𘬱𘬻𘭟 𘬐𘭦𘬰
Khitan
Para-Mongolic (Mongolic-Khitan branch, debated)
Khitan was the language of the Liao dynasty (907–1125 CE), spoken by the Khitan people who ruled a vast empire stretching from Manchuria to Central Asia. The Khitan developed two writing systems — the Large Script and the Small Script — both of which remain only partially deciphered, with perhaps 20% of the Small Script characters confidently read. This entry preserves only readings that are confidently attested in bilingual Liao inscriptions, Chinese transliterations of Khitan names, or the scholarly reconstructions of Kane (2009) and Aisin Gioro Ulhicun; all other entries are marked with an em-dash. Khitan numbers are the best-attested vocabulary, showing clear cognacy with Mongolian and Manchu.
Where it is spoken
Han character readings in Khitan
| Character | Meaning | Reading | Form | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 一 | one | 𘬺om | /əm/ | |
| 二 | two | jur | /dʒur/ | |
| 三 | three | gur | /ɡur/ | |
| 四 | four | dur | /dur/ | |
| 五 | five | tau | /tau/ | |
| 六 | six | nil | /nil/ | |
| 七 | seven | dalu | /dalu/ | |
| 八 | eight | naim | /naim/ | |
| 九 | nine | isen | /isen/ | |
| 十 | ten | par | /par/ | |
| 日 | sun | nair | /nair/ | |
| 月 | moon | 𘭖𘭚𘭯sair | /sair/ | |
| 山 | mountain | ula | /ʊla/ | |
| 水 | water | us | /ʊs/ | |
| 火 | fire | gal | /ɡal/ | |
| 天 | sky | teŋri | /tʰeŋri/ | |
| 馬 | horse | 𘭤𘭞morin | /morin/ | |
| 人 | person | küü | /kʰuː/ |
Sources
- Kane, Daniel. The Kitan Language and Script. Brill, 2009.
- Aisin Gioro Ulhicun (愛新覺羅·烏拉熙春). Kitan Studies. Kyoto University, 2004–2012.
- Liu Fengzhu (劉鳳翥). Qidan Wenzi Yanjiu (契丹文字研究). Zhonghua Shuju, 2014.
- Andrew West. BabelStone Khitan Script Resources. babelstone.co.uk/Khitan.
- Wu Yingzhe & Janhunen, Juha. New Materials on the Khitan Small Script. SOAS, 2010.
Words compared
Compared with related Mongolic (Para-Mongolic) languages
| Meaning | Khitan | Jurchen | Middle Mongol | Classical Mongolian | Mongolian | Mongghul | Sibe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | muri /muri/ | muke /muke/ | ᠤᠰᠤᠨ /usun/ | ᠤᠰᠤᠨ /usun/ | ус /us/ | usu /usu/ | ᠮᡠᡴᡝ /mukə/ |
| Fire | niár /niar/ | tuwa /tuwa/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɣal/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɡal/ | гал /ɡal/ | ghal /ʁal/ | ᡨᡠᠸᠠ /tuwa/ |
| Sun | 𘲺 /nair/ | šun /ʃun/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ /naran/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ /naran/ | нар /nar/ | nara /nara/ | ᠰᡠᠨ /sun/ |
| Moon | 𘭧 /sair/ | biya /bija/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sara/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sara/ | сар /sar/ | sara /sara/ | ᠪᡳᠶᠠ /bija/ |
| Mother | eme /eme/ | eme /eme/ | ᠡᠭᠡ /eke/ | ᠡᠬᠡ /eke/ | ээж /eːdʒ/ | ana /ana/ | ᡝᠨᡞᠶᡝ /ənije/ |
| Father | ai /ai/ | ama /ama/ | ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ /etʃiɡe/ | ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ /et͡ʃiɡe/ | аав /aːw/ | ada /ada/ | ᠠᠮᠠ /ama/ |
| Eat | idi /idi/ | jefu /dʒefu/ | ᠢᠳᠡ /ide/ | ᠢᠳᠡ- /ide-/ | идэх /idex/ | idi- /idi/ | ᠵᡝᠮᠪᡞ /d͡ʒəmbi/ |
| Drink | umi /umi/ | omi /omi/ | ᠤᠭᠤ /uɣu/ | ᠤᠭᠤ- /uɣu-/ | уух /uːx/ | uu- /uː/ | ᠣᠮᡳᠪᡞ /omibi/ |
| Love | nasun /nasun/ | gosi /ɡosi/ | ᠳᠤᠷᠠ /dura/ | ᠬᠠᠶᠢᠷᠠ /xajira/ | хайр /xajr/ | durala- /durala/ | ᠴᡳᠯᡨᡠᠮᠪᡳ /t͡ʃiltumbi/ |
| Heart | niyàmen /nijamen/ | niyaman /nijaman/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠭᠡ /dʒiryke/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠬᠡ /d͡ʒirüke/ | зүрх /dzyrx/ | jürige /dʒyriɡe/ | ᠨᡳᠶᠠᠮᠠᠨ /nijaman/ |
| Tree | mau /mau/ | mo /mo/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤᠨ /modun/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤ /modu/ | мод /mod/ | modu /modu/ | ᠮᠣᠯᠣ /molo/ |
| House | boo /boː/ | boo /boː/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | гэр /ɡer/ | ger /ɡer/ | ᠪᠣᠣ /boː/ |
