Sino-Uralic languages

Short description: Proposed language family

Sino-Uralic

(fringe)
Geographic
distribution| Northern Eurasia, East Asia
Linguistic classification| Proposed language family
Subdivisions|

* Uralic
* Sinitic

Glottolog| None

Sino-Uralic languages[1]

Sino-Uralic or Sino-Finnic is a long-range linguistic proposal that links the Sinitic languages (Chinese) and the Uralic languages. Sino-Uralic is proposed as an alternative to the Sino-Tibetan family[1][2][3] and is at odds with mainstream comparative linguistics, which firmly includes the Sinitic languages in the Sino-Tibetan family.[4] The proposal has been brought forward by the Chinese linguist Jingyi Gao, based on works by 19th century linguists such as Karl August Hermann. Gao suggested the proto-population could have been lived in Neolithic China and carried the Haplogroup N, claiming that a common proto-language could have been spoken around 5.000-10.000 years ago.[5][6][7] However, connections with the Uralic and other language families are generally seen as speculative.[8]

## Contents

* 1 Theory
* 2 History
* 3 Proposed evidence
* 3.1 Lexical
* 3.1.1 Cognates proposed by Karl August Hermann
* 4 Proto-language
* 5 See also
* 6 References

## Theory

Gao argued that Chinese has three major layers, he saw the root of Chinese as coming from a common Sino-Uralic source, the second layer coming from Indo-European during the Chalcolithic age or later and the third layer coming from Yeniseian during the Bronze Age. Jingyi Gao presented the theory as an alternative to the commonly accepted Sino-Tibetan language family. Gao argued that there are multiple problems with the Sino-Tibetan language family and that similarities between Sinitic and Tibeto-Burman are better explained as being the result of loaning and mutual influence instead of being one language family as most linguists assert.[1][6][9]

Gao argued that the monosyllabic structure of Chinese vocabulary was a later development due to external influences, arguing that the word structure of the Sinitic languages in the past was closer to the Uralic languages.[1][10] Similarly, Karl August Hermann argued that the monosyllabic word structure in Sinitic is not an obstacle to a linguistic relationship.[11]

## History

The earliest known mention of a possible relationship between the Uralic and Sinitic languages was made by Sajnovics in 1770, who raised questions about a possible relation of Chinese and Hungarian, due to apparent lexical similarities.[12][13][14][15] Then in 1895, a relation between Sinitic and Uralic was proposed by the Estonian linguist Karl August Hermann . Karl August Hermann made a comparison of Estonian, Finnish and Chinese, arguing that they were related, although he also included Altaic in the family.[11][16][12] In the modern day its main advocate has been Jingyi Gao, first proposing it in 2005 and later making another book on the topic in 2008 along with making later articles.[17][18] Estonian academics and linguists such as Ago Künnap, Jaan Kaplinski, Urmas Sutrop and Märt Läänemets along with a few Chinese professors such as Feng Zheng, Li Baojia and Jiang Jicheng have expressed interest over the theory and calling for more studies on the topic, though being cautious and thus not directly endorsing Gao's theory of a direct relationship between Sinitic and Uralic.[1][2][19][20][21][22][23] George van Driem argues that Sino-Uralic along with other theories such as Sino-Indo-European are constructed by using flawed methodologies with inadequate knowledge of historical Chinese and the Trans-Himalayan languages, representing false language families. According to Van Driem, the theory is not supported by proper evidence.[4]

Before Gao, Morris Swadesh had already theorized about a relation between Sinitic and Uralic, proposing a more radical and massive Dené-Finnish grouping which encompasses Athabaskan, Uralic and the Sino-Tibetan languages. Swadesh's theory has been called "radical".[8] Another similar large language family including Sinitic and Uralic, was suggested by Karl Bouda in 1950, his theory included: Sino-Tibetan, Uralic, Yeniseian, Austronesian and others being distantly related.[24]

## Proposed evidence

Karl August Hermann argued that there are multiple similarities between Sinitic and Uralic, which he used to support his hypothesis on the relation of Sinitic and Uralic. His proposed evidences include:[11]

* The lack of grammatical gender
* Similarities in the use of the genitive
* Common word roots
* Similarities in word structure

Jingyi Gao has attempted to support a relationship between Uralic and Sinitic through arguing for the existence of regular sound correspondences between Sinitic and Uralic vocabulary. Examples of proposed sound correspondences include Minnan -at, Estonian/Finnish -uu, Mandarin ø, Cantonese j-, Minnan g- and Estonian/Finnish k-. [6] Although his methods have been questioned by linguists such as Van Driem.[4]

