THE NAMES OF THE HIGHEST MOUNTAINS OF THE WORLD
This list does not include patronymic names like Mt. Hood, McKinley, Everest etc.
Aconcagua, 6959 m. Highest summit of the Andes. From Araucan konka “something convex”: mountain, Araucan konka “straw stack”. The root konk “convex” or sometimes “concave” is also widespread in the Indo-European languages.
Allegheny. A mountain range in the Eastern United States. From the Delaware Amerind alleghany “mountain without end”.
Alps. A European mountain range, culminating with the Mont Blanc, 4810 m. A name meaning “height” (Pokorny, Zeitschrift für Keltische Philologie 38: 313) as in the following terms:
Welsh
allt (also ailp)
height, mountain
Welsh
alt
slope
Spanish
alto
high (see note below)
French (Aoste)
aat
high
French
haut
high
With change t>p:
Gaelic Scot.
alp
high mountain
Welsh
ailp
height, mountain
French
Alpes
the Alps
Catalan
Alp (Puig d’)
name of a mountain
Corsica
elpa
steep rock face
Galicia
alpe
sierra
With change p>b:
Gaelic Ireland
Alba
Scotland
Welsh
Alban
Scotland: Highland
Gaelic Scotland and Ireland
Albanach
inhabitant of the Highlands
Ancient Greek
Albanoi
an Illyrian tribe
German
Alb
a mountain name
With change l>r:
Albanian
Arbën, Arbëror
Albanian
etc.
Altai. A range in Central Asia, culminating at 4374 m with the Yuyi Feng. From Kirghiz altyn “gold” or altaïn-uka “golden mountain”, from its golden yellow color when lit by the sun.
Altyn Tagh. A range in Central Asia. Same meaning as the preceding name (Altai); tagh = mountain.
Andes. The longest range in the world, in South America. From Quechua Amerind andi “high summit” (not from anta “copper”).
Annapurna, 8091 m. One of the highest summits of the Himalaya. From Nepali Annapūrnā, a goddess providing abundant food; from anna “food” and pūrnā “full”. No explanation is known to me.
Aorangi, 3764 m. The Maori name for Mt. Cook, highest mountain in New Zealand. In the Maori language the name means “the cloud-piercer” or, according to a another source simply “the mountain”.
Apo (Mount), 2954 m. The highest summit in the Philippines.
Ararat, 5137 m. A mountain in eastern Turkey. Name given by the Hebrew and Greek to the mountain called Masis by the Armenians. The Assyrian name was Urartu, whence the name of this historical region. No satisfactory etymology has been found for Ararat. In Zend Haraiti was the summit of the Celestial Mountain. In Kurdish Agirī, in Turkish Ağri Daği, in Aramaic qardū and in Ancient Syriac qordū.
Aso (Mount), 1592 m. A volcano in Japan. From a widespread root –s “fire”:
Sanskrit
išira
fire
Turkish
isik
heat, fire
Vogul
isim
hot
Japan
Mount Aso
a volcano
Japan
ise
a divinity
Hindi
isa
a goddess
Basque
su
fire
Akkadian
isu, iâtu
fire
Assyrian
išu
god of fire
Sumerian
izi
fire
Old Norse
ysja
fire
Atlas Mountains. A range in Morocco, culminating at 4185 m with the Djebel Toubkal.
It is suggested here that Atlas is a metathesis for Altas (montañas), an Ibero-Romance name for this high Moroccan mountain range (I contend that Romances languages existed before Latin). The Greeks gave this name a Greek etymology, from tlaō “to bear”, whence the birth of the legend of Hercules carrying the sky. The Berber name is Jebel Deren.
Asturias. A mountain range in northwestern Spain. A name meaning “axial mountains”, from a root ast- cognate to axle:
German
äste
branch
Dutch
neste
branch (/n/ prosthetic)
Latin
hastile
branch
Latin
hasta
stem, staff, javelin
Italian
asta
stem, handle, lance, staff
Spanish
asta
horns (of the bull)
Spanish
Asturias
a mountain range
Italian
Cima d’Asta
name of a mountain in the Trentino
Albanian
asht
bone: bony axle
Ancient Greek
ostêon
bone
Ancient Greek
astragálos
neck vertebrae; a convex moulding
With change t>p:
Spanish
aspa
wings of a windmill
Spanish
Monte-de-Aspa
the Pyrenees
Italian
Cima de l’Aspre
name of a mountain (cf. Cima d’Asta, above)
Romantsch
aspa
poplar (a straight axle-like tree)
German
espe
poplar
English
aspen
poplar (now restricted to the species Populus tremula
etc.
Cantabrica (Cordillera). Mountain range in the Asturias mountains, culminating at 2648 m. From a root cant- convex :
French
canton
an administrative division
French: Valais
tsanton
small hill
Ital.: Grigioni
cantón
angle
Ital.: Ticino
cantogne
angle
French: Valais
Catogne
a mountain
French
Cantal
a mountainous region
Spanish
Cantabrica
a mountainous region
English
cantilever
a projecting bracket
English
cant
slope
Ital.: Grigioni
cantée
slope of a roof
French
chante (merle etc.)
hill (in oronymic compounds)
Carpathian Mountains. A mountain range in Romania. From Albanian karpë, krep “rock”. The word crapa “rock” also occurs in northern Italy.
