Buyeo languages
Encyclopedia
Buyeo or Fuyu languages (부여 in Korean
, Fúyú (扶餘) in Chinese
) are a hypothetical
language family
that consists of ancient languages of the northern Korean Peninsula and southern Manchuria and possibly Japan. According to Chinese records, the languages of Buyeo
, Goguryeo
, Dongye
, Okjeo
, Baekje
—and possibly Gojoseon
—were similar. Ye-Maek
may have been ancestral.
Japan; Christopher Beckwith
suggests that at that point the Japanese may have still recognized a relationship to Buyeo. Beckwith reconstructs about 140 Goguryeo words, mostly from ancient place names, including Gaya
. Many include grammatical morphemes which appear to be cognate with morphemes of similar function in Japanese, such as genitive -no and attributive -si.
, and Unger
classify Goguryeo as Old Korean
. They note that the Japanese-like toponyms are mostly found in the central part of Korean peninsula, and theorize that they don’t reflect the Goguryeo language
but rather the pre-Goguryeo population of the central and southern part of Korean peninsula
. Since a number of Japanese-like toponyms found in the historical homeland of Silla
were also distributed in southern part of Korean peninsula, these linguists propose that there was once a Japonic language spoken in Korean peninsula, perhaps Gaya
, which forms a substratum of the Silla language
; Unger suggests that the ancestors of the Yayoi people would have settled Japan from the central or southern part of Korea. None of the Japanese cognates have been found in the historical homeland of Buyeo and Goguryeo in the northern part of Korean peninsula or south-western Manchuria. Koreanic toponyms, on the other hand, are distributed across the entire territory of the Three Kingdoms
, from Manchuria to the southern Korean peninsula.
Though Shoku Nihongi
, an ancient Japanese record, implies the close relationship between the Balhae language
, the descendant of the Goguryeo language, and Silla language: a student sent from Silla to Japan for an interpreter training of Japanese language, assisted a diplomatic envoy from Balhae
in communicating during the Japanese court audience.
like Mohe, though they may have been similar to Xianbei
.
endings are similar between the Buyeo languages and Japanese and Korean.
Notes:
The genitive has possible wider Altaic extensions, with Jurchen
–Manchu
-ŋgV
, Middle Mongolian -iyn/-y/-n, and Turkish -nIn.
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
, Fúyú (扶餘) in Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
) are a hypothetical
Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. The term derives from the Greek, ὑποτιθέναι – hypotithenai meaning "to put under" or "to suppose". For a hypothesis to be put forward as a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that one can test it...
language family
Language family
A language family is a group of languages related through descent from a common ancestor, called the proto-language of that family. The term 'family' comes from the tree model of language origination in historical linguistics, which makes use of a metaphor comparing languages to people in a...
that consists of ancient languages of the northern Korean Peninsula and southern Manchuria and possibly Japan. According to Chinese records, the languages of Buyeo
Buyeo language
The language of the Buyeo kingdom is very sparsely attested; however, according to Chinese sources it was mutually intelligible with the Goguryeo language to its south. The few words which are known bear this out....
, Goguryeo
Goguryeo language
The Goguryeo language was spoken in the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo , one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. The language is also known as Old Koguryo, Koguryoic, and Koguryoan....
, Dongye
Dongye
Dongye, which means the Eastern Ye, was a Korean chiefdom which occupied portions of the northeastern Korean peninsula from roughly 3rd-century BCE to around early 5th-century. It bordered Goguryeo and Okjeo to the north, Jinhan to the south, and China's Lelang Commandery to the west...
, Okjeo
Okjeo
Okjeo was Korean tribal state which arose in the northern Korean peninsula from perhaps 2nd century BCE to 5th century CE.Dong-okjeo occupied roughly the area of the Hamgyŏng provinces of North Korea, and Buk-okjeo occupied the Duman River region.Dong-okjeo was often simply called Okjeo, while...
, Baekje
Baekje language
The language of the ancient kingdom of Baekje , one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, is sparsely attested; indeed, it is not clear that what material exists is from the same language...
—and possibly Gojoseon
Gojoseon
Gojoseon was an ancient Korean kingdom. Go , meaning "ancient," distinguishes it from the later Joseon Dynasty; Joseon, as it is called in contemporaneous writings, is also romanized as Chosŏn....
