while the population of Tibet is estimated at 1,500,000.
** 1992, Richard Nixon, “The Pacific Triangle”, in Seize the Moment‎, Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, pages 179–180:Third, we should open up two new international broadcasting stations—Radio Free China and Radio Free Tibet— to provide these nations with independent information and commentary.[...]The people of Tibet represent a separate case. Conquered by the Chinese in 1950, occupied brutally by troops who killed thousands, desecrated local cultural and religious sites, and denied reasonable demands for autonomy, Tibetans have elicited much sympathy but little support from the outside world. The outrage over the brutal killings of peaceful demonstrators in Lhasa in March 1989 quickly faded after the massacres in Beijing in June. While there is a limit to what we can do, we should do more than we have done. In addition to raising the issue of Tibet in bilateral talks, we should establish Radio Free Tibet so that its people, though isolated, will no longer feel abandoned.
** 2005, Bill Clinton, My Life‎, volume II, New York: Vintage Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 387:I also supported more political freedom in China, and had recently invited the Dalai Lama and Hong Kong human rights activist Martin Lee to the White House to highlight my support for the cultural and religious integrity of Tibet and for maintaining Hong Kong's democracy now that the UK had restored it to China.
** For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Tibet.
* An autonomous region of China. Official name: Tibet Autonomous Region. Capital: Lhasa.
    Synonyms: Tibet Autonomous Region, Xizang

#### Usage notes

* In Tibetan, བོད (bod, “Bod”) properly refers to the entire plateau region that is translated to English as Tibet or Tibetan Plateau, of which Tibet Autonomous Region (西藏自治區／西藏自治区 (Xīzàng Zìzhìqū)) only forms one part.
* In international media, Tibet is often used as the shorthand name for Tibet Autonomous Region.
* In modern Chinese of the People's Republic of China, 西藏 (Xīzàng) refers to Tibet Autonomous Region (including Arunachal Pradesh administered by India), but is named after Tibetan དབུས་གཙང (dbus gtsang, “Ü-Tsang”), one of the traditional provinces of Tibet that includes the capital Lhasa.
* Today in the complex politics surrounding Tibet, the use of Tibet for the entire plateau can be offensive to Chinese people particularly in the People's Republic of China, while the use of Tibet exclusively for Tibet Autonomous Region can be offensive to Tibetan people. Additionally, when the term Tibetan Plateau is used consistently instead of Tibet to refer to བོད (bod), it can also be considered insensitive to Tibetan people.

#### Derived terms

* Greater Tibet
* Inner Tibet
* Outer Tibet
* South Tibet
* Tibetan
* Tibetan Empire
* Tibetan Plateau
* Tibet Autonomous Region
* Tibetic
* Tibetology

#### Translations
### See also

* Countries and territories of the world

### References

* ↑ Hastings, James (1922) Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics‎, page 331.
* ↑ Bazin, Louis, Hamilton, James (1991) “L’origine du nom Tibet”, in Ernst Steinkellner, editor, Tibetan History and Language: Studies dedicated to Uray Géza on his seventieth birthday, pages 9–28.
* ↑ Joanna Bialek (2021 October) “Naming the empire: from Bod to Tibet—A philologico-historical study on the origin of the polity”, in Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines‎, volume 61, Centre de recherche sur les civilisations d'Asie orientale, pages 339-402

### Further reading

* Tibet on Wikiquote.Wikiquote
* “Tibet”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
* “Tibet”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
* “Tibet” in TheFreeDictionary.com, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.: Farlex, Inc., 2003–2025.

## Breton
### Proper noun

Tibet
* Tibet (a geographic region in Central Asia, the homeland of the Tibetan people)
* Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

## Catalan
### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central) [tiˈβɛt]
* IPA: (Balearic) unknown
* IPA: (Valencia) [tiˈbet]

### Proper noun

Tibet m
* Tibet (a geographic region in Central Asia, the homeland of the Tibetan people)
* Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

#### Derived terms

* tibetà

#### Related terms

* Regió Autònoma del Tibet

## Czech
### Proper noun

Tibet m inan (relational adjective tibetský, demonym Tibeťan, female demonym Tibeťanka)
* Tibet (a geographic region in Central Asia, the homeland of the Tibetan people)
* Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

#### Declension
## Dutch
### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Proper noun

Tibet n
* Tibet (a geographic region in Central Asia, the homeland of the Tibetan people)
* Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

## French
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ti.bɛ/
* Audio:(file)

### Proper noun

Tibet m
* Tibet (a geographic region in Central Asia, the homeland of the Tibetan people)
* Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

#### Derived terms

* Tibétain/Tibétaine
* tibétain/tibétaine

### Anagrams

* bitte

## German
### Alternative forms

* Thibet (obsolete)

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈtiːbɛt/
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

Tibet n (proper noun, genitive Tibets or (optionally with an article) Tibet)
* Tibet (a geographic region in Central Asia, the homeland of the Tibetan people)
* Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

#### Related terms

* Tibeter, Tibetaner
* tibetisch, tibetanisch
* Tibetisch

### Further reading

* “Tibet” in Duden online

### Anagrams

* bitte

## Interlingua
### Proper noun

Tibet
* Tibet (a geographic region in Central Asia, the homeland of the Tibetan people)
* Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Proper noun

Tibet
* Tibet (a geographic region in Central Asia, the homeland of the Tibetan people)
* Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

#### Related terms

* tibetaner
* tibetansk

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Proper noun

Tibet
* Tibet (a geographic region in Central Asia, the homeland of the Tibetan people)
* Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

#### Related terms

* tibetanar
* tibetansk

## Romanian
### Proper noun

Tibet n
* Tibet (a geographic region in Central Asia, the homeland of the Tibetan people)
* Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

## Serbo-Croatian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /tǐbet/
* Hyphenation: Ti‧bet

### Proper noun

Tìbet m (Cyrillic spelling Тѝбет)
* Tibet (a geographic region in Central Asia, the homeland of the Tibetan people)
* Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

#### Declension
## Turkish
### Proper noun

Tibet
* Tibet (a geographic region in Central Asia, the homeland of the Tibetan people)
* Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

#### Declension
## Welsh
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /tɪˈbɛt/

### Proper noun

Tibet f
* Tibet (a geographic region in Central Asia, the homeland of the Tibetan people)
* Tibet (an autonomous region of China)

#### Derived terms

* Tibetaidd
* Tibeteg
* Tibetiad

### Mutation

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh. All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.