Reconstruction:Proto-Mongolic/ïmaxan

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.

Buryat shows an unexplained initial n-.

Cognate with Khitan 𘱑𘯺 (*êm a). Possibly related (through borrowing in either direction or from a common source) with Proto-Turkic *ïmga, compare Old Turkic 𐰢𐰍𐰀 ((a)mɣa).

Possibly dividable into *ïma +‎ *-xan, with the latter found in several other animal names.

*ïmaxan

1. goat

• *boda (“livestock”)

• Middle Mongol:
  • Mongolian: ᠢᠮᠠᠭ᠎ᠠ (imag-a), ᠢᠮᠠᠭᠠᠨ (imaɣan)
  • Arabic: ايمان (imãn), ايماآن (imaʾan), ايمهآن (imeʾan)
  • Armenian: իման (iman) (Kirakos Gandzaketsi)
  • Chinese: 亦麻案 (ima'an) (Beilu Yiyu)
• Mongolian:
  • Classical: ᠢᠮᠠᠭ᠎ᠠ (imag-a)
  • Khalkha Mongolian: ямаа (jamaa)
  • Ordos: /jamaː/
• Kalmyk: яман (yaman)
• Buryat: ямаа (jamaa)
• Daur: imaa
• East Yugur: maan
• Monguor:
  • Mangghuer: yima
  • Mongghul: yimaa
• Bonan: imang
• Kangjia: imo
• Dongxiang: iman
• → Proto-Tungusic: *ïmagan
  • Northern:
    • Evenki: имаган (imagan)
      • → Yakut: ымаҕан (ımağan), ымаҕа (ımağa)
    • Solon: имага(н) (imaga(n))
    • Negidal: емая
    • Oroch: има
    • Udihe: има
  • Southern:
    • Nanai: иман (iman)
    • Ulch: има
    • Jurchen: i.mu.a(.e.li) (“goat (time)”)
      • Manchu: ᡳᠮᠠᡥᡡ (imahū)

• Nugteren, Hans (2011) Mongolic phonology and the Qinghai-Gansu languages (dissertation)‎, Utrecht: LOT, page 372
• Cincius, V. I. (1975) Сравнительный словарь тунгусо-маньчжурских языков [Comparative Dictionary of Tungus-Manchu Languages] (in Russian), volume 1, Leningrad: Nauka, page 312
• Vasilevič, G. M. (1958) Эвэнкийско-Русский словарь [Evenki-Russian dictionary] (in Russian), Moscow: GIS, pages 167-168
• Rozycki, William Vincent (1994) Mongol Elements in Manchu (Uralic and Altaic series; 157), Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University, Research Institute for Inner Asian Studies, page 160