—were similar. Ye-Maek
Ye-Maek language
Ye-Maek, also known as Yemaek and Maek, is an unclassified and arguably unattested languages of Manchuria and eastern Korea north of Silla in the last few centuries BCE....
may have been ancestral.
Classification of the Buyeo languages
The relationships of the poorly attested Buyeo dialects are disputed.Japanese–Koguryoic hypothesis
The Korean state of Baekje was founded by Goguryeo princes, and considered itself descended from Buyeo. Baekje subsequently had close relations with Yamato periodYamato period
The is the period of Japanese history when the Japanese Imperial court ruled from modern-day Nara Prefecture, then known as Yamato Province.While conventionally assigned to the period 250–710 , the actual start of Yamato rule is disputed...
Japan; Christopher Beckwith
Christopher Beckwith
Christopher I. Beckwith is a professor of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.He received his Ph.D. degree from Indiana University in Uralic and Altaic Studies ....
suggests that at that point the Japanese may have still recognized a relationship to Buyeo. Beckwith reconstructs about 140 Goguryeo words, mostly from ancient place names, including Gaya
Gaya language
Gaya , also transliterated Kara, is the presumed language of the Gaya confederacy in southern Korea. It is supposedly attested from thirteen toponyms, but it cannot be certain that these reflect the Gaya language itself rather than an earlier language...
. Many include grammatical morphemes which appear to be cognate with morphemes of similar function in Japanese, such as genitive -no and attributive -si.
Buyeo–Silla hypothesis
A number of linguists such as Kim Banghan, VovinAlexander Vovin
Alexander V. Vovin is an American linguist and philologist in the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, where he is a Professor of East Asian Languages and the acting chair of the department from August 1, 2009.Alexander Vovin earned his M.A...
, and Unger
J. Marshall Unger
James Marshall Unger, , is a professor of Japanese at Ohio State University who specializes in historical linguistics and the writing systems of East Asia.- Works :...
classify Goguryeo as Old Korean
Old Korean
Old Korean corresponds to the Korean language from the beginning of Three Kingdoms of Korea to the latter part of the Unified Silla, of which period is roughly from 1 AD to 1000 AD. There are many theories to differentiate the Korean language histories. It is distinct from Proto-Korean , which is...
. They note that the Japanese-like toponyms are mostly found in the central part of Korean peninsula, and theorize that they don’t reflect the Goguryeo language
Goguryeo language
The Goguryeo language was spoken in the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo , one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. The language is also known as Old Koguryo, Koguryoic, and Koguryoan....
but rather the pre-Goguryeo population of the central and southern part of Korean peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
. Since a number of Japanese-like toponyms found in the historical homeland of Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
were also distributed in southern part of Korean peninsula, these linguists propose that there was once a Japonic language spoken in Korean peninsula, perhaps Gaya
Gaya language
Gaya , also transliterated Kara, is the presumed language of the Gaya confederacy in southern Korea. It is supposedly attested from thirteen toponyms, but it cannot be certain that these reflect the Gaya language itself rather than an earlier language...
, which forms a substratum of the Silla language
Silla language
The Silla language, was spoken in the ancient kingdom of Silla , one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.It is unclear if Silla was related to other languages of the Korean peninsula, such as Baekje and Goguryeo, which are sometimes grouped together as the Buyeo languages...
; Unger suggests that the ancestors of the Yayoi people would have settled Japan from the central or southern part of Korea. None of the Japanese cognates have been found in the historical homeland of Buyeo and Goguryeo in the northern part of Korean peninsula or south-western Manchuria. Koreanic toponyms, on the other hand, are distributed across the entire territory of the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms of Korea
The Three Kingdoms of Korea refer to the ancient Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium...
, from Manchuria to the southern Korean peninsula.
Though Shoku Nihongi
Shoku Nihongi
The is an imperially commissioned Japanese history text. Completed in 797, it is the second of the Six National Histories, coming directly after the Nihon Shoki and followed by Nihon Kōki. Fujiwara no Tsugutada and Sugano no Mamichi served as the primary editors...
, an ancient Japanese record, implies the close relationship between the Balhae language
North South States Period
North South States Period refers to the period in Korean history when Silla and Balhae coexisted in the south and north of the peninsula, respectively.-Unified Silla:...
