Jurchen
//ˈd͡ʒɜɹt͡ʃɛn// name, noun
name, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A member of a medieval and early modern Tungusic people, progenitors of the Manchus.
Proper Noun
- 1 An extinct Tungusic language (code jur), related to Manchu.
Etymology
From a reconstruction of Jurchen *jörcen, attested via Middle Chinese 竹里真 (trjuwk li^X tsyin) and Khitan 𘲮𘯤𘰭 (*ju rả n), developed under the influence of Manchu ᠵᡠᡵᠴᡳᡨ (jurcit) and Classical Mongolian ᠵᠦᠷᠴᠢᠳ (ǰürčid). Vajda argues for a derivation from a Proto-Tungusic word meaning "reindeer people", cognate with the Orochs of Russia's Khabarovsk Province and the Oroks of Sakhalin.
Related phrases
More for "jurchen"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.