Introduction to the Khitan Language339

The Khitan language, also known as Qidan, was the language spoken by the Khitan people, who established the Liao dynasty (907-1125) in northern China. It belongs to the Mongolic language family, along with Mongolian, Buryat, Kalmyk, and Oirat. The Khitan language was eventually replaced by Mandarin Chinese, and it is now considered an extinct language.

Phonology

The Khitan language had a relatively simple phonological system. It had 21 consonant phonemes, including /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/, /f/, /v/, /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /h/, /m/, /n/, /ŋ/, /l/, /r/, /j/, and /w/. It had 7 vowel phonemes: /i/, /e/, /a/, /o/, /u/, /ø/, and /y/. There were also a number of diphthongs, including /ai/, /ei/, /oi/, and /ui/.

Grammar

The Khitan language had a head-initial, SOV word order. Nouns were declined for case, number, and definiteness. Verbs were conjugated for tense, aspect, mood, and voice. The language had a relatively free word order, with the exceptions that adjectives preceded nouns and verbs preceded objects.

Example Texts

The following are two examples of Khitan texts:

Example 1:

Yelü Dashi reigned for forty years.

Khitan:

Yelü Dashi qargan dulimbai gusun bi.

Example 2:

They were all killed in battle.

Khitan:

Ger tulimei ulhun.

Teaching Resources

There are a few resources available for learning the Khitan language. The following are two textbooks and a dictionary:
A Grammar of the Khitan Language by Edwin Pulleyblank
An Introduction to the Khitan Language by L. N. Gumilev
A Dictionary of the Khitan Language by V. P. Vasil'ev

Conclusion

The Khitan language was a complex and interesting language that is now extinct. However, there are still a number of resources available for learning the language, and it is possible to gain a basic understanding of its grammar and vocabulary.

2025-02-13

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