Most people are aware that the highest mountain range in the world is the Himalayas. It runs through India and Nepal, as well as parts of China, but what does the name ‘Himalayas’ actually translate into?
For that, we need to look at the Sanskrit language for an answer, and in doing so we have to split it up into two sections ‘hima’ and ‘alaya’ in order to get our answer. With this, we then see that ‘hima’ means ‘snow’ while ‘alaya’ means ‘abode’. So, as you can see, it’s not as complicated an answer as you were perhaps expecting. In fact, it is actually very descriptive when you think that the mountains are indeed a snow abode.
Of course, Nepal and China have their own versions of the names, but it is the name, Himalayas, that has been able to make its mark in the English-speaking world.