Reconstruction:Proto-Mongolic/eljigen

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

Etymology

From the same source as Proto-Turkic *ešgek, presumably Proto-Turkic *eĺč-(gek) +‎ *-gen.

Noun

*eljigen

1. donkey

Descendants

• Middle Mongol:

  Arabic: ايلجيكان (eljigen) (Muqaddimat), ايلجكَنْ (eljigen) (Leiden manuscript)

  Chinese: 耳直革 (eljige) (Beilu Yiyu), [script needed] (quriqa(n)) (Secret History)

  Mongolian: ᠡᠯᠵᠢᠭᠡᠨ (elǰigen)

• Mongolian:
  • Classical: ᠡᠯᠵᠢᠭᠡ (elǰige)
  • Khalkha Mongolian: илжиг (ilžig)
  • Ordos: /eld͡ʒige/
• Buryat: элжэгэ(н) (elžege(n))
• Khamnigan Mongol: iljigü(n), iljige(n)
• Kalmyk: элҗгн (eljgn)
• East Yugur: eljigen
• Monguor:
  • Mangghuer: erjige
  • Mongghul: jige
• Bonan:
  • Gansu: enjige, njige, jige
  • Qinghai: iljigi
• Kangjia: njige
• Dongxiang: enzhegve
• Mogholi: eljigan
• (?) → Manchu: ᡝᡳᡥᡝᠨ (eihen) (see for further Tungusic cognates)
• → Tuvan: элчиген (elçigen)

Further reading

• Nugteren, Hans (2011) Mongolic phonology and the Qinghai-Gansu languages (dissertation)‎^[1], Utrecht: LOT, page 328
• Rozycki, William Vincent (1994) Mongol Elements in Manchu (Uralic and Altaic series; 157), Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University, Research Institute for Inner Asian Studies, page 98