< Reconstruction:Proto-Mongolic

Reconstruction:Proto-Mongolic/kelen

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

Reconstruction

Relatively secure. Daur palatalization is irregular but also found in other terms.

Etymology

Likely related somehow to Oghuz كَلاجُو‎ (kelēçǖ, “talk, conversation”) (see there for more cognates), which Clauson however considers neither of Turkic origin nor related to the Mongolian word, and Chuvash кала (kala, “to talk”).

Another attractive parallel is Proto-Uralic *käle (“tongue, language”) (Finnish kieli), but mainstream linguistics presumes no relation with Uralic.

Noun

*kelen

  1. tongue
  2. language

Descendants
  • Middle Mongol:
  • Mongolian:
    • Classical: ᠬᠡᠯᠡ (kele)
    • Khalkha Mongolian: хэл (xel)
    • Ordos: /kʰele/
    • → Manchu: ᡥᡝᠯᡝᠨ (helen, “spy”)
  • Buryat: хэлэ(н) (xele(n))
  • Khamnigan Mongol: kelü(n), kölö(n), kele(n)
  • Kalmyk: келн (keln)
  • Daur: xely
  • East Yugur: kelen
  • Monguor:
    • Mongghul: kilee
    • Mangghuer: kelie
  • Bonan:
  • Kangjia: kilio
  • Dongxiang: kielien
  • Mogholi: kelan

Further reading
  • Nugteren, Hans (2011) Mongolic phonology and the Qinghai-Gansu languages (dissertation)‎, Utrecht: LOT, page 409
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