ajay – aunty
arro – Hello
Bardo – the intermediate state between death and rebirth
Bodhisattva – a spiritual incarnate or emanation of Buddha, who cares for all sentient beings
Bon, Bonpo – indigenous shamanic tradition of Tibet and its practitioners
Bourgea – traditional Tibetan hat made from silk and lined with fur
Chadmay – leather belt worn by nomad women, decorated with coral or turquoise and silver discs
Chenrezik – the bodhisattva of compassion
Cho demo – How are you?
Chorten – religious monument of brick or stone, consisting of a dome, a box, a spire and a plinth
Chuba – traditional Lhasa-style pinafore dress
Chukgor – steel weight attached to a long leather thong which is used by the nomads to defend themselves against dogs
dalin – saddle-bag
darchok – prayer flags
djoma – small brown beans dug from the earth
djomdi – a dish of boiled brown beans, rice, sugar and melted butter
dobshair – woven hanging used to cover up the items stored at the back of the tent – sometimes embellished with coloured ribbon and bells
dro – female yak
gamtuk – wooden box containing tsampa, butter and cheese
garchot – non-blood offering
gorji – headband of amber stones worn by pubescent girls
hdir – 'treasure' – offerings to the earth, contained in colourful cloth bags
hornig – the nomads' dating game: young men travel miles at night on horseback or yak to seek out young girls in their tents
jib – fireplace, the heart of the nomad tent, made from turf and clay
jo – wheat husks
kabshat or lazjhee – mountain love songs traditionally sung across the valleys by young boys and girls
kacher – long sheep's hair
kadak – white silk stole representing the purity of the Tibetan heart (sometimes referred to as 'prayer scarf')
katsup – the gap between the fabric in the middle of the tent roof, which allows the smoke from the fire to escape
kirchi – tube of brightly coloured, knitted fabric used as a hat or a face-covering in winter
kirok – sash worn around the tsarer
korlo – prayer wheel
langwha – washing basin
laptse – holy mountain
long had – 'wind horses', small paper squares with pictures of horses printed on them which carry blessings when thrown to the wind
lu/luma – male and female demi-gods of the subterranean world; serpent spirits of earth and water
mandala – the 'Wheel of Life' – a symmetrical picture made from coloured sand. The simplest mandala is an empty circle and the centre represents 'emptiness', the pure awareness and limitless space of the Buddha mind.
marcho – blood offering
merdach – spun sheep's wool
momos – traditional dish of steamed parcels of meat
NamNyeur – 'Sky Man' or ancient man
namma – bride or daughter-in-law
ndashung – wooden spear, about six metres high, with a brightly painted flight for pegging the earth at spiritual offering sites
nyen – sky gods, of a warrior-like nature, who live on the mountain peaks
Nyon Nyi – a religious ritual dedicated to fasting, contemplation, prayer and self-purification
phurba – ritual dagger
piju – Chinese word for beer
ratcho – pipe
rawa – head ornament sewn into pubescent girls' hair, made of heavily embroidered silk fabric, silver and precious stones
rungpizz – ribbon rice noodles, served cold with garlic, vinegar, chilli and tofu – favourite dish of the nomad women
samker – broth of tsampa, salt, and milk with ginger or aniseed
seeto – wicker basket
shabala – meat fritters
shangtee – traditional Tibetan boots with pointed upturned toes, made from felt or leather and usually only worn by old people
shermo – girl
shinlab – literally 'wave of grace': the feeling experienced after receiving the Buddha's blessing
shogshung – 'Staff of Life' – the main spear which marks the site of mountain worship
shugndot – knotted protection cord given by a lama, which is worn around the neck
shyee – child
sockwa – shoulder blade
sonnam – religious merit
tanthuk – soup of meat and small squares of cooked dough
thanka – religious painting, usually on a silk scroll and depicting the Buddha
thib – small brass cups for filling with water as an altar offering
tolla – three-wheeled tractor-like vehicle, which is sometimes hired along with a Chinese driver, to transport the nomads to the grassland
tranger – prayer beads
tsa tsa – small triangular clay icons, a few inches high, formed from a bronze mould and sun-dried, depicting the Buddha
tsampa – ground barley flour
tsarer – traditional Tibetan dress resembling a large wrap-around cloth coat with woven or leopard-skin trim and embroidered detailing
tsokwa – thick sheepskin tsarer with leopardskin collar, worn especially in winter
tuckpa – soup or rice noodles and meat
tugh – colourful woven hem of tsarer
turnkor – churn
tzorgin – yak/ cow half-breed
yarsa gunba – grass worm – this particular phenomenon is a worm which grows fungus on its head and dies in autumn. The nomads say the worm turns into grass. It is highly prized by the Chinese for its medicinal properties and the nomads collect them in the grassland to sell.
yucka – beautiful