Proto-Mongolic
Proto-language (reconstructed) · historical / hidden variety
Proto-Mongolic is the reconstructed ancestor of the Mongolic family — Mongolian, Buryat, Kalmyk-Oirat and others. It is usually placed in northeastern Mongolia and Manchuria around the early second millennium CE (roughly the 11th–13th centuries), shortly before Middle Mongol, and is well reconstructed.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Proto-Mongolic
Water
*usun
/usun/
Fire
*gal
/gal/
Sun
*naran
/naran/
Moon
*sara
/sara/
Star
*hodun
/hodun/
Mother
*eke
/eke/
Father
*ečige
/ečige/
I
*bi
/bi/
You
*či
/či/
Name
*nere
/nere/
Eye
*nidün
/nidün/
Hand
*gar
/gar/
Heart
*ǰirüken
/ǰirüken/
Love
—
/—/
Tree
*modun
/modun/
House
*ger
/ger/
Dog
*nokai
/nokai/
Cat
—
/—/
Eat
*ide-
/ide-/
Drink
*uu-
/uu-/
One
*nigen
/nigen/
Two
*koyar
/koyar/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
Good
*sajin
/sajin/
Sources
- Janhunen (2003) The Mongolic Languages
- Nugteren (2011) Mongolic Phonology and the Qinghai-Gansu Languages
Words compared
Compared with related Proto-language (reconstructed) languages
| Meaning | Proto-Mongolic | Classical Mongolian | Middle Mongol | Khitan | Buryat | Kalmyk | Mongghul |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | *usun /usun/ | ᠤᠰᠤᠨ /usun/ | ᠤᠰᠤᠨ /usun/ | muri /muri/ | уһан /uhan/ | усн /usn/ | usu /usu/ |
| Fire | *gal /gal/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɡal/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɣal/ | niár /niar/ | гал /ɡal/ | гал /ɡal/ | ghal /ʁal/ |
| Sun | *naran /naran/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ /naran/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ /naran/ | 𘲺 /nair/ | наран /naran/ | нарн /narn/ | nara /nara/ |
| Moon | *sara /sara/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sara/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sara/ | 𘭧 /sair/ | һара /hara/ | сар /sar/ | sara /sara/ |
| Star | *hodun /hodun/ | ᠣᠳᠣᠨ /odun/ | ᠬᠣᠳᠤᠨ /hodun/ | od /od/ | одон /oˈdõ/ | одн /odn/ | hodi /xoˈdi/ |
| Mother | *eke /eke/ | ᠡᠬᠡ /eke/ | ᠡᠭᠡ /eke/ | eme /eme/ | эхэ /exe/ | ээҗ /eːdʒ/ | ana /ana/ |
| Father | *ečige /ečige/ | ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ /etʃiɡe/ | ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ /etʃiɡe/ | ai /ai/ | эсэгэ /eseɡe/ | аав /aːv/ | ada /ada/ |
| I | *bi /bi/ | ᠪᠢ /bi/ | ᠪᠢ /bi/ | bi /bi/ | би /bi/ | би /bi/ | bu /bu/ |
| You | *či /či/ | ᠴᠢ /tʃi/ | ᠴᠢ /tʃi/ | ši /ʃi/ | ши /ʃi/ | чи /tʃi/ | chi /tɕi/ |
| Name | *nere /nere/ | ᠨᠡᠷᠡ /nere/ | ᠨᠡᠷᠡ /nere/ | niru /niru/ | нэрэ /nere/ | нерн /nern/ | nere /nərə/ |
| Eye | *nidün /nidün/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦ /nidü/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦᠨ /nidyn/ | nït /nit/ | нюдэн /nʲuden/ | нүдн /nyˈdn̩/ | nidu /nidu/ |
| Hand | *gar /gar/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɡar/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɣar/ | ɣar /ɣar/ | гар /ɡar/ | һар /ɣar/ | ghar /ʁar/ |
| Heart | *ǰirüken /ǰirüken/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠬᠡ /dʒirüke/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠭᠡ /dʒiryke/ | niyàmen /nijamen/ | зүрхэн /zyrxen/ | зүркн /zyrˈkən/ | jürige /dʒyriɡe/ |
| Love | — /—/ | ᠬᠠᠶᠢᠷᠠ /xajira/ | ᠳᠤᠷᠠ /dura/ | nasun /nasun/ | дуран /duran/ | дурлх /durlx/ | durala- /durala/ |
| Tree | *modun /modun/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤ /modu/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤᠨ /modun/ | mau /mau/ | модон /modon/ | модн /moˈdn̩/ | modu /modu/ |
| House | *ger /ger/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | boo /boː/ | гэр /ɡer/ | гер /ɡer/ | ger /ɡer/ |
| Dog | *nokai /nokai/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /noxai/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /noqai/ | 𘰕𘯛 /niaqan/ | нохой /noxoj/ | ноха /noxa/ | noghui /noʁui/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | ᠮᠢᠭᠤᠢ /miɣui/ | ᠮᠢᠭᠤᠢ /miɣui/ | — /—/ | миисгэй /miːsɡej/ | миис /miːs/ | mau /mau/ |
| Eat | *ide- /ide-/ | ᠢᠳᠡ- /ide-/ | ᠢᠳᠡ /ide/ | idi /idi/ | эдеэлхэ /edeːlxe/ | иде /ide/ | idi- /idi/ |
| Drink | *uu- /uu-/ | ᠤᠭᠤ- /uɣu-/ | ᠤᠭᠤ /uɣu/ | umi /umi/ | ууха /uːxa/ | уу /uː/ | uu- /uː/ |
| One | *nigen /nigen/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ /niɡen/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ /niɡen/ | 𘬣 /omsu/ | нэгэн /neɡen/ | негн /neɡn/ | nige /niɡe/ |
| Two | *koyar /koyar/ | ᠬᠣᠶᠠᠷ /qojar/ | ᠬᠣᠶᠠᠷ /qojar/ | jur /dʒuːr/ | хоёр /xɔˈjɔr/ | хойр /xojr/ | ghoor /ʁoːr/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ ᠤᠤ /sajin uu/ | ᠠᠮᠤᠷ /amur/ | — /—/ | сайн байна /sajn bajna/ | менд /mend/ | amur sain /amur sain/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠯᠠ /bajarlala/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠪᠠ /bajarlaba/ | — /—/ | баярлаа /bajarlaː/ | ханҗанав /xandʒanav/ | bayarla- /bajarla/ |
| Good | *sajin /sajin/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ /sajin/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ /sain/ | sayïn /sajin/ | һайн /hajn/ | сән /sæn/ | sain /sain/ |
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