Taklamakan

American  

[tah-kluh-muh-kahn] / ˌtɑ klə məˈkɑn /

Or Taklimakan

noun

1. a desert in south central Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in China. About 125,000 sq. mi. (323,750 sq. km).

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Etymology

Origin of Taklamakan

First recorded in 1895–1900; of uncertain origin: perhaps from Turkic taqlar makan “place of ruins”; perhaps from Uyghur Takla, from Persian tark “to abandon” + Persian makan “place”; some Chinese scholars connect Taklamakan and Tocharian ( def. )

Example Sentences

Among the most well-preserved are the Tarim mummies of Xinjiang, China, who were buried in boat-shaped coffins up to 4,000 years ago in the Taklamakan Desert.

From National Geographic • Aug. 7, 2023

Maxar identified the location as Ruoqiang, a Taklamakan Desert county in the northwestern Xinjiang region.

From Washington Times • Nov. 8, 2021

Maxar identified the location of the features as Ruoqiang, a Taklamakan Desert county in the northwestern Xinjiang region.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 7, 2021

But the warm wind blowing across the Taklamakan desert is bringing with it worry and change.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2021

The Taklamakan Desert was a vast floor of threshing dust.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri