Reconstruction:Proto-Mongolic/ïmaxan

Buryat shows an unexplained initial n-.

Cognate with Khitan 𘱑𘯺 (*êm a). Possibly related (through borrowing in either direction or from a common source) with Proto-Turkic *ïmga, compare Old Turkic 𐰢𐰍𐰀 ((a)mɣa).

Possibly dividable into *ïma +‎ *-xan, with the latter found in several other animal names.

*ïmaxan

1. goat

• *boda (“livestock”)

• Middle Mongol:
  • Mongolian: ᠢᠮᠠᠭ᠎ᠠ (imag-a), ᠢᠮᠠᠭᠠᠨ (imaɣan)
  • Arabic: ايمان (imãn), ايماآن (imaʾan), ايمهآن (imeʾan)
  • Armenian: իման (iman) (Kirakos Gandzaketsi)
  • Chinese: 亦麻案 (ima'an) (Beilu Yiyu)
• Mongolian:
  • Classical: ᠢᠮᠠᠭ᠎ᠠ (imag-a)
  • Khalkha Mongolian: ямаа (jamaa)
  • Ordos: /jamaː/
• Kalmyk: яман (yaman)
• Buryat: ямаа (jamaa)
• Daur: imaa
• East Yugur: maan
• Monguor:
  • Mongghul: yimaa
  • Mangghuer: yima
• Bonan: imang
• Kangjia: imo
• Dongxiang: iman
• → Proto-Tungusic: *ïmagan
  • Northern:
    • Evenki: имаган (imagan)
      • → Yakut: ымаҕан (ımağan), ымаҕа (ımağa)
    • Solon: имага(н) (imaga(n))
    • Negidal: емая
    • Oroch: има
    • Udihe: има
  • Southern:
    • Nanai: иман (iman)
    • Ulch: има
    • Jurchen: i.mu.a(.e.li) (“goat (time)”)
      • Manchu: ᡳᠮᠠᡥᡡ (imahū)

• Nugteren, Hans (2011) Mongolic phonology and the Qinghai-Gansu languages (dissertation)‎, Utrecht: LOT, page 372
• Cincius, V. I. (1975) Сравнительный словарь тунгусо-маньчжурских языков [Comparative Dictionary of Tungus-Manchu Languages] (in Russian), volume 1, Leningrad: Nauka, page 312
• Vasilevič, G. M. (1958) Эвэнкийско-Русский словарь [Evenki-Russian dictionary] (in Russian), Moscow: GIS, pages 167-168
• Rozycki, William Vincent (1994) Mongol Elements in Manchu (Uralic and Altaic series; 157), Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University, Research Institute for Inner Asian Studies, page 160