mos diau-d
Khitan
Mongolic (Para-Mongolic) · historical / hidden variety
Khitan was the language of the Liao dynasty, a Para-Mongolic language related to but distinct from Mongolic. Two scripts were created: the Khitan Large Script (920 CE, ~3,000 logographs inspired by Chinese) and the Khitan Small Script (925 CE, ~450 phonograms). The Small Script is partially deciphered (Kane, Aisin Gioro, Wu Yingzhe); many readings remain provisional.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Khitan
Water
muri
/muri/
Fire
niár
/niar/
Sun
𘲺
/nair/
Moon
𘭧
/sair/
Mother
eme
/eme/
Father
ai
/ai/
Eat
idi
/idi/
Drink
umi
/umi/
Love
nasun
/nasun/
Heart
niyàmen
/nijamen/
Tree
mau
/mau/
House
boo
/boː/
Dog
𘰕𘯛
/niaqan/
Cat
—
/—/
Hand
ɣar
/ɣar/
Eye
nït
/nit/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
One
𘬣
/omsu/
Good
sayïn
/sajin/
Words compared
Compared with related Mongolic (Para-Mongolic) languages
| Meaning | Khitan | Jurchen | Middle Mongol | Classical Mongolian | Mongolian | Mongghul | Sibe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | muri /muri/ | muke /muke/ | ᠤᠰᠤᠨ /usun/ | ᠤᠰᠤᠨ /usun/ | ус /us/ | usu /usu/ | ᠮᡠᡴᡝ /mukə/ |
| Fire | niár /niar/ | tuwa /tuwa/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɣal/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɡal/ | гал /ɡal/ | ghal /ʁal/ | ᡨᡠᠸᠠ /tuwa/ |
| Sun | 𘲺 /nair/ | šun /ʃun/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ /naran/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ /naran/ | нар /nar/ | nara /nara/ | ᠰᡠᠨ /sun/ |
| Moon | 𘭧 /sair/ | biya /bija/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sara/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sara/ | сар /sar/ | sara /sara/ | ᠪᡳᠶᠠ /bija/ |
| Mother | eme /eme/ | eme /eme/ | ᠡᠭᠡ /eke/ | ᠡᠬᠡ /eke/ | ээж /eːdʒ/ | ana /ana/ | ᡝᠨᡞᠶᡝ /ənije/ |
| Father | ai /ai/ | ama /ama/ | ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ /etʃiɡe/ | ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ /et͡ʃiɡe/ | аав /aːw/ | ada /ada/ | ᠠᠮᠠ /ama/ |
| Eat | idi /idi/ | jefu /dʒefu/ | ᠢᠳᠡ /ide/ | ᠢᠳᠡ- /ide-/ | идэх /idex/ | idi- /idi/ | ᠵᡝᠮᠪᡞ /d͡ʒəmbi/ |
| Drink | umi /umi/ | omi /omi/ | ᠤᠭᠤ /uɣu/ | ᠤᠭᠤ- /uɣu-/ | уух /uːx/ | uu- /uː/ | ᠣᠮᡳᠪᡞ /omibi/ |
| Love | nasun /nasun/ | gosi /ɡosi/ | ᠳᠤᠷᠠ /dura/ | ᠬᠠᠶᠢᠷᠠ /xajira/ | хайр /xajr/ | durala- /durala/ | ᠴᡳᠯᡨᡠᠮᠪᡳ /t͡ʃiltumbi/ |
| Heart | niyàmen /nijamen/ | niyaman /nijaman/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠭᠡ /dʒiryke/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠬᠡ /d͡ʒirüke/ | зүрх /dzyrx/ | jürige /dʒyriɡe/ | ᠨᡳᠶᠠᠮᠠᠨ /nijaman/ |
| Tree | mau /mau/ | mo /mo/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤᠨ /modun/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤ /modu/ | мод /mod/ | modu /modu/ | ᠮᠣᠯᠣ /molo/ |
| House | boo /boː/ | boo /boː/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | гэр /ɡer/ | ger /ɡer/ | ᠪᠣᠣ /boː/ |
| Dog | 𘰕𘯛 /niaqan/ | indahǔn /indahuːn/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /noqai/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /noxai/ | нохой /nɔxɔj/ | noghui /noʁui/ | ᠨᡳᠨᠳᠠᡥᡡᠨ /nindaxun/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | kesike /kesike/ | ᠮᠢᠭᠤᠢ /miɣui/ | ᠮᠠᠭᠣ /maɣu/ | муур /muːr/ | mau /mau/ | ᡴᡝᠰᡳᡴᡝ /kəsikə/ |
| Hand | ɣar /ɣar/ | gala /ɡala/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɣar/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɡar/ | гар /ɡar/ | ghar /ʁar/ | ᡤᠠᠯᠠ /ɡala/ |
