The Kitan Language and ScriptThe Kitans established the Liao dynasty in northern China, which lasted for over two centuries (916-1125). In this survey the reader will find what is currently known about the Kitan language and scripts. The language was very likely distantly related to Mongolian, with two quite different scripts in use. A few generations after their state was defeated, almost all trace of the Kitan spoken and written languages disappeared, except a few words in Chinese texts. Over the past few decades, however, inscriptions from the tombs of the Liao emperors and the Kitan aristocracy have been at least partially deciphered, resulting in a significant increase of our knowledge of the Kitan lexicon, morphology and syntax. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
12 Kitan words in Chinese works | 2 |
13 Creation of the Kitan scripts | 3 |
15 The Kitan inscriptions | 4 |
17 The Yelü clan and the Xiao clan | 5 |
19 Reign titles of Liao emperors | 6 |
111 The ten stems and twelve branches | 7 |
114 The twelve animals | 8 |
iu not to exist to die | 157 |
a | 158 |
450 Notes on Liao reign titles | 159 |
451 Some comments on the word for Kitan | 162 |
452 Some comments on the word for Jurchen | 165 |
The Kitan large script | 167 |
52 Sources | 168 |
53 Early research until 2000 | 169 |
116 Early Chinese research | 12 |
118 Japanese research | 14 |
119 Russian and other research | 15 |
121 Research on Kitan words in Chinese sources | 19 |
122 Research since Research | 20 |
123 Other research | 25 |
124 Transcription of the small Kitan script | 26 |
125 Transcription of logographs | 27 |
129 Similar but different graphs | 28 |
131 Graphs only used to write Chinese | 29 |
134 Syllables of the VC type | 30 |
137 Inherent vowels | 32 |
138 Possible multiple readings of Kitan graphs | 33 |
Analysis of the Kitan small graphs | 35 |
EnglishKitan glossary | 83 |
Morphology | 131 |
42 The genitive in an | 132 |
44 The genitive in in | 133 |
45 The genitive in on | 134 |
47 The genitive in n | 135 |
49 The genitive in i | 136 |
411 The dativelocative in do | 137 |
412 The dativelocative in du | 138 |
416 The plural in t | 140 |
418 The plural in od | 141 |
421 Other plurals | 142 |
424 Ordinal numbers used with masculine nouns | 143 |
past tense of verbs | 144 |
429 The past tense in ar | 145 |
431 The past tense in or | 146 |
433 The past tense in bon bun bun | 147 |
434 The causativepassive in leha lege | 148 |
435 Causatives and passives in context | 149 |
437 The converb in sii | 150 |
438 Converbs in context | 151 |
439 The converb in al | 153 |
441 Finite verbs and converbs in context | 154 |
442 Verbal nouns in vowel + n | 155 |
pu bu to be | 156 |
54 Recent research since 2000 | 171 |
55 The five elements five colours | 176 |
59 Numerals | 177 |
511 Glossary of basic words in the Kitan large script | 182 |
Texts in the Kitan small script | 185 |
62 Chinese text of the Langjun inscription | 186 |
64 The Epitaph of Yelü Dilie | 190 |
66 Kitan text of the Epitaph of Yelü Dilie | 191 |
67 Partial translation of the Epitaph of Yelü Dilie | 211 |
68 Kitan text of the Eulogy for Empress Xuanyi | 214 |
69 Translation of Chinese text of the Eulogy for Empress Xuanyi | 223 |
Liao Chinese | 227 |
72 Northeastern China during the Late Tang | 228 |
74 Middle Chinese | 229 |
75 Synoptic chart of transcription symbols for MC initials | 230 |
76 Transcription of MC finals | 231 |
78 Late Tang Northwestern Chinese | 232 |
710 The Qieyun zhizhangtu | 233 |
711 The Huangji jingshi shu | 234 |
712 The fanqie spellings of Zhu Xi | 235 |
714 Xixia transcriptions | 236 |
715 The Zhongyuan yinyun | 237 |
716 The Menggu ziyun | 238 |
717 Uighur and Xixia transcriptions of Chinese | 239 |
719 Rhymes in Liao poetry | 240 |
720 Development of rhyme groups from Late Tang to Yuan | 241 |
721 Finals in Liao Chinese | 243 |
722 The question of the glottal stop | 252 |
723 Finals derived from MC final stops in Kitan transcription | 253 |
725 Initials of Liao Chinese | 255 |
726 Conclusions | 260 |
727 The phonological system of Liao Chinese | 261 |
728 Suggested Liao Chinese readings | 262 |
Postscript | 265 |
Bibliography | 269 |
295 | |
301 | |
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Common terms and phrases
administrator allograph appears bo.qo brother called characters Chinese Chinggeltei common corresponds court Daozong Dated died division doro dynasty earth edict eldest emperor empress Epitaph eu.ur father final five four g.iin g.ui g.urj genitive graphs groups HEAVEN horj i.ri imperial indicates initial inscription Ji Shi Jurchen khan Kitan words known Langjun language large script Liao Liaoshi Line Liu Fengzhu married means Mongol month mother Note official palace past perhaps person plural prince probably referred Research rhymes s.iarj s.iu seals seems similar small script stems suffix suggested syllable Tang tent term thousand tomb transcribed transcription translated twenty u.ur uncles unknown vowel Wang wife writing written Xiao Xingzong Yelii Yelü younger Zhongyuan yinyun