Junast
Encyclopedia
Junast was a Chinese
linguist
of Mongolian
ethnicity who specialized in the study of the Monguor language, Eastern Yugur language
and the 'Phags-pa script.
county in Inner Mongolia
in 1934. His father and grandfather were farmers, originally from Chaoyang in Liaoning
. His father wanted him to have an education, so Junast was sent to a local private school from the age of eight, where he studied Chinese and Mongolian, including the Confucian classics. In 1951 he passed the entrance exam for the Hinggan Middle School in Ulan Hot
, where he specialized in the Mongolian language
, but in the autumn of the following year he was accepted into the newly established Mongolian Languages and Literature program at the Inner Mongolia Teachers College, despite having only been at high school for one year. In March 1953 he joined the Communist Party of China
, and in September he was sent to study Mongolian language
at Beijing University. After graduation, in 1954, he was assigned to teach at the Inner Mongolia Mongolian Specialist College (内蒙古蒙文专科学校).
In 1954 he went back to Beijing to participate in a survey of Mongolic languages
, and on completion of this work he transferred to the National Minority Languages Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
. From 1955 to 1956 he engaged in fieldwork in Qinghai
, collecting materials for the study of the Monguor language. He returned to Qinghai to study the Monguor language several more times during the 1950s and 1960s.
On the outbreak of the Cultural Revolution
, Junast was labelled a "May 16 element", and suffered beatings and abuse. From 1969 to 1973 he was sent for re-education through labor at a Cadre School. It was during this period that Junast started to study the 'Phags-pa script.
From 1977 onwards, the focus of Junast's research turned to the study of documents and monuments written in the 'Phags-pa script, with his first publication on the subject being a collection of Yuan dynasty
official seals carved in the convoluted "seal script" form of the 'Phags-pa script. During the 1980s he published numerous articles on the 'Phags-pa script, culminating in a critical edition of the Yuan dynasty rhyming dictionary of Chinese in the 'Phags-pa script, Menggu Ziyun
蒙古字韻.
In 1988 Junast was invited to teach in Japan, and he accepted a position as visiting professor at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
, where he remained until the mid 2000s. In 1994 he retired from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, but he continued to publish articles on the 'Phags-pa script, and was engaged in research on the computerization of the 'Phags-pa script.
He died in hospital at Beijing on 9 April 2010.
With Yang Naisi 楊耐思
] Article about Junast CCTV program on the deciphering of extinct scripts
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
linguist
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
of Mongolian
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
ethnicity who specialized in the study of the Monguor language, Eastern Yugur language
Eastern Yugur language
Eastern Yugur and Western Yugur are terms coined by Chinese linguists to distinguish between the Mongolic and Turkic Yugur language, both spoken within the Yugur nationality. The terms may also indicate the speakers of these languages. Traditionally, both languages are indicated by the term Yellow...
and the 'Phags-pa script.
Biography
Junast was born in Horqin Right Middle BannerHorqin Right Middle Banner
Horqin Right Middle Banner Horqin Right Middle Banner Horqin Right Middle Banner ( is a county of Inner Mongolia, China. It is under the administration of Hinggan League. The local Mongolian dialect is Khorchin.-References:*...
county in Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
in 1934. His father and grandfather were farmers, originally from Chaoyang in Liaoning
Liaoning
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
. His father wanted him to have an education, so Junast was sent to a local private school from the age of eight, where he studied Chinese and Mongolian, including the Confucian classics. In 1951 he passed the entrance exam for the Hinggan Middle School in Ulan Hot
Ulan Hot
Ulan Hot , formerly known as Wangyehmiao is a county-level city and the administrative center of Hinggan League in the East of Inner Mongolia autonomous region. Between the years 1947 and 1950, Ulanhot was the capital of Inner Mongolia Region...
, where he specialized in the Mongolian language
Mongolian language
The Mongolian language is the official language of Mongolia and the best-known member of the Mongolic language family. The number of speakers across all its dialects may be 5.2 million, including the vast majority of the residents of Mongolia and many of the Mongolian residents of the Inner...