### Lexical

Some shared cognates proposed by Jingyi Gao:[6][7][25][26][27][28]

Mandarin  | Cantonese  | Min  | Proto-Uralic  | Estonian  | Finnish

|
|
|
|
|

üe 'moon, month'  | jyut 'moon, month'  | guàt 'moon, month'  | kuŋe 'month, moon'  | kuu 'month, moon'  | kuu 'month, moon'
ián 'speech'  | jin 'speech'  | giân 'speech'  | keele 'language'  | keel 'language'  | kieli 'language'
Mandarin  | Cantonese  | Min  | Estonian  | Finnish

|
|
|
|

duei 'correspond'  | deoi 'correspond'  | tue ''correspond''  | tõsi 'true'  | tosi 'true'
[ ʔie˧˩ ] 'night'  | [ je: ] 'night' 夜  | [ ʔia̯˧ ] 'night' 夜  | öö 'night'  | yö 'night'
[ pʰa˧˩ ] 'fear'  | [ pʰa ˧ ] 'fear' 怕  | [ pʰa˩ ] 'fear' 怕  | pelgaS- 'fear'  | pelkä- 'fear'
Old Chinese[28] | Proto-Uralic

|

*kuən 'big fish'  | *kala 'fish'
*piuən 'divide'  | *pala 'bite'
*suən 'diminish'  | *sala 'steal'
*kuaŋ 'sound of stone'  | *kaja 'echo'
*xuaŋ 'desolate'  | *vaja 'lack'
*piuaŋ 'side-room'  | *maja 'house'

#### Cognates proposed by Karl August Hermann

The following cognates were proposed by Karl August Hermann:[12]

Mandarin  | Estonian  | Hungarian

|
|

hǎo 'good  | hea 'good  |
nǚ 'girl'  | neiu 'girl'  | nő 'girl'
dào 'path'  | tee 'path'  |
gāo 'high'  | kõrge 'high'  |
mù 'tree'  | puu 'tree'  | fa 'tree'
xīn 'heart'  | süda 'heart'  | szív 'heart'
ta 'he/she'  | ta 'he/she'  |

## Proto-language

Proto-Sino-Uralic reconstructions[6][7][26] Proto-Sino-Uralic  | English gloss

|

*kota  | place
*θota  | kill
*kʲoŋkʷə  | river
*toŋkʷə  | act, do
*hʷetas  | year
*dʷotas  | correspond
*keðəX  | hand
*peðəX  | side by side
*keðə  | skin grease
*ŋgʷeta  | moon
*mbeta  | other
*ŋgenal  | tongue, speech
*pekŋʷe  | many

## See also

* Haplogroup NO
* Uralo-Siberian languages
* Ural-Altaic languages
* Dené–Caucasian languages

