55 
1891.] L. A. Waddell —Place and River-Names in Sikkim , SfC. 
isolated position of Sikkim and its inkospitable nature can account for 
its comparatively late occupation. The term 4 Lepcha ’ is, like the current 
name for their country (viz. Sikkim), of Nepali origin and uncertain 
meaning.* * * § The Lepchas call themselves Bong which in their vernacular 
means a 4 squatter ’ or 4 care-taker,’f and the country they call 4 Ne 
Idyang ’ or 4 the country of caves/ i. e ., for shelter. By the Bhotiyas 
(Tibetans) they are called Mom-bo (Mon-po) and Mo-ri (Mon-riks), i. e., 
4 Inhabitants of the Mon Valleys ’ and 4 Mon tribe \ The Lepchas seem 
to have preceded the Bhotan Bhotiyas in the trans- Tista (British 
Bhotan) portion of the Darjiling District, as most of the mountain and 
river-names there are of Lepcha origin. 
The 4 Sikkim-Bhotiyas ’ or 4 SiJcliim-Tibetans .’—The next ethnic 
element was an influx of Tibetans from the Tsang province of Tibet 
immediately to the north of Sikkim. The date of this immigration is 
fairly well known—it occurred about 400 years ago.J These Tibetans 
promptly usurped the sovereignty and became the dominant race, and the 
present 4 raja ’ of Sikhim is about the 10th or 11th of this series of 
Tibetan chiefs. The routes by which they entered are still called 4 the great 
pass’ (La-chhen), and 4 the short pass (La-chhung). Although they inter- 
marriedfreely with the Lepchas and still do so to a considerable extent, they 
awarded, them a very low social position; and so unfashionable and effete 
has the Lepcha race now become that the Lepchas seek self-effacement by 
intermarriage with Bhotiyas and Limbus, and so are fast contributing to 
the speedy extinction of their own race. These Tibetans of Sikhim are by 
the Nepalis called Sikhim Bhotiyas. It is desirable here to define the 
terms 4 Bhotiya ’ and Bhotan as they are frequently confused and mis¬ 
understood. The native name of Tibet is written Bod and pronounced 
Rot. The Sanskrit form of this word was Bhot,§ and its inhabitants 
by all the Sanskritic speaking races of India are called Bliotiya (also 
written Bhutiya ) which is synonymous with Tibetan — 4 Tibet,’ the cur¬ 
rent European form, being believed to be merely the Persian or Tartar 
* The Nepalis pronounced the word ‘Lapche’ which is the true pronunciation. 
It is said to be a contemptuous term, and is possibly derived from the Parbatiya lab 
+ che = 4 the vile speakers.’ The Lepchas, unlike the Limbus and other neighbour¬ 
ing tribes of apparently cognate origin did not adopt the Parbatiya language. 
f And their explanation is, that they were originally given this country by God 
to take care of. It is unlikely that this name is derived from the Tibetan rong, 4 a 
valley,’ as the word does not seem exotic. It is probably related to their legend of 
Mount Ten-dong, q. v. 
J Mainwaring, loc. cit., p. x. 
§ Hodgson believes that the Tibetans derived the name of their country from 
the Sanskrit appellation through the early Indian Buddhist missionaries.— The 
Language fyc. of Nepal and Tibet, p. 22. This, however, is doubtful. 
