13 March 2008

Dis-tionary: Yeti Edition

I am going to be out of town (my wife has a conference in Greensboro, NC) all day tomorrow and Saturday morning, but this weekend the Main Street Gazette is going to explore some of the myth and history of the Abominable Snowmen and Yetis, as seen while on the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Expedition Everest. To whet your appetite for all things yeti, here are a few terms to become acquainted with.

Sherpa – Tibetan term meaning Eastern People. Sherpas migrated from Tibet to Nepal. The men of the Sherpa are common guides for mountain climbers in the Himalayan area. Other mountaineering guides in this region are also referred to as Sherpas, though they do not have to be of Sherpa lineage.

Abominable Snowman – A westernized term commonly used to refer to yetis. The term abominable snowman is a mistranslation of the word yeti.

Yeti – Tibetan term for a creature of unknown origin in the Himalayan region. The word chemo (Tibetan term translated as “bear”) can be used interchangeably for the word yeti. One possibly interpretation of the word yeti is “snow bear.”

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