Santa
Dongxiang language
Mongolic
Dongxiang, also called Santa (ISO 639-3: sce), is a Mongolic language spoken mainly by the Dongxiang people in Gansu Province, northwestern China, especially in Dongxiang Autonomous County and neighboring areas. Estimates commonly place the speaker population between 200,000 and 300,000, although language shift toward Northwestern Mandarin has weakened transmission in some communities. Long contact with Sinitic languages has strongly shaped Dongxiang: it has limited vowel harmony, no phonemic vowel length, and extensive Chinese influence in its vocabulary and syntax. A Latin transcription approved in Gansu in 1994 has been used in dictionaries and bilingual teaching experiments, while some speakers also write the language in an adapted Arabic script known as Xiao'erjing.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Dongxiang language
Water
usu
/usu/
Fire
qan
/qɑn/
Sun
naran
/nɑrən/
Moon
sara
/sɑrə/
Star
hodun
/hodun/
Mother
ana
/ɑnə/
Father
ebuge
/ɛbuɡɛ/
I
bi
/pi/
You
chi
/tɕi/
Name
niere
/niərə/
Eye
udun
/udun/
Hand
qa
/qɑ/
Heart
selme
/sɛlmɛ/
Love
khotula-
/xoːtulə/
Tree
mutun
/mutun/
House
ger
/ɡɛr/
Dog
noghoi
/noɣəi/
Cat
bisalai
/biːsəlai/
Eat
ijie-
/iʥiə/
Drink
otsu-
/otʂɯ/
One
nie
/niə/
Two
ghua
/ʁua/
Hello
sain baina
/sain bainə/
Thank you
baiarla
/bɑjɑrlə/
Good
sain
/sain/
Words compared
Compared with related Mongolic languages
| Meaning | Dongxiang language | Inner Mongolian | Mongghul | Middle Mongol | Monguor language | Classical Mongolian | Proto-Mongolic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | usu /usu/ | ᠤᠰᠤ /usu/ | usu /usu/ | ᠤᠰᠤᠨ /usun/ | us /ʊs/ | ᠤᠰᠤᠨ /usun/ | *usun /usun/ |
| Fire | qan /qɑn/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɡɑl/ | ghal /ʁal/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɣal/ | gal /ɡɑl/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɡal/ | *gal /gal/ |
| Sun | naran /nɑrən/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠ /nɑrɑ/ | nara /nara/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ /naran/ | naran /ˈnɑrɑn/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ /naran/ | *naran /naran/ |
| Moon | sara /sɑrə/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sɑrɑ/ | sara /sara/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sara/ | sar /sɑr/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sara/ | *sara /sara/ |
| Star | hodun /hodun/ | ᠣᠳᠤᠨ /ɔtŋ̍/ | hodi /xoˈdi/ | ᠬᠣᠳᠤᠨ /hodun/ | hudun /xudun/ | ᠣᠳᠣᠨ /odun/ | *hodun /hodun/ |
| Mother | ana /ɑnə/ | ᠡᠬᠡ /eχe/ | ana /ana/ | ᠡᠭᠡ /eke/ | eej /ˈeːʒ/ | ᠡᠬᠡ /eke/ | *eke /eke/ |
| Father | ebuge /ɛbuɡɛ/ | ᠠᠪᠤ /ɑβu/ | ada /ada/ | ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ /etʃiɡe/ | aav /ˈaːv/ | ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ /etʃiɡe/ | *ečige /ečige/ |
| I | bi /pi/ | ᠪᠢ /bi/ | bu /bu/ | ᠪᠢ /bi/ | bu /pu/ | ᠪᠢ /bi/ | *bi /bi/ |
| You | chi /tɕi/ | ᠴᠢ /tʃʰi/ | chi /tɕi/ | ᠴᠢ /tʃi/ | chi /tɕi/ | ᠴᠢ /tʃi/ | *či /či/ |
| Name | niere /niərə/ | ᠨᠡᠷᠡ /nər/ | nere /nərə/ | ᠨᠡᠷᠡ /nere/ | nere /nerə/ | ᠨᠡᠷᠡ /nere/ | *nere /nere/ |
