Sherpa means an ethnic group of people from the north east part of Nepal. Sherpa doesn’t mean to carry something and doesn’t necessarily mean high altitude worker/porter. Sherpa is an ethnic group of people living in the mountains whose primary occupation is to assist climbers to the summit of the mountain.
The word Sherpa comes from two different words Shar ‘’east’’ and waa ‘’people’’. So together, Sherpa means ‘people from the east’ according to the ethnic Sherpa language. Contrary to popular usage, a Sherpa is a member of an ethnic group from the mountainous region of Nepal, the Himalayas – not necessarily a high-altitude porter or climber.
However, in trekking and expedition area, ‘’Sherpa’’ is commonly used to describe high altitude guides and porters. They take great pride in their mountaineering heritage, just as another famous people of Nepal, the Gurkhas, who take pride in their warrior skills.
Starting in the early 16th century, the ancestors of today’s Sherpas began migrating over the high passes into Nepal, most probably from the eastern Tibetan province. They settled in the eastern region of Nepal – Everest region, Rolwaling region and in the Helambu region north of Kathmandu. The language of Sherpa is similar to Tibetan and is considered a branch of Tibeto-Burman language. They practice Buddhism of the Nyingma-pa (Oldest Buddhist sect). An important aspect of Sherpa religion is monastery or gompa.