Caucasus. A mountain range between the Black Sea and the Caspian, culminating with the Elbruz. From a widespread root meaning “something convex, hill, crest, head” etc.:
Pelasgic
kauk
mountain
Ancient Greek
Kaukasis
the Caucasus
Albanian
kokë
head
Cervin, Italian Cervino, 4478 m. The original name for the Matterhorn, famous Swiss mountain. From a root k-r meaning “summit, crest, tuft, antlers”:
Ancient Greek
koryphê
summit
Galician
carapucho
tuft
Breton
karv
red deer
Italian
cervo
red deer
Italian
Cervino
French Cervin, German Matterhorn, an impressive, pointed mountain
Chimborazo, 6272 m. A volcano, the highest in Ecuador. From Quechua rasu “snow”; Chimbo is said to be the name of a tribe.
Chomolhari, 7315 m. One of the high peaks of the Himalaya. “The lady of the mountain of the gods”.
Citlaltepetl (Pico de Orizaba), 5656 m. A volcano in México. A Nahuatl name meaning “star mountain”.
Cook (Mount). See Aorangi.
Cotopaxi, 5897 m. A volcano in Ecuador. From Aymara coto “peak” or “head” and paxi “brillant” (and also “moon”); apparently a pre-Quechua name.
Damavand, Demavend, 5610 m. A volcano and highest summit in northern Iran. In Persian Damāvand, Sanskrit Himāvant “snowy mountain”. The city’s name of Damavand appears to derive from the mountain.
Denali, 6194 m. The Indian name for Mt. McKinley, Alaska, the highest mountain in North America. Meaning: Home of the Sun. Its summit is lit by the sun long after the lowlands are plunged in twilight.
Dhaulagiri, 8167 m. A summit in the Himalaya. In Nepali Dhavalagiri, Hindi Dhaulagiri; in Sanscrit dhavala means “white” and in Hindi giri means “mountain.
Elbruz, 5642 m. The highest summit of the Caucasus Mountains. See Elburz.
Elburz, 5670 m. A high mountain range in northern Iran. From a root bor- meaning “convex, swollen, protruding” :
Gaelic
borr
swollen
Gaelic
boirich
protuberance
Basque
bor
something rounded
Russian
burun
nose
Romanian
buric
navel
German
brust
breast
Persian
burz
nose
Persian
Elburz
a high mountain range in northern Iran
Caucasus
Elbruz
the highest summit of the Caucasus
Elgon (Mount), 4321 m. A summit in East Africa. The mountain is named after the Elgonyi tribe, who once lived in huge caves on the south side of the mountain. It was known as Ol Doinyo Ilgoon (Breast Mountain) by the Maasai and as Masawa on the Ugandan side (Wikipedia).
Erebus, 3794 m. The highest mountain of the Antarctic continent. Named after the Erebus, the ship of the James Ross expedition. Erebus is borrowed from the Greek mythology.
Etna, 3345 m. A famous volcano in Sicily. In ancient Greek the name was Aitnê, from aithein “to shine”. See Monte Belle.
Everest (Mount). See Qomolangma and Sagarmatha.
Fuji Yama, 3776 m. A volcano, the highest mountain of Japan. The name is pre-Japanese and means “fire mountain”, from Ainu fuji “fire”. In Japanese the name is Fujisan; Yama means mountain but the Japanese use the word unaccompanied.
Haleakala, 3055 m. The high Hawaiian volcano. “Home of the sun” in Hawaiian.
Hsifan. A high summit in China. “Barbars of the West”.
Himalaya. Mountain range south of the Tibetan Plateau, comprising the highest summits in the world. In Sanscrit Himalayah, from himah “snow” and alayah “abode”.
Ixtaccihuatl, 5196 m. A volcano in México. From Nahuatl iztac “white” and ciuatl “woman”.
Jebel Deren. The berber name for the Atlas Mountains. From Berber adrar, adaren “mountain” a name related to Welsh adarc “horn”. Jebel means “mountain”.
Kanchenjunga, 8598 m. One of the highest peaks of the Himalaya. “The great glacier of the five treasures”, such appears to be the translation of the name.
Karakorum. A high range of the western Himalaya, culminating at 8475 m with the Ch’aio Ko li Feng (Mount Godwin Austen). “Black mountains”. (Kara = black; for the root kor- see Cervin).
Katahdin, 1606 m. Highest mountain in Maine, USA. An Indian name meaning “greatest mountain)”.
Kenya (Mount), 5199 m. From the Kīkūyū language Kere-Nyaga “Mountain of Whiteness”.
Kilimanjaro, 5895 m. A volcano in eastern Africa. From Kilima mountain, and njaro cold.
Kinabalu, 4036 m. The highest summit of Borneo.”Revered place of the gods”.
