BabelStone on Bluesky : Khitan

11 August 2023

Andrew West 魏安 (@babelstone.bsky.social)

11 August 2023 at 21:56

My thanks to @edwardw2.bsky.social for noting somewhere else this explanation that Manchu bannermen called 八十八 Eighty-eight, 七十五 Seventy-five, and 八十四 Eighty-four were named after the age of their grandmothers at their birth (cited from The China Review Vol. XVII (1888–1889) p. 240)


Note by G. M. H. Playfair explaining the curious names of some Manchu bannermen called Eighty-eight, Seventy-five, and Eighty-four, named after the age of their grandmothers at their birth.


Andrew West 魏安 (@babelstone.bsky.social)

11 August 2023 at 22:08

This practice explains the curious Khitan name 'Eighty-five' recorded in the Khitan large script epitaph for Yelü Changyun 耶律昌允 (1000–1061): "On the fifth day of the sixth month of the tenth year of the Dakang 大康 era (1084), the wife Lushi, the son ..., and grandchildren Dulai and Eighty-five ...".


Rubbing of the Khitan large script text of the epitaph for Yelü Changyun dated 1084

Transcription of the Khitan large script text translated in the post, with the Khitan name Eighty-five highlighted in red.


Andrew West 魏安 (@babelstone.bsky.social)

11 August 2023 at 22:21

The Khitan name does not represent the Khitan number 85, but apparently transcribes the Chinese characters 八十五 (bāshíwǔ) which is given as the name of one of the grandchildren in the Chinese epitaph for Yelü Changyun's wife, Madam Xiao 蕭夫人 (aka Lady of Lanling Commandery蘭陵郡夫人, 1011–1091).


Chinese text of the epitaph for Madam Xiao (1011-1091) with the name Eighty-five highlighted in red.


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