"New words reflect the rapid development in Tibet in terms of politics, economy, culture and education," said Qoizha, adding that new words also add vitality to the Tibetan language.

Trinley Qoizha, 78, a compiler of the dictionary, was happy that his dream of witnessing the birth of a new Tibetan dictionary in his lifetime would come true.

"The new dictionary must be very heavy," he said. "I'm afraid it is too heavy for me."

Tibetan is one of the most ancient languages in China, dating back to the seventh century. It is currently used by about 8 million people in China's Tibetan region and the neighboring countries of India, Nepal and Bhutan.

H.A. Jaschke, a German, was the first to compile a Tibetan-English dictionary in 1881.

Another Tibetan-English dictionary compiled by the Indian scholar Sarat Chandra Das has been the most popular, but it includes some biased terms. On page 713, there is an entry that says "the Chinese hated all foreigners," said Trinley Qoizha, former president of the Tibet People's Publishing House.

In 1985, Trinley Qoizha and his colleagues published a Tibetan-Chinese dictionary after eight years of concerted efforts. It includes 53,000 entries.

"The dictionary is getting thicker, more professional and encyclopedic, which is strong proof of Tibet's cultural development," said Wangchug, 69, a Tibetan language translator.