The Only Known Text from Bala, an Extinct Tungusic Language

Abstract

Bala (bala1242) is an extinct Tungusic language formerly spoken in and around the Zhangguangcai mountain range in Northeast China. The language is only fragmentarily recorded. This study analyzes a song that is the only known text of this language and was written with the help of Chinese characters. The language of the song is close to Manchu dialects but exhibits clear signs of a mixture with a more archaic variety. The underlying language is probably from a higher register of Bala that is strongly influenced by Manchu but at the same time preserves several unique characteristics, such as an intervocalic -g- in dege(ng) 德更 ‘high’ (Manchu den).