Sino-Uralic languages
Sino-Uralic or Sino-Finnic is a hypothesis which proposes a genetic connection between the Sino-Tibetan languages and Uralic languages. It was suggested by Jingyi Gao and work has also been done by Tõnu Tender. Some proposed evidence include the words kuu 'month' in Finnish and guat 'month' in Minnan, Finnish kieli 'language' and Minnan giân 'speech'.
| Sino-Uralic | |
|---|---|
| (fringe) | |
| Geographic distribution | Northern Eurasia, East Asia |
| Linguistic classification | Proposed language family |
| Subdivisions | |
| Glottolog | None |
 | |
Gao suggested the proto-population could have been lived in Neolithic China and carried the Haplogroup N.[1][2]
Long before this new movement in Sinitic studies (and in Uralistics as well) Morris Swadesh once theorized about a similar topic. proposing a more radical and massive Dené-Finnish grouping which also encompasses Sino-Tibetan and Athabaskan.[3] But the theory of Jingyi Gao at this time has been criticized as supposedly using flawed comparisons.[4]
Evidence
Lexical
Some shared cognates proposed by Jingyi Gao:[1][2][5][6][7]
| Mandarin | Cantonese | Minnan | Estonian | Finnish | North Saami |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ián 'speech' | jin 'speech' 言 | giân 'speech' | keel 'language' | kieli 'language' | giella 'language' |
| üe 'month, moon' | jyut 'month' 'moon' 月 | guat/gueh 'month, moon' | kuu | kuu | |
| bie 'other' | bit 'other' 別 | piat 'other' | muu | muu | |
| dui 'correspond', 'right' | deoi 'correspond' or 'right' 對 | tuii 'correspond' | tõsi 'truth' | tosi 'truth' | duohta 'truth' |
| mo 'foam' | mut 'foam' 沫 | buah 'foam' | muohta 'snow' | ||
| zhi 'finger' | zi 'finger' 指 | tsi/ki 'finger' | käe 'hand' | käsi 'hand' | giehta 'hand' |
| jiou 'deep' | gau 'deep' 究 | kiu 'deep' | kaeva 'dig' | kaivaa 'dig' | goaivu 'dig' |
| jia 'home' | gul/gaal 'home' 家 | ka 'home' | kodu 'home' | koti 'home' | |
| jie 'boundary' | gaai 'boundary' 界 | kue 'boundary' | koht 'place' | kohta 'place' | |
| sha 'kill' | saat 'kill' 殺 | sat 'kill' | sõda 'war' | sota 'war' | soahti 'war' |
| jiaŋ 'river' | gong 'river' 江 | kang 'river' | jõe 'river' | joki 'river' | johka 'river' |
| dueŋ 'act' | dung 'move' 動 | tong 'act' | tege- 'do' | teke- 'do' | dahka- 'make' |
| feŋ 'abundant' | fungl 'abundant' 豐 | hong 'abundant' | väga 'very' | väki 'crowd, force (archaic)' | viehka 'force' |
| bei 'north', 'back' | bak 'north' 北, bui 'back' 背 | pak 'north' | põhja 'north' | pohja 'north' or 'bottom' |
| Mandarin[8] | Cantonese | Finnish | Livonian |
|---|---|---|---|
| [ ʔie˧˩ ] 'night' | [ je: ] 'night' 夜 | yö 'night' | īe 'night' |
| [ pʰa˧˩ ] 'fear' | [ pʰa ˧ ] 'fear' 怕 | pelkä- 'fear' | |
| [ fu:˧ ] 'dress' | [fok ] 'dress' 服 | puke- 'dress' | |
| [ xuo˧˩] 'or, confused' | [ wak ] 'or, confused' 或，惑 | vai 'or' | või 'or' |
| [ ʔwan ] 'late' | [ man ˧˦] 'late' 晚 | vanha 'old' | vanā 'old' |
| Old Chinese[8] | Proto-Uralic |
|---|---|
| kuun 'big fish' | *kala 'fish' |
| pɯn 'slash, burn' | *pala 'burn' |
| sqʰuunʔ/suən 'dimihish' | *sala 'steal' |
| kʷaaŋ 'sound of stone' | *kaja 'echo' |
| hmaaŋ 'desolate' | *vaja 'lack' |
| baŋ 'side-room' | *maja 'house' |
Gao also compared Finnish tähti 'star' to Mandarin tai 'extremely' and Minnan thai 'extremely'.[9]
Phonological
Proposed sound correspondences
Gao suggested Minnan át to correspond to Uralic "uu", for example piát 'other' and muu 'other' and guát 'month' and kuu 'month'.
