Interpretations of Khitan Large Script graphemes in the Stele of Yelü Tulibu Langjun (part I)

Abstract

The Stele of Yelü Tulibu Langjun in Khitan Large Script commemorates a seventh-generation descendant of Yelü Yuzhi. The decipherment of this stele is of great importance for advancing research on the Yelü Yuzhi lineage. To date, numerous graphemes in the stele remain undeciphered. Among them, several occur with relatively high frequency. The reconstruction of their pronunciations is crucial for further elucidating the meanings and grammatical functions of Khitan Large Script compounds containing these graphemes. Through a comparative study of the Khitan Large and Small Scripts, this study offers new insights into the phonetic and semantic interpretation of previously uninterpreted graphemes found in the stele. The key findings are as follows: In terms of form, a set of variant forms of the same grapheme has been identified. In terms of pronunciation, the pronunciations of four graphemes have been reconstructed, and a revision to the previously reconstructed pronunciation of one grapheme and its corresponding glyph is proposed. In terms of semantics, two Khitan Large Script compounds have been interpreted, one expressing the plural meaning of ‘bore’ (sheng) and the other denoting the plural meaning of ‘of the lineage’ (fang zhi). Furthermore, several correspondences between Khitan Large and Small Script forms have been established, providing new clues and evidence for the further decipherment of the Khitan scripts.