Karakoram
/ˌkærəˈkɔːrəm/
proper noun
Origin
Chagatai
qara + qorum — black + gravel/scree
Overview
Meaning Now
- A major mountain range spanning the borders of Pakistan, China, and India, containing the world's second-highest peak, K2.
Literal older meaning
black gravel or black debris
Language path
Chagatai → Turkic languages → English
Earliest form
Karakoram
Earliest period
19th century
Journey
The name was originally applied by travelers to the pass of the same name (Karakoram Pass) between Ladakh and Yarkand. The term was later extended by European geographers to describe the entire mountain system northwest of the Himalayas, which was previously conflated with the Hindu Kush or Himalayas.
Evolution
- Old Turkic
qara + qorum
“black gravel”
Original components in Turkic dialects.
- Chagatai
Qara-Qorum
“Black gravel mountain pass/region”
Geographic designation for the region.
- 19th Century English
Karakoram
“Mountain range in Central/South Asia”
Anglicized spelling for the mountain range.
Connections
Word parts
kara
root
black
koram
root
gravel or dark stony debris
Related across languages
Turkish
kara
black
Mongolian
Karakorum
historical capital of the Mongol Empire (Black Walls)
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Related to Karakoram
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.