祁連

See also: 祁连

Chinese

		surname	even; as; to join even; as; to join; to link; successively
trad. (祁連)		祁	連
simp. (祁连)		祁	连

Etymology

Qilian is said to be as a Xiongnu word meaning "sky" according to Yan Shigu, a Tang Dynasty commentator on the Hanshu.

祁連山即天山也，匈奴呼天為祁連 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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祁连山即天山也，匈奴呼天为祁连 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of Han, circa 1^st century CE

Qílián Shān jí tiānshān yě, Xiōngnú hū tiān wèi qílián [Pinyin]

Qilian Mountain means 'Sky Mountain', the Xiongnu called the sky 'qilian'

Further etymology uncertain:

• Chen (1998) proposes cognation with 天 (OC *hlin) and 赫連 (OC *khak-lian), transcriptions of a Xiongnu word for "sky", which he also relates to 昊天 (OC *g'ôg-hlin);
• Schuessler (2014) objects to Yan Shigu's statement that 祁連 was a Xiongnu word; he reconstructs 祁連's pronunciation around 121 BCE as *gɨ-lian and thinks that 乾 (OC *gran) (> QYS *gjän) "looks like the same etymon".

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): Qílián

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧˊ ㄌㄧㄢˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): kei⁴ lin⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: Qílián
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧˊ ㄌㄧㄢˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: Cílián
    • Wade–Giles: Chʻi²-lien²
    • Yale: Chí-lyán
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Chyilian
    • Palladius: Цилянь (Ciljanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi³⁵ li̯ɛn³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: kei⁴ lin⁴
    • Yale: kèih lìhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: kei⁴ lin⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: kéi⁴ lin⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰei̯²¹ liːn²¹/

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• Middle Chinese: gjij|tsyijX ljen

Rime
Character	祁	祁	連
Reading #	1/2	2/2	1/1
Initial (聲)	群 (30)	章 (23)	來 (37)
Final (韻)	脂 (15)	脂 (17)	仙 (77)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Rising (X)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III	III
Fanqie	渠脂切	職雉切	力延切
Baxter	gjij	tsyijX	ljen
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɡiɪ/	/t͡ɕˠiɪX/	/liᴇn/
Pan Wuyun	/ɡi/	/t͡ɕᵚiX/	/liɛn/
Shao Rongfen	/ɡjɪ/	/t͡ɕiɪX/	/ljæn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/gi/	/cjiX/	/lian/
Li Rong	/ɡi/	/t͡ɕjiX/	/liɛn/
Wang Li	/ɡi/	/t͡ɕiX/	/lĭɛn/
Bernard Karlgren	/gi/	/t͡ɕiX/	/li̯ɛn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	qí	zhǐ	lián
Expected Cantonese Reflex	kei4	zi2	lin4

Proper noun

祁連

1. (～山) Qilian Mountains
2. (～縣) Qilian (a county of Haibei, Qinghai, China)