Sherpa

[ shur-puh ]

noun

, plural Sher·pas, (especially collectively) Sher·pa.

1. a member of a people of Tibetan descent living in the Nepalese Himalayas, who often serve as porters on mountain-climbing expeditions.
2. a Tibetic language spoken by the Sherpa.
3. Sometimes sherpa. an expert chosen by a chief executive to assist in preparations for a summit meeting.

Sherpa

¹

/ ˈʃɜːpə /

noun

1. a member of a people of Mongolian origin living on the southern slopes of the Himalayas in Nepal, noted as mountaineers

sherpa

²

/ ˈʃɜːpə /

noun

1. an official who makes preparations for or assists a government representative or important delegate at a summit meeting or conference

Word History and Origins

Origin of Sherpa¹

First recorded in 1840–50; from Sherpa sharpa, equiavalent to shar “east” + pa “people” (referring to the origin of this people in eastern Tibet)

Word History and Origins

Origin of Sherpa¹

C20: from Sherpa , a member of a people noted for providing assistance to mountaineers: from a pun on the different senses of summit

Example Sentences

On each trek the young athlete was accompanied by his climbing partner, Pasang Nurbu Sherpa.

From BBC

It is home to many record-holding Sherpa mountaineers, including Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, the first person to climb Mount Everest along with explorer Edmund Hillary.

From BBC

Thame is home to many record-holding Sherpa mountaineers and is also where Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, the first person to climb Mount Everest along with explorer Edmund Hillary, hailed from.

From BBC

Tshiring Jangbu Sherpa cannot forget the dead body he saw just metres from the summit of Mount Lhotse in the Himalayas more than a decade ago.

From BBC

A Brit, Daniel Paterson, and his Nepalese guide, Pastenji Sherpa, are among those missing after being hit by falling ice on 21 May.

From BBC