уурхай
Mongolian
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Coal_mine_-nuurst_khotgor-_2010_-_panoramio.jpg/220px-Coal_mine_-nuurst_khotgor-_2010_-_panoramio.jpg)
Etymology
Cognate with Buryat уурхай (uurxaj, “nest, mine”), Kalmyk уурха (uurxa, “mine, source”).
Perhaps from Proto-Mongolic *huxur (“grave”) (Middle Mongol هوور, Lua error in Module:parameters at line 307: Parameter 1 should be a valid language, etymology language or family code; the value "xgn-mgl" is not valid. See WT:LOL, WT:LOL/E and WT:LOF.) + -хай (-xaj) if this reconstruction is valid, that is if given cognates don't derive from *hexür (“nest”), for which see үүр (üür).
Pronunciation
Noun
уурхай • (uurxaj) (Mongolian spelling ᠠᠭᠤᠷᠬᠠᠢ (aɣurqai)); (regular declension)
- mine
- (figuratively) a source
- pit, hole
Derived terms
- уурхайчин (uurxajčin, “miner”)
- үүр уурхай (üür uurxaj, “nest”)