Нанай
Nanai
Tungusic (Southern, Manchu-Nanai)
Nanai (Нанай in Russian) is a Southern Tungusic language of the lower Amur River valley, the closest living relative of Manchu within the Manchu-Nanai branch. The Nanai people are traditional Amur River fisher-hunters whose culture features bird-skin clothing and elaborate fish-skin parkas. The Russian Nanai population is ~12,000 but only ~1,500 retain L1 fluency, with most younger generations Russian-dominant. In China, the closely related Hezhen population is ~5,000 with even fewer fluent speakers. Reverberates in early Soviet anthropology through Vladimir Arsenyev's Dersu Uzala (1923).
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Nanai
Water
муэ
/mue/
Fire
това
/tova/
Sun
сиун
/siun/
Moon
биа
/bia/
Star
хосякта
/xoˈsʲakta/
Mother
энин
/enin/
Father
ама
/ama/
I
ми
/mi/
You
си
/si/
Name
гэрбу
/gərˈbu/
Eye
насал
/nasal/
Hand
нгала
/ŋala/
Heart
миаван
/miavan/
Love
эйини
/ejini/
Tree
мо
/mo/
House
дё
/dʒo/
Dog
инда
/inda/
Cat
коси
/kosi/
Eat
депу
/depu/
Drink
омичи
/omitʃi/
One
эмун
/emun/
Two
дюэр
/dʒuˈər/
Hello
банди-банди
/bandi bandi/
Thank you
банихан
/banihan/
Good
ая
/aja/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Tungusic (Southern, Manchu-Nanai) languages
| Meaning | Nanai | Evenki | Udege | Jurchen | Manchu | Even (Lamut) | Sibe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | муэ /mue/ | мӯ /muː/ | уй /uj/ | muke /muke/ | ᠮᡠᡴᡝ /mukə/ | мӯ /muː/ | ᠮᡠᡴᡝ /mukə/ |
| Fire | това /tova/ | того /toɡo/ | тогбо /toɡbo/ | tuwa /tuwa/ | ᡨᡠᠸᠠ /tuwa/ | тоог /toːɡ/ | ᡨᡠᠸᠠ /tuwa/ |
| Sun | сиун /siun/ | дылача /dɯlatɕa/ | даигаси /daiɡasi/ | šun /ʃun/ | ᡧᡠᠨ /ʃun/ | нөлтэн /nølten/ | ᠰᡠᠨ /sun/ |
| Moon | биа /bia/ | бега /beɡa/ | биа /bia/ | biya /bija/ | ᠪᡳᠶᠠ /bija/ | бяг /bjaɡ/ | ᠪᡳᠶᠠ /bija/ |
| Star | хосякта /xoˈsʲakta/ | осикта /oˈsikta/ | ваикта /ˈwaikta/ | usiha /usixa/ | ᡠᠰᡳᡥᠠ /usiˈχa/ | осикат /oˈsikat/ | ᡠᠰᡳᡥᠠ /usˈχa/ |
| Mother | энин /enin/ | эни /eni/ | энэ /ene/ | eme /eme/ | ᡝᠨᡳᠶᡝ /ənijə/ | эньэн /eɲen/ | ᡝᠨᡞᠶᡝ /ənije/ |
| Father | ама /ama/ | амин /amin/ | амэ /amə/ | ama /ama/ | ᠠᠮᠠ /ama/ | аман /aman/ | ᠠᠮᠠ /ama/ |