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Künnap, Ago (September 2010). "Review of Gāo (2008) Chinese Language and Languages of Northern Europe: Discoveries and Researches of Common Origins of Chinese, Uralic and Indo-European Languages". Linguistica Uralica 46 (3): 218–222. ProQuest 852514464. https://kirj.ee/public/Linguistica_Uralica/2010/issue_3/ling-2010-3-218-222.pdf.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jaan Kaplinski (2014). "Veel mõni mõtteke etümoloogiasõnaraamatust ja etümoloogiatest" (in et). Keel ja Kirjandus 2014 (3). https://keeljakirjandus.ee/ee/archives/24868. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
3. ↑ Jingyi Gao (2015-01-30). "Jingyi Gao: hiina ja soome-ugri keelte ühisest päritolust" (in et). https://novaator.err.ee/256304/jingyi-gao-hiina-ja-soome-ugri-keelte-uhisest-paritolust.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Kumar, Niraj; van Driem, George; Stobdan, Phunchok (2020-11-18). Himalayan Bridge. Routledge. p. 51. ISBN 978-1-000-21549-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=IhEHEAAAQBAJ&dq=sino-uralic&pg=PA51.
5. ↑ "Soome-ugri keelepuul on juured muistses Kesk-Hiinas" (in et). https://elu.ohtuleht.ee/605744/soome-ugri-keelepuul-on-juured-muistses-kesk-hiinas.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Jingyi Gao; Tender, Tõnu (2020). "Sino-Uralic Etymology for 'Moon, Month' Supported by Regular Sound Correspondences". Archaeoastronomy and Ancient Technologies 8 (1): 60–68. doi:10.24411/2310-2144-2020-00005.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Jingyi Gao (2020). "Sino-Uralic Etymology for 'Jupiter, Year' Supported by Rhyme Correspondence". Archaeoastronomy and Ancient Technologies 8 (1): 1–11. doi:10.24411/2310-2144-2020-00002.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Harms, Robert Thomas. "Uralic languages". https://www.britannica.com/topic/Uralic-languages.
9. ↑ Künnap, Ago (2009). "Eesti keel koos teiste läänemeresoome keeltega ja germaani. keeled Hiinast vaadatuna". Keeljakirjandus.eki.ee. https://keeljakirjandus.eki.ee/148-150.pdf.
10. ↑ "Soome-ugri keelepuul on juured muistses Kesk-Hiinas" (in et). https://elu.ohtuleht.ee/605744/soome-ugri-keelepuul-on-juured-muistses-kesk-hiinas.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Hermann, Karl August (2019). "Hiina keele sugulusest ugri keelte ja eriti soome-eesti keelega (1895)". Eesti ja Soome-Ugri Keeleteaduse Ajakiri. Journal of Estonian and Finno-Ugric Linguistics 10 (2): 59–67. doi:10.12697/jeful.2019.10.2.04.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Gao, Jingyi (2019-12-31). "Karl August Hermanni hiina-soome-eesti keelevõrdlus ning kehtivad ja kehtetud etümoloogiad parandustega". Eesti ja Soome-Ugri Keeleteaduse Ajakiri. Journal of Estonian and Finno-Ugric Linguistics 10 (2): 45–58. doi:10.12697/jeful.2019.10.2.03. ISSN 2228-1339. https://ojs.utlib.ee/index.php/jeful/article/view/jeful.2019.10.2.03/11319.
13. ↑ Scholars in Action (2 vols): The Practice of Knowledge and the Figure of the Savant in the 18th Century. BRILL. 2013-04-15. ISBN 978-90-04-24391-0. https://books.google.com/books?id=XtV2nJcVolQC&dq=Sajnovics+Chinese+and+Hungarian&pg=PA741.
14. ↑ "Soome-ugri sõlmed 2012" (in et). https://apl-api.apollo.ee/soome-ugri-solmed-2012.html.
15. ↑ Üve Maloverjan, ed (2012) (in et). Soome-ugri sõlmed 2010–2011. Fenno-Ugria. https://www.digar.ee/arhiiv/en/books/50542. "Sajnovics tõstatas ka küsimuse ungari keele sugulusest hiina keelega."
16. ↑ Hermann, Karl August (1895). "Ueber die Verwandschaft des Chinesischen mit den ugrischen Sprachen und insbesondere, mit dem Finnisch-Estnischen" (in German). Sitzungsberichte der Gelehrten Estnischen Gesellschaft zu Dorpat 1894 (Dorpat : [Gelehrte Estnische Gesellschaft zu Dorpat]): 167–180.
17. ↑ Gao, Jingyi (2008). 《汉语与北欧语言：汉语与乌拉尔语言及印欧语言同源探究》Hàn-yǔ yǔ Wū-lā-ěr yǔ-yán jì Yìn-Ōu yǔ-yán tóng-yuán tàn-jiū 'Chinese Language and Languages of Northern Europe: Discoveries and Researches of the Common Sources of Chinese, Uralic, and Indo-European Languages'.. Beijing: 中国社会科学出版社 ‘China Social Sciences Press’. ISBN 978-7500470779.
18. ↑ Gao, Jingyi (2005). Comparison of Swadesh 100 Words in Finnic, Hungarian, Sinic and Tibetan: Introduction to Finno-Sinic Languages.. Tallinn: Estonian Language Foundation. ISBN 9985791355.
19. ↑ "Üllatav avastus: oleme pärit Hiinast" (in et). https://maaleht.delfi.ee/a/28474991.
20. ↑ "Eesti ja hiina keel pärinevad ühest allikast" (in et). 2009-03-10. https://tartu.postimees.ee/92055/eesti-ja-hiina-keel-parinevad-uhest-allikast.
21. ↑ 蒋, 冀骋; 曾, 晓渝; 杨, 军; 洪, 波; 周, 赛华; 张, 富海 (2021). "音韵学研究现状与展望". 《语言科学》 20 (2021) (5): 474–490. http://journal15.magtechjournal.com/Jwk_yykx/CN/abstract/abstract1288.shtml.
22. ↑ 冯, 蒸 (2008). "评高晶一所著汉宋乌拉尔语系语言语系绪论". 汉字文化 2008 (1): 57–59.
23. ↑ 李, 葆嘉 (2010). "亲缘比较语言学：超级语系建构中的华夏汉语位置". 《研究之乐：庆祝王士元先生七十五寿辰学术论文集》, 潘悟云, 沈钟伟主编 上海: 上海教育出版社: 164–193.
24. ↑ Driem, George van (2022-09-12) (in en). Languages of the Himalayas: Volume 2. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-51492-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=6tGLEAAAQBAJ&dq=Chukchi,+Uralic,+Basque&pg=PA1185.
25. ↑ Jingyi Gao (2019). "On Etymology of Finnic Term for 'Sky'". Archaeoastronomy and Ancient Technologies 7 (2): 5–10. doi:10.24411/2310-2144-2019-00007.
26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Gao, J. (2021). "The Intensive Controversy on Chinese Historical Phonology: Refutation of the Liquid Medial for Division-2 in Old Chinese". Trames. Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences 25: 101. doi:10.3176/tr.2021.1.07. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349518463.
27. ↑ Jingyi, Gao (2021). "Identification of the Etymon of Indo-European 'Moist', Sinitic 'South', Tibeto-Burman 'Sun, Day, Sky' and Hungarian nap 'Sun, Day'". Archaeoastronomy and Ancient Technologies 9 (1): 62–72. doi:10.24412/2310-2144-2021-9-1-62-72.
28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Gao, Jingyi (June 2014). "Rhyme correspondences between Sinitic and Uralic languages: On the example of the Finnish -ala and -aja rhymes". Linguistica Uralica 50 (2): 94. doi:10.3176/lu.2014.2.02. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276024389. Retrieved 2021-05-11.