Kun Lun Shan. Mountain range north of the Tibetan Plateau, culminating at 7282 m with the Muztag.
Matterhorn. 4478 m. The German name for Cervin. Literally “peak of the meadows”, from German horn “peak” and matt “meadow”. This impressive summit rising above extensive pastures is a characteristic feature of the region. Zermatt, the resort at the foot of the Matterhorn, means “to the meadows”. See Cervin.
Mauna Kea, 4208 m. Hawaiian volcano. Means “white mountain” in Hawaiian
Mauna Loa, 4710 m. Hawaiian volcano. “Tall mountain”.
McKinley (Mount). See Denali.
Minya Konka, 7556 m. Tibetan name for the highest mountain of central China. “White mountain” or “snow peak”. The Chinese name is A’nyêmaqên Shan in which A’nyê means “old man” (i.e. white) and chen “great”; also Gongga Shan.
Monte Belle. Another name for the Etna. Montebelle is the Italianized form of Muncibbeddu the northern Sicilian name, which is a juxtaposition of the Romance Monte and the Arabic gebel which also means “mountain”.
Mont Blanc, 4810 m. The highest European mountain. In the Vallée d’Aoste, it is called Mont Tout-Blanc. The meaning is crystal clear in itself. However some recent linguist managed to see in blanc the Breton “blain” mountain !
Mulhacén, 3482 m. The highest mountain in the Sierra Nevada. From a root mul- convex :
Namangkawi, 4950 m. New Guinea’s highest mountain. The native name for Mount Carstenz; means “white arrow”; the name also designates the inflorescence of the reed that the natives use for making arrows.
Nanga Parbat, 8126 m. One of the highest peaks of the Himalaya. “Naked mountain”.
Olympus, 2917 m. The highest mountain in Greece. In Greek Olympos. From an Indo-European root lamp “shining”, Greek lampê “light”, lampros “shining”. Its modern Greek name is Lacha, also from a root lach “shining”, as in Welsh llachar “shining”, Albanian lehtë “light”.
Pamirs. High ranges in central Asia, culminating at 7729 m with the Kongur Shan. In the Tajik language Pamir means “roof of the world”.
Pennine mountains. A range in Italy. From the Celtic (Welsh) pen “head, summit”.
Popocatepetl, 5452 m. A volcano, the highest summit of México. From Nahuatl popokani “to smoke” and tepetl “mountain”.
Pyrenees. A mountain range between France and Spain, culminating at 3408 m with the Mount Aneto in the Montes Malditos (the Cursed Moutains).Ancient Greek Pyrênê, Spanish Pireneos, French Pyrénées. From a root meaning “pointed”, to which belong the following terms:
Ancient Greek
pyrên
pip
Ancient Greek
pyramis
pyramid
Romanian
pirten
spur
English
spur
a pointed object
Welsh
pyr
fir (pyramidal form)
English
spear
a pointed weapon
etc. The mountain was named by the Greeks. The name cannot derive from pyrrhos “fire”, the derivative of which take a double rrh as against pyr “pointed”. “Fire” or even “red” are by no means a characteristic of the Pyrenees while “pointed” is. The original Spanish name was Montes de Aspa (see Asturias). In the department of Basses-Pyrénées this mountain is called Bortou. The Basque name of the Pyrenees is Aunamendi, from maun “high” and mendi “mountain”.
Qomolangma (Chomolungma) 8848 m. The Tibetan name for the Everest, highest mountain in the world. From Tibetan qo “the highest” + suffixe -mo; lang “elephant” (symbol of the world) and ma “mother”; thus: Mother goddess of the Earth. See also Sagarmatha.
Ruwenzori, 5119 m. High mountains in eastern Africa.”cloud king” or “rain maker”.
Sagarmatha. Nepali name for the Everest. “Forehead in the sky”. See Qomolangma.
Sierra Nevada. Mountain range in southern Spain, culminating with the Mulhacén, 3482 m “The Snow-covered Sierra”.
Shasta (Mount), 4317 m. The highest mountain of the “lower” United States.
Tien Shan. A range in Central Asia, culminating at 7439 m with the Pik Pobedy. “Celestial mountains”.
Ural Mountains. A long range in Russia. In the Vogul language urala means “mountain top”.
Vesuvius, 1277 m. An Italian volcano near Naples. In Italian Vesuvio. From a root meaning pointed, cone-shaped :
Italian
Monte-Viso
a mountain the shape of a pointed cone in the southern Alps
Italian
Vesuvio
a cone-shaped volcano
Swiss Alps
Veisivi
names of two pointed peaks
Slovak
vezhovka
bell-tower
Modern Greek
vytzi
udder, tits
Ukrainian
vistrja
point
French
visière
the pointed part of the armour protecting the face; the pointed front part of a cap
Yosemite. A range in California. From u-zu-ma-ti “grizzly bear”, the name of an Indian tribe.
Yü Shan, 3997 m. The highest mountain of Taiwan. Meaning: “white mountain”.