A. Sauvageot has given twenty-four cases of stems with the initial and intervocalic ng. Six cases have been found with Tungus parallels lacking, four cases which ought to be dismissed from further analysis without detailed analysis, eleven cases which ought to be dismissed after a minute analysis, and four cases as worthy of further discussion.
Case 196. The stem is like ngVlV, which means «to be frightened,» «to fear.» On this occasion G. Ramstedt has formulated that Samoyed w~Tungus ng~Mongol g~Turk k. However, it ought to be pointed out that in Tungus the alternation of the type n~g~w is known too [131], so that the parallels must be taken with great caution. This time, as a semantic link between the languages «wolf» and its particular name ngaluki is used. In fact, some dialects may use it in reference to the wolf — n'okuli (Goldi), neleku (Turn). However, its meaning is not «wolf,» but «coward,» «poltroon,» «fearful,» «faint-hearted.» In Ner. and Barg. we have ngoloki — «the coward.» Indeed, this is a very common case of the formation of «nouns» with the help of the suffix -ki. During hunting and in children's stories the animals are very often called by such a «name» [132]. The wolf is also called amyachin (Bir.) — «one who has a mouth» — also other «names,» including «robber,» and other humiliating expressions. For example, the bear is called soptaran (RTM) — «one who goes to stool with berries»; kongnor'jo (Mank.) — «heavy-blacky,» and by other names of the same type. The use of the term based upon the stem ngale (gele) is accidental, indeed [133]. The whole reasoning about the derivation of the word «wolf» from the verb «to fear» has a very learned appearance, but actually it is a mere misunderstanding. Many other names for «wolf» may be found. Even Goldi ngola may have an entirely different origin and a particularly local use. The Samoyed name for wolf, ngulada, may only artificially be connected with ngale, gale, etc., — «to fear» — and for safety sake it would be much better to leave it alone, as A. Sauvageot proposes to G. Ramstedt when discussing in Samoyed soil ngulada and wuenoltau. As a matter of fact, in all languages there are special terms for all existing animals, including «wolf.» These names are often borrowed, lost, and changed. The names for animals sometimes exist for a very short time, like a kind of temporary fashion.
Cases 199 and 200. I have put them together, for the stems are postulated and the meanings are the same in these two cases. The stem is *YngY which means «la bouche ou les parties voisines de la bouche» and «ouverture.» The series comprises a wide range of words, e. g., «cheeks,» «lips,» «jaw,» «hollow of the handle,» «porte,» «anus,» «beant,» «ouvert,» «avoir faim,» «bailler,» «mdcher,» etc. A great variety of sounds corresponds to the great variety of meanings. The analysis of all of them would bring us to the analysis of the anatomical terminology in Tungus, the problem not less complex than in some European languages (especially if the Latin language is unknown), so I shall point out only that the Tungus language possesses several words used as anatomical terms and containing in their stems the intervocalic ng. The question whether the intervocalic ng was or was not in the original stem is a question of conviction or faith, for the history of Tungus is not yet known and no general laws of variations of these sounds exist. Let us take an instance discussed by A. Sauvageot; e.g., Tungus amya, amnga, amma, angma, anga — «the mouth,» may be produced by the process of formation from a certain hypothetic stem, as well as from different words (stems), e.g., aman (Mongol) — «the mouth,» perhaps already engaged as omun (Tung.) — «the lips,» also amt~ams — «to taste» («to take into the mouth»), and lastly angar (Mongol) — «the hole,» «opening,» etc. (in Mongol a «descriptive» term for «anus,» has been given, while in most of the Northern Tungus dialects amun is «the excrement,» «to go to stool,» etc.), probably connected with Tungus sangar, whence in joking and «descriptive» language any opening in the human body may be called so. But sangar is not the only word used in anatomical terminology for «opening.» In fact, for example, the nostrils are called ulteka (Bir.) — «the hole when something is broken»; lupukta (Mank.) — «the hole due to the perforation.» Moreover, the words used for anatomical parts are found very often to be under prohibition, or mere avoidance, which is true not only of the sexual organs, but also of the anus and urinary organs, and not only among the «civilized» people, but also true of other organs and «barbarians.» With the living dialects, it is difficult to establish at which moment a «polite» «nice,» «descriptive,» and «joking» term becomes a stable substitute of an older word. The semantic migration of terms from one to another organ is quite a common phenomenon, indeed. If we presume ama to be a modification of anga, perhaps it will be too risky to lose the original stem ama. Yet the words for «nose» from the stem ongo (e. g., ongokto — «the nose»; ongolo — «the beck,» «neb»), identified, perhaps absolutely wrongly, with oforo (Manchu) (whence Goldi, etc.) [134], may be connected with ongol (Goldi) — «the hole,» etc. Of course, it must be shown, for «the hole» in Northern Tungus is sangar, but ongo is met with in the sense of «spacious,» «hollow,» «empty,» etc. [135], while onggo, ungu, ngo, etc., is «the smell» (cf. my «Bilabialization and Aspiration,» op. cit.). The latter etymology is more credible, but I do not propose it. The question whether anga («entrence»~«mouth») is the same as ongo («smell»~«nose») or not cannot be perhaps decided. I will not now go into further details, which are unnecessary for insisting upon the semantic and phonetic differences of the words quoted by A. Sauvageot. It is evident that these parallels cannot be used without being carefully checked up.
Case 202. The stem is not shown, but it is supposed to be an intervocalic ng varying as m, n, and zero. It means «to forget.» The Tungus stem may be brought to omgo in its variations analogous to amga (vide Cases 199 and 200)
Case 209. The stem is *shYngYr, which means souris, and may be regarded as similar to the Tungus stem used for designation of the same animal.
From the analysis of these four cases given above it may be seen that with the agreement as to the hypotheses proposed by A. Sauvageot we have —
Case 196, Tungus ngVlV (gVlV)—«to fear»; Turk lacking
Cases 199 and 200, doubtful Tungus anga~amga — «the mouth,» «opening»
Case 202, Tungus omgo — «to forget»
Case 209, Tungus singir — «the rat,» «mouse»; Mongol and Turk lacking.
So there are three Tungus stems left, — ngVlV — «to fear»; ontgo — «to forget»; and singir — «the rat,» «the mouse.»
131. Cf. my «Bilabialization and Aspiration,» op. cit.
132. These terms may have nothing to do with the «religions» complex «fear,» etc., as it is often pictured by ethnographers little familiar with the actual life and mentality of these groups, and who build up theories and give descriptions of groups adapted to their general conceptions by mere misinterpretation of fragments of facts known.
133. However, this stem in its «verbal» form is used for a hunting term; namely, gaiegda, ngalegda. They call by this word things and arms touched or destroyed by bears and tigers when they attack the hunter. The latter is also called by the same term. According to the custom, if a man fails to kill the animal, he must not hunt these animals and must not use the things touched by them during the hunting. These things are «unlucky» and the hunter is merely a «coward» and being so he is advised to avoid these animals. Some Tungus say that the animals smell the things they have touched and therefore they are not afraid to attack the second time.
134. Let ns remark that in some Northern Tungus dialects the word for «nose» is found in an aspirated form, namely, hongo, whence, according to A. Sauvageot's theory, the original (before the loss of the initial p) form most be pongo, which is indeed not so.
135. Ungala (Manchu Writ) — «the ear hole,» is disconnected with the idea of «hole,» but it seems to be connected with the idea of «hollow»; e.g., «gun,» «empty wood.»