| Eye | nït /nit/ | yasa /jasa/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦᠨ /nidyn/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦ /nidü/ | нүд /nyd/ | nidu /nidu/ | ᠶᠠᠰᠠ /jasa/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | ᠠᠮᠤᠷ /amur/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ ᠤᠤ /sajin uu/ | сайн уу /sajn uː/ | amur sain /amur sain/ | ᠨᡳᠩᡤᡝ ᠰᠠᡳᠨ /niŋɡe sain/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠪᠠ /bajarlaba/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠯᠠ /bajarlala/ | баярлалаа /bajarlalaː/ | bayarla- /bajarla/ | ᠪᠠᠨᡳᡥᠠ /banixa/ |
| One | 𘬣 /omsu/ | emu /emu/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ /niɡen/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ /niɡen/ | нэг /neɡ/ | nige /niɡe/ | ᡝᠮᡠ /əmu/ |
| Good | sayïn /sajin/ | sain /sain/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ /sain/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ /sajin/ | сайн /sajn/ | sain /sain/ | ᠰᠠᡳᠨ /sain/ |
Han readings compared
Compared with related Para-Mongolic (Mongolic-Khitan branch, debated) languages
| Character | Khitan | Proto-Mongolic | Sibe | Proto-Tungusic | Jurchen | Manchu | Yuan Phags-pa Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 一 | om /əm/ | *nigen /*niɡen/ | emu /əmu/ | *əmun /*əmun/ | emu /emu/ | emu /emu/ | ʔi /ʔi/ |
| 二 | jur /dʒur/ | *qoyar /*qojar/ | juwe /d͡ʑuwə/ | *dʒuər /*d͡ʒuər/ | juwe /dʑuwe/ | juwe /d͡ʒuwə/ | ʐɨ /ʐɨ/ |
| 三 | gur /ɡur/ | *gurba(n) /*gurban/ | ilan /ilan/ | *ilan /*ilan/ | ilan /ilan/ | ilan /ilan/ | sam /sam/ |
| 四 | dur /dur/ | *dörbe(n) /*dœrben/ | duin /duin/ | *dügin /*dyɡin/ | duin /duin/ | duin /duin/ | sɿ /sɿ/ |
| 五 | tau /tau/ | *tabu(n) /*tabun/ | sunja /sund͡ʑa/ | *tuɲga /*tuɲɡa/ | sunja /sundʑa/ | sunja /sund͡ʒa/ | ʔu /ʔu/ |
| 六 | nil /nil/ | *jirguɣa(n) /*dʒirɣuɣan/ | ninggun /niŋɢun/ | *ɲuŋun /*ɲuŋun/ | ninggun /niŋɡun/ | ninggun /niŋɡun/ | liw /liw/ |
| 七 | dalu /dalu/ | *doluɣa(n) /*doluɣan/ | nadan /nadan/ | *nadan /*nadan/ | nadan /nadan/ | nadan /nadan/ | tshi /tsʰi/ |
| 八 | naim /naim/ | *nayima(n) /*najiman/ | jakūn /d͡ʑaqun/ | *dʒapkun /*d͡ʒapkun/ | jakūn /dʑakɯn/ | jakūn /d͡ʒakʰuːn/ | ba /pa/ |
| 九 | isen /isen/ | *yersü(n) /*jersyn/ | uyun /ujun/ | *xəgün /*xəɡyn/ | uyun /ujun/ | uyun /ujun/ | kiw /kiw/ |
| 十 | par /par/ | *harba(n) /*harban/ | juwan /d͡ʑuwan/ | *dʒuwan /*d͡ʒuwan/ | juwan /dʑuwan/ | juwan /d͡ʒuwan/ | ši /ʂɨ/ |
| 日 | nair /nair/ | *naran /*naran/ | šun /ɕun/ | *siun /*siun/ | šun /ʃun/ | šun /ʃun/ | ʐɨ /ʐɨ/ |
| 月 | sair /sair/ | *sara(n) /*saran/ | biya /bija/ | *bēga /*beːɡa/ | biya /bija/ | biya /bija/ | ʔɥe /ʔɥe/ |
| 山 | ula /ʊla/ | *agula /*aɣula/ | alin /alin/ | *xada /*xada/ | alin /alin/ | alin /alin/ | šan /ʂan/ |
| 水 | us /ʊs/ | *usu(n) /*usun/ | muke /mutɕə/ | *mū /*muː/ | muke /muke/ | muke /mukə/ | šwi /ʂwi/ |
| 火 | gal /ɡal/ | *gal /*ɡal/ | tuwa /tuwa/ | *tōga /*toːɡa/ | tuwa /tuwa/ | tuwa /tuwa/ | xwo /xwɔ/ |
| 天 | teŋri /tʰeŋri/ | *teŋri /*teŋri/ | abka /apqa/ | *abka /*abka/ | abka /abka/ | abka /abka/ | thẽn /tʰjɛn/ |
| 馬 | morin /morin/ | *mori(n) /*morin/ | morin /mɔrin/ | *murin /*murin/ | morin /morin/ | morin /morin/ | ma /ma/ |
| 人 | küü /kʰuː/ | *kümün /*kymyn/ | niyalma /ɲalma/ | *niama /*niama/ | niyalma /nialma/ | niyalma /njalma/ | ʐin /ʐin/ |
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