| I | ми /mi/ | би /bi/ | би /bi/ | bi /bi/ | ᠪᡳ /bi/ | би /bi/ | ᠪᡳ /bi/ |
| You | си /si/ | си /si/ | си /si/ | si /ʃi/ | ᠰᡳ /si/ | хи /hiː/ | ᠰᡳ /ɕi/ |
| Name | гэрбу /gərˈbu/ | гэрбӣ /gərˈbiː/ | гэгбэ /gəgˈbə/ | gebu /gəbu/ | ᡤᡝᠪᡠ /ɡəbu/ | гэрбэ /gərˈbə/ | ᡤᡝᠪᡠ /ɡəˈvu/ |
| Eye | насал /nasal/ | эса /esa/ | яа /jaː/ | yasa /jasa/ | ᠶᠠᠰᠠ /jasa/ | яса /jasa/ | ᠶᠠᠰᠠ /jasa/ |
| Hand | нгала /ŋala/ | нгалэ /ŋale/ | нала /nala/ | gala /ɡala/ | ᡤᠠᠯᠠ /ɡala/ | нгал /ŋal/ | ᡤᠠᠯᠠ /ɡala/ |
| Heart | миаван /miavan/ | меван /mevan/ | миаван /miavan/ | niyaman /nijaman/ | ᠨᡳᠶᠠᠮᠠᠨ /nijaman/ | мяван /mjavan/ | ᠨᡳᠶᠠᠮᠠᠨ /nijaman/ |
| Love | эйини /ejini/ | аявдави /ajavdavi/ | чисанай /tʃisanaj/ | gosi /ɡosi/ | ᡥᠠᡳᡵᠠᠮᠪᡳ /xairambi/ | аякан /ajakan/ | ᠴᡳᠯᡨᡠᠮᠪᡳ /tʃiltumbi/ |
| Tree | мо /mo/ | мо /mo/ | мо /mo/ | mo /mo/ | ᠮᠣᠣ /moː/ | мо /mo/ | ᠮᠣᠯᠣ /molo/ |
| House | дё /dʒo/ | дю /dʒu/ | дзугди /dzuɡdi/ | boo /boː/ | ᠪᠣᠣ /boː/ | дьу /dʒu/ | ᠪᠣᠣ /boː/ |
| Dog | инда /inda/ | нгинакин /ŋinakin/ | инай /inaj/ | indahǔn /indahuːn/ | ᡳᠨᡩᠠᡥᡡᠨ /indaxuːn/ | нгин /ŋin/ | ᡳᠨᡩᠠᡥᡡᠨ /indaxun/ |
| Cat | коси /kosi/ | кошка /koʂka/ | кошк /koʃk/ | kesike /kesike/ | ᡴᡝᠰᡳᡴᡝ /kəsikə/ | кошка /koʂka/ | ᡴᡝᠰᡳᡴᡝ /kəsikə/ |
| Eat | депу /depu/ | дептэ /depte/ | джевэ /dʒevə/ | jefu /dʒefu/ | ᠵᡝᠮᠪᡳ /dʒəmbi/ | дьэб /dʒeb/ | ᠵᡝᠮᠪᡞ /dʒəmbi/ |
| Drink | омичи /omitʃi/ | умӣ /umiː/ | омимэ /omimə/ | omi /omi/ | ᠣᠮᡳᠪᡳ /omibi/ | ум /um/ | ᠣᠮᡳᠪᡞ /omibi/ |
| One | эмун /emun/ | умун /umun/ | омо /omo/ | emu /emu/ | ᠡᠮᡠ /əmu/ | омэн /omen/ | ᡝᠮᡠ /əmu/ |
| Two | дюэр /dʒuˈər/ | дюр /dʒuːr/ | дюэ /dʒuˈə/ | juwe /dʑuwə/ | ᠵᡠᠸᡝ /dʒuwə/ | дёр /dʲoːr/ | ᠵᡠᠸᡝ /dʒuə/ |
| Hello | банди-банди /bandi bandi/ | дорообо /doroːbo/ | бандиба /bandiba/ | — /—/ | ᠰᡳ ᠰᠠᡳᠨ /si sain/ | дорова /dorova/ | ᠨᡳᠩᡤᡝ ᠰᠠᡳᠨ /niŋɡe sain/ |
| Thank you | банихан /banihan/ | пасиба /pasiba/ | нюхча /ɲuxtʃa/ | — /—/ | ᠪᠠᠨᡳᡥᠠ /banixa/ | пасиба /pasiba/ | ᠪᠠᠨᡳᡥᠠ /banixa/ |
| Good | ая /aja/ | ая /aja/ | ая /aja/ | sain /sain/ | ᠰᠠᡳᠨ /sain/ | ай /aj/ | ᠰᠠᡳᠨ /sain/ |
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.