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Article published In:
International Journal of Chinese Linguistics
Vol. 8:1 (2021) ► pp.102–138

On Sino-Turkic verbal functional expressions

Turkic conquest and rule of China since 386 CE for nearly two hundred years had exerted its profound and long-lasting influence on many levels of Chinese society. Turkic sinification policy had induced the Xianbei National Language (XNL), which was Turkic language with selected set of Chinese characters for phonetic spelling. XNL, being spelt in Chinese characters, managed to function in Turkic-Chinese code-mixing in the bilingual communities as evidenced in bianwen 變文. Because of the Turkic politico-socio-economical dominance, some the Turkic elements in the code-mixing eventually gained prominance and have become permanent part of the northern vernacular, predecessor of modern Mandarin. This paper discusses twelve such Turkic-rooted verbal functional expressions: (1). The causative-passive qu 取; (2). Transitive passive sha 殺, sha 煞, si 死; (3). Causative dou 鬥, dou 逗; (4). Continuative hai 還, que 卻; (5). Resultative que 卻; (6). Reflexive nə 呢 (7). Positive indirective mo shi 莫是; (8). Negative indirective bu dao 不道; (9). Future participle cai 才, cai 纔; (10). Conditional yao shi 要是, yao 要, yao bu shi 要不是; (11). INDUCE-base nong 弄; (12). The speech quote verb dao 道.

Keywords: Turkic sinification, Xianbei National Language, bilingualism in medieval China, Turkic-Chinese code-mixing, qu 取 , sha 殺 , dou 鬥 , hai 還 , que 卻 , nə 呢 , mo shi 莫是 , bu dao 不道 , cai 才 , yao shi 要是 , nong 弄 , dao 道
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The causative-passive formative -tXz- → qu 取
    • 2.1The prototype: Turkic causative-passive formative -tXz-
    • 2.2The derivate: Sinitic causative-passive auxiliary verb qu 取
  • 3.Transitive passive formative -sXk- → sha 殺, sha 煞, si 死
    • 3.1The prototype: Old Turkic transitive-passive verb -sXk-
    • 3.2The derivate: Mandarin transitive-passive verb sha 殺, sha 煞 and si 死
  • 4.Causative verb formatives -tUr- => dou 鬥/鬪, dou 逗
    • 4.1The prototype: Turkic causative verb formative -tUr-
    • 4.2The derivate: Mandarin causative dou 鬥, dou 逗
  • 5.Continuative coverb kal-/qal- → hai 還, que 卻
    • 5.1The prototype: Old Turkic continuative verb kal- “to remain”
    • 5.2The derivate I: Mandarin continuative coverb hai 還 “to remain”
    • 5.3The derivate II: Sinitic continuative auxiliary verb que 却/卻
  • 6.Resultative auxiliary verb kal- → que 卻
    • 6.1The prototype: Old Turkic resultative auxiliary verb kal-
    • 6.2The derivate: Sinitic rultative auxiliary perfect 卻/却 [que]
  • 7.Reflexive dVV formative -Xn- → nə 呢
    • 7.1The prototype: Old Turkic deverbal verb formative -Xn-
    • 7.2The derivate: Mandarin sentence-final nə 呢
  • 8.Positive indirective perfect -mIş → mo shi 莫是
    • 8.1The prototype: Old Turkic post-terminal non-committal indirective -mIš
    • 8.2The positive derivate: Mandarin evidential mo shi 莫是
  • 9.Negative indirective -mAdOk → bu dao 不道
    • 9.1The prototype: Turkic negative indirective -mAdOk
    • 9.2The derivate: Sinitic negative indirective 不道 [bu dao]
  • 10.Future participle -čI → cai 才, cai 纔
    • 10.1The prototype: Turkic future participle -čI
    • 10.2The derivate: Mandarin future participle cai 才, cai 纔
  • 11.Conditional conjunction ärsär → yao shi 要是, yao 要
    • 11.1The prototype: Turkic conditional conjunction ärsär
      • 11.1.1The conditional conjunction ärsär
      • 11.1.2The topicalizer ärsär
      • 11.1.3The negative conditional conjunction ärmäsär
    • 11.2The derivate: Mandarin conditional yao shi 要是, yao 要
      • 11.2.1Yao shi 要是
      • 11.2.2yao 要, as an abbreviation of yao shi 要是
    • 11.3The derivate II: Mandarin topicalizer yao shi 要是, yao 要
    • 11.4The derivate III: Mandarin negative conditional yao bu shi 要不是
  • 12.dNV INDUCE-base suffix +lAn- =>弄
    • 12.1The prototype: Turkic INDUCE-base suffix [+lAn]
    • 12.2The derivate: Mandarin base-inducing nong 弄
  • 13.The direct speech quote verb te-, tep 道
    • 13.1The prototype: Turkic verb te-, and quotative element tep
    • 13.2The derivate: Mandarin verb dao 道
  • 14.Conclusions
  • Abbreviations
  • References
Published online: 1 June 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ijchl.00012.lim
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