Definition

Noun 1. A member of a Tungusic-speaking, traditionally nomadic people of Mongolian race, widely spread across eastern Siberia. 2. The Tungusic language spoken by the Evenki people of eastern Siberia.

Usage

• The term is used to refer to an individual belonging to this ethnic group.
  • The anthropologist lived with a community of Tungus to study their reindeer-herding traditions.
• The term is used to refer to the language spoken by this group.
  • She is one of the few scholars who can speak Tungus fluently.

Advanced Usage

• The term Tungus is an older, exonymic designation. In modern ethnolinguistic contexts, the specific group names Evenki (for the people and language) and Evenk (for the language family branch) are more precise and commonly preferred.
  • The Tungus languages, now more accurately called the Northern branch of the Manchu-Tungusic family, include Evenki and Even.

Variants and Related Words

• Tungusic (adjective): Of or relating to the Tungus people or their languages.
  • The Tungusic peoples have a rich shamanic tradition.
• Evenki (noun): The contemporary name for the people and language historically referred to as Tungus.
• Evenk (noun): Another term for the Evenki people or a member of them; also refers to a branch of the Tungusic languages.

Synonyms

• Evenki (for the people and language)
• Northern Tungus (historical/ethnographic classification)

Notes on Meaning

• The term historically encompassed several related peoples, including the Evenki and Evens. Its use has declined in favor of more specific ethnonyms.
• The second meaning (the language) is directly tied to the first, referring specifically to the language of the Evenki, which is a Tungusic language.

Noun

1. the Tungusic language of the Evenki in eastern Siberia
2. a member of the Tungus speaking people of Mongolian race who are a nomadic people widely spread over eastern Siberia; related to the Manchu