Siwalik, Shivalik, Shiwalik or Sivalik: Which one is an appropriate term for the foothills of Himalayas?

Abstract

Various spelling variants such as Siwalik, Shivalik, Shiwalik and Sivalik, have been introduced in the literature while referring to foothills of the Himalayas. These spelling variants are creating hindrances to acquiring a complete knowledge about the region. Therefore, the present study has applied bibliometric analysis to resolve the inconsistency about the usage of these terms. Here, we have shown that the term ‘Siwalik’ was most dominant in the available literature. Our analysed results strongly favoured the use of the term ‘Siwalik’ as it is the oldest and most frequently used term in both the major databases Scopus and Web of Science. India is the country that contributes the most to these variations in the spelling and also the articles published in Indian Journals have these variations. Therefore, we strongly recommend the use of the term ‘Siwalik’ while referring to the region. Thus, the present article can serve as a guide to adopt a suitable term for the authors and publishers.

Abhishek Kumar

Senior Research Fellow

My research interests include plant ecology, restoration ecology and soil ecology.