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Jie language

The Jie language is an unclassified extinct language formerly spoken in northeast China during the Later Zhao dynasty by the Jie people, who were formerly part of the Xiongnu confederation. It has been variously considered to be of either YeniseianorTurkic affiliation.

Attestation[edit]

Only one phrase in the native language of the Jie is known. The source for this phrase was a Kuchean Buddhist monk and missionary Fotudeng. It was recorded in the Book of Jinas秀支替戾岡，僕穀劬禿當 and said to have a connection to Shi Le's fight against Liu Yao in 328.^[1] The phrase was glossed with a Chinese translation:

This phrase has been analyzed in a number of publications. Shiratori (1900),^[3] Ramstedt (1922),^[4] Bazin (1948),^[5] von Gabain (1950),^[6] Shervashidze (1986),^[7] and Shimunek (2015)^[8]: 149 recognized Turkic lexicon, and gave their versions of the transcription and translation:

Edwin G. Pulleyblank (1963) argued that the Turkic interpretations cannot be considered very successful because they conflict with the phonetic values of the Chinese text and with the Chinese translation. Instead, he suggested a connection with the Yeniseian languages.^[2]: 264

Alexander Vovin (2000) gave the following translation based on Yeniseian.^[9] Vovin (2000) suggests a connection with the Southern Yeniseian branch.

armies

t-i-r-ek-ang

PV-CM-PERF-go out-3P

bok-kok

bok-kok

k-o-t-o-kt-ang

PV-?-OBJ-CM-catch-3P

suke t-i-r-ek-ang bok-kok k-o-t-o-kt-ang

armies {PV-CM-PERF-go out-3P} bok-kok PV-?-OBJ-CM-catch-3P

Armies have gone out. [They] will catch Bokkok.

The verbal ending -ŋ can be seen in Jie, which is a common verb ending in Yeniseian languages. The cognate form of the Jie words "kot-o-kt-aŋ" 'they will catch' in Ket is "d-kas-a-qos-n", showing the characteristic of Pumpokol where the sound /t/ corresponds the Ket sound /s/, thus Jie is thought to be closely related to Pumpokol. The Arin word 'kel' 'fight' partly coincides in the second syllable of suke 'army', however the connection is dubious and Vovin suggested it to be a loanword, because if Pumpokolic speakers became part of Xiongnu, the word for army would have likely been loaned.^[10]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]