удган

Mongolian

FWOTD – 30 August 2017

Alternative forms

  • нядган (njadgan)

Etymology

From Proto-Mongolic *ïdugan (compare Dongxiang idogvo (“faith healer”)), and cognate with Khitan 伊吐干 (yitugan). The initial n- of the alternative form is not found in Middle Mongol or other Mongolic languages.

Possibly borrowed from Old Uyghur 𐽰𐽶𐽸𐽳𐽲 (ʾydwq /⁠ïduk⁠/, “holy”), see also Old Turkic 𐰃𐰑𐰸 (ïduq) and Yakut ытык (ıtık).

Pronunciation

Noun

удган • (udgan) (Mongolian spelling ᠢᠳᠤᠭᠠᠨ (iduɣan) or ᠨᠢᠳᠤᠭᠠᠨ (niduɣan)); (regular declension)

  1. shamaness
    Hypernym: бөө (böö, “shaman”)

Further reading

  • J. Janhunen, “The Holy Shamaness: Some additional notes on a Turko-Mongolic etymology”.
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