THE TONGUS BRANCH OF THE TURANIAN STOCK.
Distribution.—East and west, from the sea of Okhotsk, and the peninsula of Kamskatka to the Yenisey. North and South (South-East), from the coast of the Icy Sea, between the Yenisey and Lena, to the Yellow Sea. Conterminous with the Samöeids, Ostiaks, Yakuts, Turks, Mongols, Chinese, Koreans, Aino, Koriaks, and Yukahiri.
Political relations.—Subject to a, China, b, Russia.
Religion.—Buddhism, Imperfect Christianity, Paganism.
Particular divisions.—The Tshapojirs on the Lena, the Lamuts on the Sea of Okhotsk, the Mantshu rulers of China.
Dialects known by vocabularies.—a, Western—Yeniseian, Tshapojirs, Mangaseiesk, Orotong; b, Southern—Nerchinsk, Barguzin, Upper Angara, Yakutsk; c, Eastern—Okhotsk, Lamut; d, The Mantshu. Add to these the Niuji, an ancient dialect known from a Chinese vocabulary, and closely allied to the Mantshu.
Alphabet.—Mongolian; applied to the Mantshu dialect only.
General name.—None. Some particular tribes call themselves beye=men; some, donki=people.
- Called by the Ostiaks, Kellem.
- " " Chinese, Tung-chu.
- " " Mantshu, Orotuhong.
- " " Mongols, Kham-noyon.
Authority.—Klaproth's Asia Polyglotta and Sprachatlas.