Etymology Explorer › Chinese

Where does “香格里拉” come from?

香格里拉 (Chinese) comes from English Shangri-La, from Tibetan ལ, from Maharastri Prakrit 𑀅, from Sanskrit च, from Proto-Indo-Iranian -ča, from Proto-Indo-European -kʷe — and; Forms distributives from interrogatives.

Ancestry of “香格里拉”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishShangri-LaA place of complete bliss, delight, and peace,...
2Tibetanལhillside, mountain pass; Marks oblique locatives;...
3Maharastri Prakrit𑀅and; also, moreover
4Sanskritचand, both, also, moreover, as well as
5Proto-Indo-Iranian-čaand
6Proto-Indo-European-kʷeand; Forms distributives from interrogatives
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -kʷe →