Reconstruction:Proto-Mongolic/ǰirguxan

This Proto-Mongolic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Mongolic

Proto-Mongolic cardinal numbers

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Cardinal : *ǰirguxan

Etymology

Suggested to be a compound of *jir- (“two”) +‎ *guxa/n (“three”), *jir being the original ordinal number 'two', and *gu(r)ba/n 'three' being the latter component, evidenced by Middle Mongol ᠵᠢᠷᠢᠨ (ǰirin) being used to count two of female beings in the Secret History, Khitan 𘲝 (jur, “two”), and Tungusic teen numeral borrowings from a Mongolic-related language such as Jurchen 只兒歡 (*dʒïrxon, “twelve”) suggesting different original numerals in Pre-Proto-Mongolic.

If it is indeed an innovation, the original Pre-Proto-Mongolic root may have been *nil, as suggested by the Jurchen-Manchu borrowings such as Jurchen 泥渾 (*nixun, “sixteen”) and Jin Dynasty Jurchen 女鲁 (*niol, “six”) and Manchu ᠨᡳᠣᠯᡥᡠᠨ (niolhun, “the sixteenth day of the first month”).

Compare Khitan 𘭬 (“six”).

Numeral

*ǰirguxan

1. six

Related terms

• *ǰiran (“sixty”)

See also

• *gurban (“three”)
• *koyar (“two”)

Descendants

• Middle Mongol:
  • Mongolian: ᠵᠢᠷᠭᠤᠭ᠎ᠠ (ǰirɣug-a)
  • Arabic: جيرڴان (jyrǧân) (Muqaddimat)
  • Chinese: 着羅案 (jir(u)wan) (Beilu Yiyu)
  • Phags-pa: ꡆꡞꡘꡢꡡꡖꡋ (jirqo'a:n)
• Mongolian:
  • Classical: ᠵᠢᠷᠭᠤᠭ᠎ᠠ (ǰirɣug-a)
  • Khalkha Mongolian: зургаа (zurgaa)
  • Ordos: /ǰurġa:/
• Oirat:
  • Kalmyk: зурһан (zurğan)
  • Written: ᠵᠢᠷᠭᠤᠭ᠎ᠠ (ᠵᠢrᠭᠤᠭ-a)
• Buryat: зургаан (zurgaan)
• Daur: ǰirɣɔ:
• East Yugur: d͡ʒurɢu:n
• Monguor:
  • Mongghul: d͡ʑirɢʊːn
  • Mangghuer: d͡ʑirɢoːn
• Bonan: tɕərʁoŋ
• Kangjia: ǰirğuŋ
• Dongxiang: dʐʃʁuɔ̃
• Mogholi: ǰurɣɒ:n. Rarely used.

References

• Nugteren, Hans (2011) Mongolic phonology and the Qinghai-Gansu languages (dissertation)‎^[1], Utrecht: LOT, pages 387-8
• R. W. Fried (2010) A grammar of Bao'an Tu, a Mongolic language of northwest China.‎^[2], State University of New York at Buffalo, archived from the original on 25 July 2021.