| Eye | udun /udun/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦ /nidʉ/ | nidu /nidu/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦᠨ /nidyn/ | nüd /ˈnʏd/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦ /nidü/ | *nidün /nidün/ |
| Hand | qa /qɑ/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɡɑr/ | ghar /ʁar/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɣar/ | gar /ɡɑr/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɡar/ | *gar /gar/ |
| Heart | selme /sɛlmɛ/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠬᠡ /dʒirʉχe/ | jürige /dʒyriɡe/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠭᠡ /dʒiryke/ | zürkh /ˈzʏrkx/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠬᠡ /dʒirüke/ | *ǰirüken /ǰirüken/ |
| Love | khotula- /xoːtulə/ | ᠬᠠᠢᠷᠠ /χɑir/ | durala- /durala/ | ᠳᠤᠷᠠ /dura/ | khairakh /xaɪˈrɑx/ | ᠬᠠᠶᠢᠷᠠ /xajira/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | mutun /mutun/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤ /mɔdu/ | modu /modu/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤᠨ /modun/ | mod /mɔd/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤ /modu/ | *modun /modun/ |
| House | ger /ɡɛr/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | ger /ɡer/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | ger /ɡer/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | *ger /ger/ |
| Dog | noghoi /noɣəi/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /nɔχɑi/ | noghui /noʁui/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /noqai/ | noxoi /ˈnɔxɔɪ/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /noxai/ | *nokai /nokai/ |
| Cat | bisalai /biːsəlai/ | ᠮᠤᠤᠷ /muːr/ | mau /mau/ | ᠮᠢᠭᠤᠢ /miɣui/ | mulagsai /mulɑɡˈsaɪ/ | ᠮᠢᠭᠤᠢ /miɣui/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | ijie- /iʥiə/ | ᠢᠳᠡᠬᠦ /ideχʉ/ | idi- /idi/ | ᠢᠳᠡ /ide/ | ide /ˈide/ | ᠢᠳᠡ- /ide-/ | *ide- /ide-/ |
| Drink | otsu- /otʂɯ/ | ᠤᠤᠬᠤ /uːχu/ | uu- /uː/ | ᠤᠭᠤ /uɣu/ | uu /uː/ | ᠤᠭᠤ- /uɣu-/ | *uu- /uu-/ |
| One | nie /niə/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡ /niɡe/ | nige /niɡe/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ /niɡen/ | nige /ˈniɡe/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ /niɡen/ | *nigen /nigen/ |
| Two | ghua /ʁua/ | ᠬᠣᠶᠠᠷ /xɔˈjɔr/ | ghoor /ʁoːr/ | ᠬᠣᠶᠠᠷ /qojar/ | ghoor /ɣoːr/ | ᠬᠣᠶᠠᠷ /qojar/ | *koyar /koyar/ |
| Hello | sain baina /sain bainə/ | ᠰᠠᠢᠨ ᠪᠠᠢᠨᠠ /sɑin bɑinɑ/ | amur sain /amur sain/ | ᠠᠮᠤᠷ /amur/ | sain bain uu /saɪn baɪn uː/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ ᠤᠤ /sajin uu/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | baiarla /bɑjɑrlə/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠯᠠ /bɑjɑrlɑlɑ/ | bayarla- /bajarla/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠪᠠ /bajarlaba/ | bayarlaa /bɑjɑrˈlaː/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠯᠠ /bajarlala/ | — /—/ |
| Good | sain /sain/ | ᠰᠠᠢᠨ /sɑin/ | sain /sain/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ /sain/ | sain /ˈsaɪn/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ /sajin/ | *sajin /sajin/ |
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