Another sound correspondence is Mandarin -uei into Finnish osi, for example duei and Finnish tosi
Gao also suggested a sound correspondence where Finnish [ala] corresponds to Mandarin [ən] [8]
| Estonian | Finnish | Mandarin |
|---|---|---|
| pala 'piece' | pala 'piece' | fən˥ 'divide' |
| palav 'hot' | pala- 'burn' | fən˧˥ 'burn' |
| ala 'ground' | ala 'ground' | ʔyən˧˩ 'exist underground' |
Gao also suggested that Finnish /k/ corresponds to Mandarin /ŋ/.[6]
| Finnish | Mandarin |
|---|---|
| joki 'river' | jiaŋ 'river' |
| teke- 'do' | dueŋ 'act' |
Another suggested sound change was Finnic -aja to Chinese -aŋ[8]
| Finnish | Estonian | Mandarin |
|---|---|---|
| maja 'hut' | maja 'hut' | [faŋ] 'house' |
| vajaa 'shortage' | vaja 'shortage' | [xuaŋ] 'desolate' |
| kaja 'echo' | [kuaŋ] 'percussive sound' |
A correspondence of Uralic /p/ and Mandarin /f/ was also suggested.
| Estonian | Finnish | Mandarin |
|---|---|---|
| pala 'piece' | pala 'piece' | fən˥ 'divide' |
| puke- 'dress' | fu 'dress' | |
| palav 'hot' | pala- 'burn' | fən˧˥ 'burn' |
Proto-language
| Proto-Sino-Uralic | English |
|---|---|
| *kota | place |
| *θota | kill |
| *kʲoŋkʷə | river |
| *toŋkʷə | act, do |
| *hʷetas | year |
| *dʷotas | correspond |
| *keðəX | hand |
| *peðəX | side by side |
| *keðə | skin grease |
| *ŋgʷeta | moon |
| *mbeta | other |
| *ŋgenal | tongue, speech |
| *pekŋʷe | many |
References
- Tender, Tõnu; Gao, Jingyi (May 2020). "Sino-Uralic etymology for 'moon, month' supported by regular sound correspondences". Researchgate.net. doi:10.24411/2310-2144-2020-00005. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Gao, Jingyi (January 2020). "Sino-Uralic etymology for 'Jupiter, year' supported by rhyme correspondence". Researchgate.net. doi:10.24411/2310-2144-2020-00002. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Harms, Robert Thomas. "Uralic languages". Encyclopedia Britannica.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Kumar, Niraj; Driem, George van; Stobdan, Phunchok (2020-11-18). Himalayan Bridge. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-21549-6.
- Gao, Jingyi (December 2019). "On etymology of Finnic term for 'sky'". Researchgate.net. doi:10.24411/2310-2144-2019-00007. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Gao, Jingyi (2021). "The intensive controversy on Chinese historical phonology: Refutation of the liquid medial for division-2 in Old Chinese".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Gao, Jingyi. "Identification of the etymon of Indo-European 'moist', Sinitic 'south', Tibeto-Burman 'sun, day, sky' and Hungarian nap 'sun, day'".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Gao, Jingyi (June 2014). "Rhyme correspondences between Sinitic and Uralic languages: On the example of the Finnish -ala and -aja rhymes". Researchgate.net. doi:10.3176/lu.2014.2.02. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Gao, Jingyi (September 2020). "(PDF) On etymology of Sinitic, Indo-European and Uralic terms for 'star' supported by regular sound correspondences". Researchgate.net. doi:10.24411/2310-2144-2020-00008. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)