Northeast Siberian astronomical terms

Abstract

In this paper, we shall have a look at series of astronomical terms and their etymologies in a historical context, including etymologized and non-etymologized terminology in Yakut (Turkic), Written Mongolian, Dagur and Khalkha (Mongolic), Ewenki (Tungusic) and Yukaghir. It is noteworthy that most of these languages had only rudimentary astronomical terms (sun, moon, star, sky, some constellations) before the creation of a richer cosmology with terms borrowed from other languages or through creative compounding processes. Yakut, Ewenki and Yukaghir have mostly been the recipients of Mongolic forms, while Mongolic has borrowed from Turkic, and seemingly from the more advanced Sanskrit and Tibetan early societies. The paper is intended as a primer on these subjects, with some discussion and some new findings presented (including a few borrowings, and etymologies for some Yakut planet names).

Keywords

• astronomy
• yakut
• ewenki
• ewen
• yukaghir
• mongolic
• tibetan
• sanskrit
• lexical borrowing