Etymology

From རྒྱ ‎(rgya, “expanse, empire”) +‎ མི ‎(mi, “person”), with the first part being short for རྒྱ་ནག ‎(rgya nag, “China”).

Pronunciation

• Old Tibetan:
  • IPA^(key): /*rgʲa.mi/ (reconstructed)
• Ü-Tsang
  • Tibetan Pinyin: gyac^v-mi^f
  • (Lhasa) IPA^(key): /cə˩˧.mi˥˥/