The Kitan Language and Script

Daniel Kane

BRILL, 2009 - Social Science - 305 pages

The 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Index: 295
• Index of graphs: 301

About the author

Daniel Kane is Lecturer in the School of English and AmericaDaniel Kane is Lecturer in the School of English and AmericaDaniel Kane is Lecturer in the School of English and AmericaDaniel Kane is Lecturer in the School of English and American Studies at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, Englan Studies at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, Englan Studies at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, Englan Studies at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. He has had poems, interviews, and essays published in "End. He has had poems, interviews, and essays published in "End. He has had poems, interviews, and essays published in "End. He has had poems, interviews, and essays published in "Exquisite Corpse, The Denver Quarterly, TriQuarterly, The Hatxquisite Corpse, The Denver Quarterly, TriQuarterly, The Hatxquisite Corpse, The Denver Quarterly, TriQuarterly, The Hatxquisite Corpse, The Denver Quarterly, TriQuarterly, The Hat, "and other publications. , "and other publications. , "and other publications. , "and other publications.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Kitan Language and Script; Volume 166 of Brill's studies in intellectual history, ISSN 0920-8607; Handbook of Oriental Studies; Volume 19 of Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section eight, Central Asia, v. 19, ISSN 0169-8524; Volume 19 of Handbook of Oriental Studies: Section 8 Uralic and Central Asian Studies; Volume 19 of Handbuch der Orientalistik. Achte Abteilung, Handbook of Uralic studies; Handbuch der Orientalistik. Achte Abteilung. Zentralasien; Volume 8; Volume 19 of Handbuch der Orientalistik. v. 19
• Author: Daniel Kane
• Publisher: BRILL, 2009
• ISBN: 900416829X, 9789004168299
• Length: 305 pages
• Subjects: Social Science / General