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Meanings of the Names of the Himalayan Mountains

The Himalayan mountains got their name from languages such as Nepali, Tibetan, Hindi and Urdu. Only a few of them have English names. Read more on this blog

Meanings of the Names of the Himalayan Mountains

The Himalayan mountains got their name from languages such as Nepali, Tibetan, Hindi and Urdu. Only a few of them have English names. So for most of the people who aren’t from areas/countries where these languages are spoken, the names sound strange and they don’t know what the names mean.

In this blog post, we have compiled a list of the names of the Himalayan mountains and their meanings. All the Himalayan mountains aren’t included. Only 16 meaning names of the Himalayan mountains with their meanings are included in this blog.

1. Everest

Everest is an English name given to the world’s highest peak after the first Surveyor General of India. Everest also has a Nepali name and a Tibetan one. The Nepalese call Everest “Sagarmatha” which means the forehead of the sky. And the Tibetan call it “Chomolunga (also Qomolangma)” which means the mother goddess of the earth.

Mt. Everest
Mt. Everest from Kalapatthar

2. K2

K2 doesn’t have any specific meaning. An early explorer named it as K2 in his sketch with another nearby mountain as K1.

Mount K2
Mount K2

3. Kanchenjunga

Kanchenjunga means five treasures of snow.

Kanchenjunga
Kanchenjunga

4. Lhotse:

It means south peak.

Lhotse
Mt. Lhotse during sunset

5. Makalu

It means big black.

Mt. Makalu
Mt. Makalu

6. Cho Oyu

Turquoise goddess.

Cho Oyu
Cho Oyu from Gokyo

7. Dhaulagiri

White mountain.

Dhaulagiri
South face of Mt. Dhaulagiri

8. Manaslu

Mountain of the spirit.

Mt Manaslu
Mt. Manaslu from Lho village

9. Nanga Parbat

Naked mountain.

Nanga Parbat
Nanga Parbat

10. Annapurna

Literally it means full of food but often it is translated as goddess of the harvests.

Annapurna South
Annapurna South from Annapurna Base Camp

11. Gasherbrum

It means beautiful mountain.

Gasherbrum
Gasherbrum

12. Nuptse

West peak.

Nutpse
Nuptse during sunset

13. Macchapuchhre

Fish tail.

Machhapuchhare
Machhapuchhare (Fishtail) from Mardi High Camp

14. Ama Dablam

Mother’s necklace.

Mt. Amadablam
Mt. Amadablam as seen from Pangboche

15.Kailash

Kailash Parbat
Kailash Parbat

Crystal.

16. Kala Patthar

Black rock.

Climbing Kalapatthar
Climbing Kalapatthar with Mt. Pumori in the background

Ace the Himalaya, is a travel and trekking company based in Nepal.  Ace the Himalaya has meticulously created unique outdoor adventure journeys for you to explore the highlights of four enchanting, yet very different cultural wonderlands – Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and India. From trekking, peak climbing and mountaineering to rafting, wildlife safari, cultural tours and other activities, Ace the Himalaya has an option for all kinds of outdoor lovers. We are proud to showcase the beauty of Nepal to the world and take your journey beyond the ordinary! For more information, contact us.

 

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