Sherpa

Meaning

1. To serve as a guide or porter for another.
2. A synthetic fabric with a long, thick pile, similar to faux fur, imitation lamb wool, or fleece.
3. The Southern Tibetan language of these people.
4. A member of a particular Himalayan ethnic group living in Nepal and Tibet, known especially as mountaineers.
5. A local mountain guide or porter, particularly a male of the Nepalese Sherpa people so employed.
6. An expert accompanying a high-ranking leader to a summit meeting.
7. A high-ranking government official who works tirelessly in the background to conclude the text of an official communiqué, typically from a G7 or G20 summit.

Etymology / origin

From Tibetan ཤར་པ། (shar pa, literally “eastern people”), from ཤར (shar, “east”) + པ (pa, nominalizing suffix). The reason for this derivation is unclear, but a common explanation notes that the Sherpas originated in eastern Tibet. The community is based in the Nepalese highlands, however, which is south of Tibet.

Sources

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