, the descendant of the Goguryeo language, and Silla language: a student sent from Silla to Japan for an interpreter training of Japanese language, assisted a diplomatic envoy from Balhae
Balhae
Balhae was a Manchurian kingdom established after the fall of Goguryeo. After Goguryeo's capital and southern territories fell to Unified Silla, Dae Jo-yeong, a Mohe general, whose father was Dae Jung-sang, established Jin , later called Balhae.Balhae occupied southern parts of Manchuria and...
in communicating during the Japanese court audience.
Distinction from Tungusic
According to Chinese records, the Buyeo languages appear to have been quite distinct from ancient Tungusic languagesTungusic languages
The Tungusic languages form a language family spoken in Eastern Siberia and Manchuria by Tungusic peoples. Many Tungusic languages are endangered, and the long-term future of the family is uncertain...
like Mohe, though they may have been similar to Xianbei
Xianbei
The Xianbei were a significant Mongolic nomadic people residing in Manchuria, Inner Mongolia and eastern Mongolia. The title “Khan” was first used among the Xianbei.-Origins:...
.
Comparison
Some of the grammatical caseGrammatical case
In grammar, the case of a noun or pronoun is an inflectional form that indicates its grammatical function in a phrase, clause, or sentence. For example, a pronoun may play the role of subject , of direct object , or of possessor...
endings are similar between the Buyeo languages and Japanese and Korean.
| Grammatical particle / suffix | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case Grammatical case In grammar, the case of a noun or pronoun is an inflectional form that indicates its grammatical function in a phrase, clause, or sentence. For example, a pronoun may play the role of subject , of direct object , or of possessor... |
Goguryeo Goguryeo language The Goguryeo language was spoken in the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo , one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. The language is also known as Old Koguryo, Koguryoic, and Koguryoan.... |
Old Japanese Old Japanese is the oldest attested stage of the Japanese language.This stage in the development of Japanese is still actively studied and debated, and key Old Japanese texts, such as the Man'yōshū, remain obscure in places.-Dating:... |
Silla Silla language The Silla language, was spoken in the ancient kingdom of Silla , one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.It is unclear if Silla was related to other languages of the Korean peninsula, such as Baekje and Goguryeo, which are sometimes grouped together as the Buyeo languages... |
Middle Korean | |||||||||
| nominative | -i | -i¹ | – | -i | |||||||||
| genitive | -nə | -nə (modern -no) |
– | -n ~ -nɔn ~ -nïn4 | |||||||||
| genitive | si | -si² -tu³ |
-s -ʌi -i |
-s -ɔy ~ -ïy |
|||||||||
| locative | nʌrʌ | -nite | – | – | |||||||||
Notes:
- ¹ According to Vovin (2004, 2006), nominative -i was a loan from Old Korean into Western Old Japanese.
- ² predicative suffix for adjectives
- ³ formal or fossilized genitive
- 4 Korean -n ~ -nɔn ~ -nïn is a suffix for the attributive form of verbs (used to create relative clauses).
The genitive has possible wider Altaic extensions, with Jurchen
Jurchen language
Jurchen language is an extinct language. It was spoken by Jurchen people of eastern Manchuria, the creators of the Jin Empire in the northeastern China of the 12th–13th centuries. It is classified as a Southwestern Tungusic language.-Writing:...
–Manchu
Manchu language
Manchu is a Tungusic endangered language spoken in Northeast China; it used to be the language of the Manchu, though now most Manchus speak Mandarin Chinese and there are fewer than 70 native speakers of Manchu out of a total of nearly 10 million ethnic Manchus...
-ŋgV
Vowel
In phonetics, a vowel is a sound in spoken language, such as English ah! or oh! , pronounced with an open vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottis. This contrasts with consonants, such as English sh! , where there is a constriction or closure at some...
, Middle Mongolian -iyn/-y/-n, and Turkish -nIn.
Other references
- 2006. "Methodological Observations on Some Recent Studies of the Early Ethnolinguistic History of Korea and Vicinity." Altai Hakpo 2006, 16: 199-234.
- Alexander Vovin, 2005. "Koguryǒ and Paekche: Different Languages or Dialects of Old Korean?" Journal of Inner and East Asian Studies, 2005, Vol. 2-2: 108-140.
- Blažek, Václav. 2006. "Current progress in Altaic etymology." Linguistica Online, 30 January 2006