The mountain range is named for the Sarikol River at its foot, the name of which comes from the
Kyrgyz , which is composed of , and , meaning "yellow river". In this toponym, the word , originates neither from the Kyrgyz , nor from the Kyrgyz , but rather from the Mongolian . The name has also been used to describe the local people who are historically known as
Sarikolis; the local
Sarikoli language, and the town of
Tashkurgan, which was historically known as Sarikol. ==Geography==