Etymology of name Nepal

NE, in newari language, means yak .

PAL, always in newari, means that low, elliptical, shaped black tent used by the yak shepherds when pasturing the yak in the Himalayan mountains.

The name Nepal may also derive from the Sanskrit nipalaya, which means "at the foot of the mountains" or "abode at the foot," a reference to its location in relation to the Himalayas. Thus, it may be an Eastern equivalent of the European toponym "Piedmont." It has also been suggested that the name comes from the Tibetan niyampal, which means "holy land".