* v
* t
* e

Language families of Eurasia

Europe|

* Indo-European
* Uralic
* Basque
* Iberian
* Tartessian
* Paleo-Corsican
* Paleo-Sardinian
* Camunic
* Elymian
* Ligurian
* North Picene
* Sicani
* Tyrsenian
* Eteocretan
* Eteocypriot
* Minoan

West Asia|

* Afroasiatic
* Hurro-Urartian
* Hattic
* Kassite ?
* Kaskian ?
* Philistine ?
* Sumerian
* Proto-Euphratean ?
* Elamite

Caucasian|

* Kartvelian
* Northeast Caucasian
* Northwest Caucasian

South Asia|

* Indo-European
* Dravidian
* Nihali
* Burushaski
* Kusunda
* Harappan ?

East Asia|

* Austroasiatic
* Sino-Tibetan
* Hmong–Mien
* Kra–Dai
* Austronesian
* Japonic

Indian Ocean rim|

* Great Andamanese
* Ongan
* Kenaboi
* Enggano

North Asia|

| Altaic ?|

* Turkic
* Mongolic
* Tungusic
* Koreanic ?
* Japonic ?

|

"Paleosiberian"|

* Koreanic
* Ainu
* Nivkh
* Chukotko-Kamchatkan
* Yukaghir
* Yeniseian

Other North Asia|

* Uralic
* Ruanruan ?
* Eskimo–Aleut

Proposed groupings|

* Alarodian
* Altaic
* Borean
* Nostratic
* Dené–Caucasian
* Eurasiatic
* Dené–Yeniseian
* Dravido-Korean
* Elamo-Dravidian
* Ibero-Caucasian
* Indo-Hittite
* Indo-Pacific
* Indo-Semitic
* Indo-Uralic
* Pontic
* Karasuk
* Turanian
* Eskimo–Uralic
* Ural–Altaic
* Uralic–Yukaghir
* Uralo-Siberian

| Arunachal|

* Greater Siangic
* Siangic
* Digaro
* Miju
* Hrusish
* Kho-Bwa

|

Southeast Asia|

* Andamanese
* Austric
* Austro-Tai
* Austronesian–Ongan
* East Asian
* Sino-Austronesian

Substrata|

* Atlantic
* Pre-Celtic
* Pre-Germanic
* Pre-Goidelic
* Pre-Greek
* Vasconic
* Pre-Vedic
* Pre-Finno-Ugric

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