ᠪᡳᠶᠣᡵᠠᠨ

Manchu

Etymology

Possibly an inherited Jurchen borrowing of an Old Korean word.^[1] Compare Korean 벼랑 (byeorang, “cliff, precipice”).

However, the pre-15 c. form of the Korean word is reconstructed with a final velar stop, with the final vowel and nasal (found c. the 19th century) likely being from a suffix that was added later. As such, the phonetic correspondence of the supposed loanage is dubious.

Pronunciation

(standard) IPA^(key): [pjɔ.ran]

Noun

ᠪᡳᠶᠣᡵᠠᠨ • (biyoran)

cliff, ridge, or hill with red soil

References

^ Vovin, Alexander (2006) “Why Manchu and Jurchen Look So Un-Tungusic”, in Alessandra Pozzi, Juha Janhunen and Michael Weiers, editors, Tumen jalafun secen aku. Manchu Studies in Honour of Giovanni Stary, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, pages 255-266.

[1] Vovin, Alexander (2006) “Why Manchu and Jurchen Look So Un-Tungusic”, in Alessandra Pozzi, Juha Janhunen and Michael Weiers, editors, Tumen jalafun secen aku. Manchu Studies in Honour of Giovanni Stary, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, pages 255-266.

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