Tibetan language receives thousands new words, terminologies

Nearly 1,500 new words and terms were given standardized Tibetan equivalents in 2014, the Tibetan language committee said Wednesday.

Among the new terms are popular online phrases such as "lightning marriage", which means getting married at the speed of lightning. The term was changed from the Chinese "Shan Hun" transliterated into "Dobdob Nyatri" when written in standardized Tibetan.

New words related to politics and economy including "new normal" and "the Silk Road economic belt" have also been translated into Tibetan vocabulary, said Yezang, head of the agency for standardization of Tibetan terminology under the committee.

After being translated correctly, the new words can be widely used by translators, schools and government organizations in Tibet, Yezang added.

In 2014, Tibet held ten seminars on translation and examination of new vocabularies, in which, experienced translators worked out new phrases or paraphrased the idea with existing Tibetan words.

The new Tibetan phrases have been released in Tibet Daily and magazines of various schools, in a move to make more people aware of their use, he said.

Tibet began collecting and translating new vocabulary since 2002. As of 2014, a total of 9,000 emerging phrases and 60,000 technical terms were released after examination.

The move can help standardize Tibetan language and keep advancing with the times, while promoting Tibetan culture, Yezang said.