Dalai Lama

Etymology

From Tibetan ཏཱ་ལའི་བླ་མ (tā la'i bla ma), compound of Mongolian ᠳᠠᠯᠠᠢ (dalai, “ocean”) + Tibetan བླ་མ (bla ma, “lama”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dælaɪˈlɑːmə/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈdɑːlaɪ ˈlɑːmə/

Noun

Dalai Lama (plural Dalai Lamas)

1. (Tibetan Buddhism) The supreme head of Tibetan Buddhism, believed to be an incarnation of Avalokitesvara, and considered the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

Dalai Lama m (genitive Dalai Lamas, plural Dalai Lamas)

1. head of Tibetan Buddhism; Dalai Lama

Further reading

• “Dalai Lama” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon