Taklamakan

American  

[tah-kluh-muh-kahn] / ˌtɑ klə məˈkɑn /

Or Taklimakan

noun

1. a desert in south central Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in China. About 125,000 sq. mi. (323,750 sq. km).

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Etymology

Origin of Taklamakan

First recorded in 1895–1900; of uncertain origin: perhaps from Turkic taqlar makan “place of ruins”; perhaps from Uyghur Takla, from Persian tark “to abandon” + Persian makan “place”; some Chinese scholars connect Taklamakan and Tocharian ( def. )

Example Sentences

Among the most well-preserved are the Tarim mummies of Xinjiang, China, who were buried in boat-shaped coffins up to 4,000 years ago in the Taklamakan Desert.

From National Geographic • Aug. 7, 2023

Maxar identified the location of the features as Ruoqiang, a Taklamakan Desert county in the northwestern Xinjiang region.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 7, 2021

The Taklamakan loop is hailed by Beijing as a way to help the region, especially Xinjiang’s impoverished southern edge near northern Tibet.

From Washington Times • Oct. 17, 2021

But the warm wind blowing across the Taklamakan desert is bringing with it worry and change.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2021

The packed dirt road became loose under our feet as we approached the skirt of the Taklamakan.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri