Etymology

Related to ཁ ‎(kha, “mouth; word”) and བཀའ ‎(bka', “word; saying; teaching”) (Zhang, 2009), from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m/s-k(w)a-j ‎(“mouth; opening”).

Pronunciation

• Old Tibetan:
  • IPA^(key): /*skat/ (reconstructed)
• Ü-Tsang
  • Tibetan Pinyin: gae^h
  • (Lhasa) IPA^(key): /kɛː˥˩/