Santa
Dongxiang language
Mongolic
Research sources: ABVD (Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database) linguistic transcriptions; Wikipedia articles on Santa/Dongxiang language; Omniglot writing system documentation; Glottolog 5.2 language classification; Wiktionary Dongxiang lemma database. Speaker numbers vary across sources (200,000-300,000). The language is classified as Vulnerable/Endangered per UNESCO. Some vocabulary items marked with lower confidence due to limited publicly available detailed lexical databases - data derived [Provisional - limited documentation; readings pending native-speaker verification.]
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Dongxiang language
Water
usu
/usu/
Fire
qan
/qɑn/
Sun
naran
/nɑrən/
Moon
sara
/sɑrə/
Mother
ana
/ɑnə/
Father
ebuge
/ɛbuɡɛ/
Eat
ijie-
/iʥiə/
Drink
otsu-
/otʂɯ/
Love
khotula-
/xoːtulə/
Heart
selme
/sɛlmɛ/
Tree
mutun
/mutun/
House
ger
/ɡɛr/
Dog
noghoi
/noɣəi/
Cat
bisalai
/biːsəlai/
Hand
qa
/qɑ/
Eye
udun
/udun/
Hello
sain baina
/sain bainə/
Thank you
baiarla
/bɑjɑrlə/
One
nie
/niə/
Good
sain
/sain/
Words compared
Compared with related Mongolic languages
| Meaning | Dongxiang language | Inner Mongolian | Mongghul | Buryat language | Middle Mongol | Classical Mongolian | Monguor language |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | usu /usu/ | ᠤᠰᠤ /usu/ | usu /usu/ | ус /us/ | ᠤᠰᠤᠨ /usun/ | ᠤᠰᠤᠨ /usun/ | us /ʊs/ |
| Fire | qan /qɑn/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɡɑl/ | ghal /ʁal/ | гал /ɡɑl/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɣal/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɡal/ | gal /ɡɑl/ |
| Sun | naran /nɑrən/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠ /nɑrɑ/ | nara /nara/ | нара /nɑrɑ/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ /naran/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ /naran/ | naran /ˈnɑrɑn/ |
| Moon | sara /sɑrə/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sɑrɑ/ | sara /sara/ | һара /hɑrɑ/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sara/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sara/ | sar /sɑr/ |
| Mother | ana /ɑnə/ | ᠡᠬᠡ /eχe/ | ana /ana/ | эжэ /edʒə/ | ᠡᠭᠡ /eke/ | ᠡᠬᠡ /eke/ | eej /ˈeːʒ/ |
| Father | ebuge /ɛbuɡɛ/ | ᠠᠪᠤ /ɑβu/ | ada /ada/ | аба /ɑbɑ/ | ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ /etʃiɡe/ | ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ /etʃiɡe/ | aav /ˈaːv/ |
| Eat | ijie- /iʥiə/ | ᠢᠳᠡᠬᠦ /ideχʉ/ | idi- /idi/ | идэхэ /ideχe/ | ᠢᠳᠡ /ide/ | ᠢᠳᠡ- /ide-/ | ide /ˈide/ |
| Drink | otsu- /otʂɯ/ | ᠤᠤᠬᠤ /uːχu/ | uu- /uː/ | уух /uːx/ | ᠤᠭᠤ /uɣu/ | ᠤᠭᠤ- /uɣu-/ | unu /ˈunu/ |
| Love | khotula- /xoːtulə/ | ᠬᠠᠢᠷᠠ /χɑir/ | durala- /durala/ | дура /durɑ/ | ᠳᠤᠷᠠ /dura/ | ᠬᠠᠶᠢᠷᠠ /xajira/ | khairakh /xaɪˈrɑx/ |
| Heart | selme /sɛlmɛ/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠬᠡ /dʒirʉχe/ | jürige /dʒyriɡe/ | хүрэг /xʉrəɡ/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠭᠡ /dʒiryke/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠬᠡ /dʒirüke/ | zürkh /ˈzʏrkx/ |
| Tree | mutun /mutun/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤ /mɔdu/ | modu /modu/ | модон /mɔdɔn/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤᠨ /modun/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤ /modu/ | mod /mɔd/ |
| House | ger /ɡɛr/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | ger /ɡer/ | байшаан /bɑjʃɑːn/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | ger /ɡer/ |
| Dog | noghoi /noɣəi/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /nɔχɑi/ | noghui /noʁui/ | нохой /nɔxɔj/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /noqai/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /noxai/ | noxoi /ˈnɔxɔɪ/ |
| Cat | bisalai /biːsəlai/ | ᠮᠤᠤᠷ /muːr/ | mau /mau/ | урхай /ʊrxɑj/ | ᠮᠢᠭᠤᠢ /miɣui/ | ᠮᠠᠭᠣ /maɣu/ | mulagsai /mulɑɡˈsaɪ/ |
| Hand | qa /qɑ/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɡɑr/ | ghar /ʁar/ | гараа /ɡɑrɑː/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɣar/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɡar/ | gar /ɡɑr/ |
| Eye | udun /udun/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦ /nidʉ/ | nidu /nidu/ | сэргэ /sərɡə/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦᠨ /nidyn/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦ /nidü/ | nüd /ˈnʏd/ |
| Hello | sain baina /sain bainə/ | ᠰᠠᠢᠨ ᠪᠠᠢᠨᠠ /sɑin bɑinɑ/ | amur sain /amur sain/ | сайн байна /sɑjn bɑjnɑ/ | ᠠᠮᠤᠷ /amur/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ ᠤᠤ /sajin uu/ | sain bain uu /saɪn baɪn uː/ |
| Thank you | baiarla /bɑjɑrlə/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠯᠠ /bɑjɑrlɑlɑ/ | bayarla- /bajarla/ | баярлалаа /bɑjɑrɬɑɬɑː/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠪᠠ /bajarlaba/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠯᠠ /bajarlala/ | bayarlaa /bɑjɑrˈlaː/ |
| One | nie /niə/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡ /niɡe/ | nige /niɡe/ | нэгэн /neɡen/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ /niɡen/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ /niɡen/ | nige /ˈniɡe/ |
| Good | sain /sain/ | ᠰᠠᠢᠨ /sɑin/ | sain /sain/ | сайн /sɑjn/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ /sain/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ /sajin/ | sain /ˈsaɪn/ |
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