Tirich Mir

9.1

A mountain in northern Pakistan that is the highest in the Hindu Kush

proper noun

: Tirich Mir

The snow-capped peak of Tirich Mir dominates the landscape in northern Pakistan.

Examples

Mountaineers from around the world travel to Tirich Mir for challenging climbs in the Hindu Kush.
Have you ever climbed Tirich Mir?
Local legends tell mysterious tales about the spirits said to inhabit Tirich Mir.
The majestic Tirich Mir towers over the surrounding landscape.
Mountaineers from around the world travel to Tirich Mir for challenging climbs in the Hindu Kush.
The snow-capped peak of Tirich Mir dominates the landscape in northern Pakistan.
Local legends tell mysterious tales about the spirits said to inhabit Tirich Mir.

Surface Forms

Tirich Mir main

Morphology

Tirich + Mir

This is a toponym (proper name) rather than a compositional phrase: 'Tirich' is not a lexical word in English and 'Mir' is a personal name/title, so their meanings do not combine to indicate a mountain. Proper names are arbitrary and language-specific, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would not be able to infer that this refers to the highest peak in the Hindu Kush without prior exposure.

Etymology

Tirich Mir likely comes from local words such as Tirich and Mir, with Mir meaning 'king' in several regional languages; people imagined the tall, snowy peak as a ruler standing above the land, so the name shows that it is the highest, most powerful mountain in the area.