sherpa · noun, verb1
From Sherpa. The verb derives from the noun.
Sherpa · noun, proper noun2
- Tibetan · derived fromཤར་པ།
- English todaySherpa
From Tibetan ཤར་པ། (shar pa, literally “eastern people”), from ཤར (shar, “east”) + པ (pa, nominalizing suffix). The reason for this derivation is unclear, but a common explanation notes that the Sherpas originated in eastern Tibet. The community is based in the Nepalese highlands, however, which is south of Tibet.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.