| Dog | 𘰕𘯛 /niaqan/ | indahǔn /indahuːn/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /noqai/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /noxai/ | нохой /nɔxɔj/ | noghui /noʁui/ | ᠨᡳᠨᠳᠠᡥᡡᠨ /nindaxun/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | kesike /kesike/ | ᠮᠢᠭᠤᠢ /miɣui/ | ᠮᠠᠭᠣ /maɣu/ | муур /muːr/ | mau /mau/ | ᡴᡝᠰᡳᡴᡝ /kəsikə/ |
| Hand | ɣar /ɣar/ | gala /ɡala/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɣar/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɡar/ | гар /ɡar/ | ghar /ʁar/ | ᡤᠠᠯᠠ /ɡala/ |
| Eye | nït /nit/ | yasa /jasa/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦᠨ /nidyn/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦ /nidü/ | нүд /nyd/ | nidu /nidu/ | ᠶᠠᠰᠠ /jasa/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | ᠠᠮᠤᠷ /amur/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ ᠤᠤ /sajin uu/ | сайн уу /sajn uː/ | amur sain /amur sain/ | ᠨᡳᠩᡤᡝ ᠰᠠᡳᠨ /niŋɡe sain/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠪᠠ /bajarlaba/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠯᠠ /bajarlala/ | баярлалаа /bajarlalaː/ | bayarla- /bajarla/ | ᠪᠠᠨᡳᡥᠠ /banixa/ |
| One | 𘬣 /omsu/ | emu /emu/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ /niɡen/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ /niɡen/ | нэг /neɡ/ | nige /niɡe/ | ᡝᠮᡠ /əmu/ |
| Good | sayïn /sajin/ | sain /sain/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ /sain/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ /sajin/ | сайн /sajn/ | sain /sain/ | ᠰᠠᡳᠨ /sain/ |
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Han readings compared
Compared with related Para-Mongolic (Mongolic-Khitan branch, debated) languages
| Character | Khitan | Proto-Mongolic | Sibe | Proto-Tungusic | Jurchen | Manchu | Yuan Phags-pa Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 一 | om /əm/ | *nigen /*niɡen/ | emu /əmu/ | *əmun /*əmun/ | emu /emu/ | emu /emu/ | ʔi /ʔi/ |
| 二 | jur /dʒur/ | *qoyar /*qojar/ | juwe /d͡ʑuwə/ | *dʒuər /*d͡ʒuər/ | juwe /dʑuwe/ | juwe /d͡ʒuwə/ | ʐɨ /ʐɨ/ |
| 三 | gur /ɡur/ | *gurba(n) /*gurban/ | ilan /ilan/ | *ilan /*ilan/ | ilan /ilan/ | ilan /ilan/ | sam /sam/ |
| 四 | dur /dur/ | *dörbe(n) /*dœrben/ | duin /duin/ | *dügin /*dyɡin/ | duin /duin/ | duin /duin/ | sɿ /sɿ/ |
| 五 | tau /tau/ | *tabu(n) /*tabun/ | sunja /sund͡ʑa/ | *tuɲga /*tuɲɡa/ | sunja /sundʑa/ | sunja /sund͡ʒa/ | ʔu /ʔu/ |
| 六 | nil /nil/ | *jirguɣa(n) /*dʒirɣuɣan/ | ninggun /niŋɢun/ | *ɲuŋun /*ɲuŋun/ | ninggun /niŋɡun/ | ninggun /niŋɡun/ | liw /liw/ |
| 七 | dalu /dalu/ | *doluɣa(n) /*doluɣan/ | nadan /nadan/ | *nadan /*nadan/ | nadan /nadan/ | nadan /nadan/ | tshi /tsʰi/ |
| 八 | naim /naim/ | *nayima(n) /*najiman/ | jakūn /d͡ʑaqun/ | *dʒapkun /*d͡ʒapkun/ | jakūn /dʑakɯn/ | jakūn /d͡ʒakʰuːn/ | ba /pa/ |
| 九 | isen /isen/ | *yersü(n) /*jersyn/ | uyun /ujun/ | *xəgün /*xəɡyn/ | uyun /ujun/ | uyun /ujun/ | kiw /kiw/ |
| 十 | par /par/ | *harba(n) /*harban/ | juwan /d͡ʑuwan/ | *dʒuwan /*d͡ʒuwan/ | juwan /dʑuwan/ | juwan /d͡ʒuwan/ | ši /ʂɨ/ |
| 日 | nair /nair/ | *naran /*naran/ | šun /ɕun/ | *siun /*siun/ | šun /ʃun/ | šun /ʃun/ | ʐɨ /ʐɨ/ |
| 月 | sair /sair/ | *sara(n) /*saran/ | biya /bija/ | *bēga /*beːɡa/ | biya /bija/ | biya /bija/ | ʔɥe /ʔɥe/ |
| 山 | ula /ʊla/ | *agula /*aɣula/ | alin /alin/ | *xada /*xada/ | alin /alin/ | alin /alin/ | šan /ʂan/ |
| 水 | us /ʊs/ | *usu(n) /*usun/ | muke /mutɕə/ | *mū /*muː/ | muke /muke/ | muke /mukə/ | šwi /ʂwi/ |
| 火 | gal /ɡal/ | *gal /*ɡal/ | tuwa /tuwa/ | *tōga /*toːɡa/ | tuwa /tuwa/ | tuwa /tuwa/ | xwo /xwɔ/ |
| 天 | teŋri /tʰeŋri/ | *teŋri /*teŋri/ | abka /apqa/ | *abka /*abka/ | abka /abka/ | abka /abka/ | thẽn /tʰjɛn/ |
| 馬 | morin /morin/ | *mori(n) /*morin/ | morin /mɔrin/ | *murin /*murin/ | morin /morin/ | morin /morin/ | ma /ma/ |
| 人 | küü /kʰuː/ | *kümün /*kymyn/ | niyalma /ɲalma/ | *niama /*niama/ | niyalma /nialma/ | niyalma /njalma/ | ʐin /ʐin/ |
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