jušen gisun

Jurchen

Tungusic (Jurchen-Manchu) · historical / hidden variety

FamilyTungusic (Jurchen-Manchu) SpeakersExtinct (~12th-16th c. CE; merged into Manchu) ScriptJurchen script CountriesJin Dynasty Official inJin Dynasty (1115-1234) Vitalityextinct ISO 639-3juc

Jurchen was the Tungusic language of the Jurchen people, ancestors of the Manchus, who established the Jin dynasty (1115-1234) ruling north China and overthrew the Liao Khitan. Two Jurchen scripts were created — Large Script in 1119 by Wanyan Xiyin (combining Khitan-style elements with Chinese characters), Small Script in 1138 — both derived from Khitan and Chinese. After the fall of the Jin to the Mongols, the language survived among Northeast Asian Jurchen tribes and ultimately gave rise to Manchu (mnc) which Nurhaci's heirs used to conquer Ming China and found the Qing dynasty (1644-1912). Best known from the Jin Veritable Records and the trilingual Yongning Temple inscription of 1413.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Jurchen

Water

muke

muke

木克 Chinese-character transliteration

Fire

to

to

脱瓦 Chinese-character transliteration

Sun

še'un

ʃeun

Moon

bia

bia

Star

ušiha

uʃixa

Night

dobori

dobori

Rain

agu

aɡu

Snow

imanggi

imaŋɡi

Wind

edu

ədu

Earth

na

na

Stone

uhe

uxə

Sea

mede

mədə

Mother

eme

eme

Father

ama

ama

Daughter

saran jui

saran dʒui

I

bi

bi

You

ši

ʃi

We

—

—

Name

gebu

ɡəbu

Head

uju

udʒu

Eye

yasa

jasa

牙撒 Chinese-character transliteration

Ear

šan

ʃan

Nose

sunggi

suŋɡi

Mouth

angga

aŋɡa

Tooth

weihe

wəixə

Tongue

ilenggi

iləŋɡi

Hand

gala

ɡala

噶剌 Chinese-character transliteration

Foot

betie

bətie

Heart

niema

niema

Bone

giranggi

ɡiraŋɡi

Blood

šenggi

ʃəŋɡi

Love

beyimbi

bəjimbi

Tree

mo

mo

Dog

indahu

indaxu

引荅渾 Chinese-character transliteration

Cat

hacu

xatʃu

Fish

nimuha

nimuxa

Horse

muri

muri

House

bo

bo

Honey

hitsu

xitsu

Salt

datsu

datsu

Rice

bele

bələ

Iron

sele

sele

Eat

jefu

dʒefu

Drink

umi

umi

Sleep

dedu

dədu

One

emu

emu

厄木 Chinese-character transliteration

Two

jue

dʒue

Three

ilan

ilan

Four

duin

duin

Five

šunja

ʃundʒa

Hundred

tanggu

taŋɡu

Hello

—

—

Thank you

—

—

Good

sain

sain

New

ice

itʃə

Red

fulian

fulian

White

šanggia

ʃaŋɡia

Black

sahalian

saxalian

Green

burha boco

burxa botʃo

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Tungusic (Jurchen-Manchu)

Meaning JurchenManchuSibeUdegeNanaiProto-TungusicOroqen
Water muke /muke/ ᠮᡠᡴᡝ /mukə/ ᠮᡠᡣᡝ /mukʰu/ ули /uli/ муэ /mue/ *mū /mū/ muu /muu/
Fire to /to/ ᡨᡠᠸᠠ /tuwa/ ᡨᡠᠸᠠ /tʰuɑ/ то̄ /toː/ тава /tava/ *tawa /tawa/ tɔɣɔ /tɔɣɔ/
Sun še'un /ʃeun/ ᡧᡠᠨ /ʃun/ ᡧᡠᠨ /sun/ сӯ /suː/ сиун /siun/ *sigūn /sigūn/ dɪlatʃa /dɪlatʃa/
Moon bia /bia/ ᠪᡳᠶᠠ /bija/ ᠪᡳᠶᠠ /biɑ/ биа /bia/ биа /bia/ *bēga /bēga/ bɛga /bɛɡa/
Star ušiha /uʃixa/ ᡠᠰᡳᡥᠠ /usiˈχa/ ᡠᠰᡳᡥᠠ /usxɑ/ ваикта /ˈwaikta/ хосикта /xosikta/ *xōsikta /xoːsikta/ ɔʃɪkta /ɔʃɪkta/
Night dobori /dobori/ ᡩᠣᠪᠣᡵᡳ /dobori/ ᡩᠣᠪᠣᡵᡳ /dœviri/ догбо /doɡbo/ долбо /dolbo/ *dolbo /dolbo/ dɔlbɔ /dɔlbɔ/
Rain agu /aɡu/ ᠠᡤᠠ /aɡa/ ᠠᡤᠠ /ɑɣɑ/ тигдэ /tiɡde/ тугдэ /tuɡdə/ *tigde /tiɡde/ tigdə /tiɡdə/
Snow imanggi /imaŋɡi/ ᠨᡳᠮᠠᠩᡤᡳ /nimaŋɡi/ ᠨᡳᠮᠠᠩᡤᡳ /nimɑŋ/ има̄ /imaː/ симата /simata/ *imana /imana/ ɪmana /ɪmana/
Page 1/8

Han readings compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Tungusic > Southern Tungusic (ancestor of Manchu)

Character JurchenManchuSibeProto-TungusicProto-MongolicKhitanProto-Japonic
一 emu /emu/ emu /emu/ emu /əmu/ *əmun /*əmun/ *nigen /*niɡen/ am /am/ *pitə-tu /*pitə-tu/
二 juwe /dʑuwe/ juwe /dʒuwə/ juwe /dʑuwə/ *dʒuər /*dʒuər/ *qoyar /*qojar/ jur /dʒur/ *puta /*puta/
三 ilan /ilan/ ilan /ilan/ ilan /ilan/ *ilan /*ilan/ *gurba(n) /*ɡurban/ hur /hur/ *mi /*mi/
四 duin /duin/ duin /duin/ duin /duin/ *dügin /*dyɡin/ *dörbe(n) /*dœrben/ dur /dur/ *jə /*jə/
五 sunja /sundʑa/ sunja /sundʒa/ sunja /sundʑa/ *tuɲga /*tuɲɡa/ *tabu(n) /*tabun/ tau /tʰau/ *itu /*itu/
六 ninggun /niŋɡun/ ninggun /niŋɡun/ ninggun /niŋɢun/ *ɲuŋun /*ɲuŋun/ *jirguɣa(n) /*dʒirɣuɣan/ nil /nil/ *mu /*mu/
七 nadan /nadan/ nadan /nadan/ nadan /nadan/ *nadan /*nadan/ *doluɣa(n) /*doluɣan/ dolo /dolo/ *nana /*nana/
八 jakūn /dʑakɯn/ jakūn /dʒakʰuːn/ jakūn /dʑakɯn/ *dʒapkun /*dʒapkun/ *nayima(n) /*najiman/ — *ja /*ja/
九 uyun /ujun/ uyun /ujun/ uyun /ujun/ *xəgün /*xəɡyn/ *yersü(n) /*jersyn/ is /is/ *kəkənə /*kəkənə/
十 juwan /dʑuwan/ juwan /dʒuwan/ juwan /dʑuwan/ *dʒuwan /*dʒuwan/ *harba(n) /*harban/ par /par/ *təwə /*təwə/
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