Proto-Tungusic
Proto-language (reconstructed) · historical / hidden variety
Proto-Tungusic is the reconstructed ancestor of the Tungusic family — Manchu, Evenki, Even, Nanai and others, of Manchuria and the middle Amur basin. It is usually dated to the early-to-mid first millennium CE and is well reconstructed.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Proto-Tungusic
Water
*mū
/mū/
Fire
*tawa
/tawa/
Sun
*sigūn
/sigūn/
Moon
*bēga
/bēga/
Star
—
/—/
Mother
*eńi
/eńi/
Father
*ama
/ama/
I
*bi
/bi/
You
*si
/si/
Name
*gerbū
/gerbū/
Eye
*ńāsa
/ńāsa/
Hand
*ŋāla
/ŋāla/
Heart
*mēwan
/mēwan/
Love
—
/—/
Tree
*mō
/mō/
House
—
/—/
Dog
*ŋinda
/ŋinda/
Cat
—
/—/
Eat
*ǰep-
/ǰep-/
Drink
—
/—/
One
*emun
/emun/
Two
*ǰör
/ǰör/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
Good
—
/—/
Sources
- Benzing (1955) Die tungusischen Sprachen
- Tsintsius (1975–77) Comparative Dictionary of the Tungus-Manchu Languages
Words compared
Compared with related Proto-language (reconstructed) languages
| Meaning | Proto-Tungusic | Proto-Kartvelian | Proto-Koreanic | Jurchen | Umbrian | Nanai | Phrygian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | *mū /mū/ | *c̣q̇ar- /c̣q̇ar-/ | *mɨr /mɨr/ | muke /muke/ | utur /ˈu.tur/ | муэ /mue/ | — /—/ |
| Fire | *tawa /tawa/ | *cecxl- /cecxl-/ | *pɨr /pɨr/ | tuwa /tuwa/ | pir /pir/ | това /tova/ | — /—/ |
| Sun | *sigūn /sigūn/ | *mze- /mze-/ | *hʌy /hʌy/ | šun /ʃun/ | — /—/ | сиун /siun/ | — /—/ |
| Moon | *bēga /bēga/ | — /—/ | *tʌr /tʌr/ | biya /bija/ | — /—/ | биа /bia/ | masê /maˈseː/ |
| Star | — /—/ | — /—/ | *pyər /pyər/ | usiha /usixa/ | — /—/ | хосякта /xoˈsʲakta/ | — /—/ |
| Mother | *eńi /eńi/ | *deda- /deda-/ | *emi /emi/ | eme /eme/ | matrer /ˈma.trer/ | энин /enin/ | mater /ˈmater/ |
| Father | *ama /ama/ | *mama- /mama-/ | *api /api/ | ama /ama/ | patre /ˈpa.tre/ | ама /ama/ | atas /aˈtas/ |
| I | *bi /bi/ | *me /me/ | *na /na/ | bi /bi/ | — /—/ | ми /mi/ | az /az/ |
| You | *si /si/ | *sen- /sen-/ | *ne /ne/ | si /ʃi/ | tu /tuː/ | си /si/ | — /—/ |
| Name | *gerbū /gerbū/ | *saqel- /saqel-/ | — /—/ | gebu /gəbu/ | nome /ˈnome/ | гэрбу /gərˈbu/ | — /—/ |
| Eye | *ńāsa /ńāsa/ | *tʼwal- /tʼwal-/ | *nun /nun/ | yasa /jasa/ | — /—/ | насал /nasal/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | *ŋāla /ŋāla/ | *qel- /qel-/ | *son /son/ | gala /ɡala/ | manuv-e /ma.ˈnu.we/ | нгала /ŋala/ | — /—/ |
| Heart | *mēwan /mēwan/ | *gul- /gul-/ | *mʌzʌm /mʌzʌm/ | niyaman /nijaman/ | — /—/ | миаван /miavan/ | — /—/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | gosi /ɡosi/ | — /—/ | эйини /ejini/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | *mō /mō/ | — /—/ | *namʌk /namʌk/ | mo /mo/ | — /—/ | мо /mo/ | — /—/ |
| House | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | boo /boː/ | — /—/ | дё /dʒo/ | — /—/ |
| Dog | *ŋinda /ŋinda/ | *ʒaɣl- /ʒaɣl-/ | — /—/ | indahǔn /indahuːn/ | — /—/ | инда /inda/ | kan /kan/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | kesike /kesike/ | — /—/ | коси /kosi/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | *ǰep- /ǰep-/ | *č̣am- /č̣am-/ | *mek- /mek-/ | jefu /dʒefu/ | — /—/ | депу /depu/ | — /—/ |
| Drink | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | omi /omi/ | — /—/ | омичи /omitʃi/ | — /—/ |
| One | *emun /emun/ | *ert- /ert-/ | *hʌnah /hʌnah/ | emu /emu/ | unu /ˈu.nu/ | эмун /emun/ | — /—/ |
| Two | *ǰör /ǰör/ | *jor- /jor-/ | *tur /tur/ | juwe /dʑuwə/ | dur /dur/ | дюэр /dʒuˈər/ | — /—/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | банди-банди /bandi bandi/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | банихан /banihan/ | — /—/ |
| Good | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | sain /sain/ | — /—/ | ая /aja/ | — /—/ |
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