Reconstruction:Proto-Mongolic/hünegen

This Proto-Mongolic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Mongolic

Alternative forms

*pünegen, *φünegen (pre-Proto-Mongolic, before disputed Ramstedt–Pelliot's law)

Reconstruction

Most languages show *hünegen, the raising or disappearance of the middle vowel in some forms is likely secondary.

Etymology

Analyzable as *hüne- +‎ *-gen, with the second element recurring in other animal names.

Noun

*hünegen

fox

Descendants

Middle Mongol:
- Mongolian: ᠦᠨᠡᠭᠡᠨ (ünegen)
- Arabic: هوناكان (hünegen) (Muqaddimat), هُنْكانْ, هُُونْكان (hüngen) (Leiden manuscript)
- Armenian: հօնքան (hōnkʻan) (Kirakos Gandzaketsi)
- Chinese: 伏捏革 (Beilu Yiyu), [script needed] (hunegen) (Secret History)
- Phags-Pa: ꡜꡠꡟ (heu-) (text damaged)

Mongolian:
- Classical: ᠦᠨᠡᠭᠡ (ünege)
- Khalkha Mongolian: үнэг (üneg)
- Ordos: /ʉnege/
Buryat: үнэгэ (ünege), үнэгэн (ünegen)
Khamnigan Mongol: ünege(n)
Kalmyk: үнгн (üngn)
Daur: xunugw, hunehe, ünüg
East Yugur: hönegen, henegen
Monguor:
- Mangghuer: hundughai
- Mongghul: finiga, funiɢe
  - → Persian: فنک (fanak)
    - → Arabic: فَنَك (fanak), فَنَج (fanaj) (see there for further descendants)
Kangjia: fünigo
Dongxiang: funiegve, funiegven, funieɣè
Mogholi: eljigan