, but in the autumn of the following year he was accepted into the newly established Mongolian Languages and Literature program at the Inner Mongolia Teachers College, despite having only been at high school for one year. In March 1953 he joined the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
, and in September he was sent to study Mongolian language
Mongolian language
The Mongolian language is the official language of Mongolia and the best-known member of the Mongolic language family. The number of speakers across all its dialects may be 5.2 million, including the vast majority of the residents of Mongolia and many of the Mongolian residents of the Inner...
at Beijing University. After graduation, in 1954, he was assigned to teach at the Inner Mongolia Mongolian Specialist College (内蒙古蒙文专科学校).
In 1954 he went back to Beijing to participate in a survey of Mongolic languages
Mongolic languages
The Mongolic languages are a group of languages spoken in East-Central Asia, mostly in Mongolia and surrounding areas plus in Kalmykia. The best-known member of this language family, Mongolian, is the primary language of most of the residents of Mongolia and the Mongolian residents of Inner...
, and on completion of this work he transferred to the National Minority Languages Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences , established in 1977, is the premier and highest academic research organization in the fields of philosophy and social sciences as well as a national center for comprehensive studies in the People's Republic of China. It was described by Foreign Policy...
. From 1955 to 1956 he engaged in fieldwork in Qinghai
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
, collecting materials for the study of the Monguor language. He returned to Qinghai to study the Monguor language several more times during the 1950s and 1960s.
On the outbreak of the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
, Junast was labelled a "May 16 element", and suffered beatings and abuse. From 1969 to 1973 he was sent for re-education through labor at a Cadre School. It was during this period that Junast started to study the 'Phags-pa script.
From 1977 onwards, the focus of Junast's research turned to the study of documents and monuments written in the 'Phags-pa script, with his first publication on the subject being a collection of Yuan dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
official seals carved in the convoluted "seal script" form of the 'Phags-pa script. During the 1980s he published numerous articles on the 'Phags-pa script, culminating in a critical edition of the Yuan dynasty rhyming dictionary of Chinese in the 'Phags-pa script, Menggu Ziyun
Menggu Ziyun
Menggu Ziyun ["Rimes in Mongol Script"] is a 14th century rime dictionary of Chinese as written in the 'Phags-pa script that was used during the Yuan Dynasty . The only surviving examplar of this dictionary is an 18th century manuscript copy that belonged to Stephen Wootton Bushell , and is now...
蒙古字韻.
In 1988 Junast was invited to teach in Japan, and he accepted a position as visiting professor at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
TUFS is a specialized institution only in foreign language, international affairs and foreign studies, thus it is not as well-known as other big universities such as University of Tokyo and Kyoto University...
, where he remained until the mid 2000s. In 1994 he retired from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, but he continued to publish articles on the 'Phags-pa script, and was engaged in research on the computerization of the 'Phags-pa script.
He died in hospital at Beijing on 9 April 2010.
Works
- 1977. "Yuan Basibazi Zhuanshu Guanyin Jicun" 元八思巴字篆书官印辑存 (Collection of Yuan official seals in the 'Phags-pa seal script); Wenwu Ziliao Congkan 文物资料丛刊 16.
- 1980. "Lun Basibazi" 论八思巴字; Minzu Yuwen 民族语文 1980.1.
- 1981. "Basibazi Baijiaxing jiaokan" 八思巴字百家姓校勘. In Minzu Yuwen Lunji 民族语文论集. Beijing : Zhongguo Shehui Kexue Chubanshe.
- 1981. Dongbu Yuguyu Jianzhi 东部裕固语简志 (Introduction to the Eastern Yugur language). Beijing: Minzu Chubanshe.
- 1981. Tuzuyu Jianzhi 土族语简志 (Introduction to the Monguor language). Beijing: Minzu Chubanshe.
- 1982. "Nanhua Si cang Yuan Basibazi Mengguyu shengzhi de fuyuan yu kaoshi" 南华寺藏元八思巴字蒙古语圣旨的复原与考释.
- 1987. "Basibawen yuanyin zimu zixing wenti shang de liangzhong tixi" 八思巴文元音字母字形问题上的两种体系; Minzu Yuwen 民族语文 1987.4: 1-6.
- 1988. "Youguan Basiba zimu ė de jige wenti" 有关八思巴字母 ė 的几个问题; Minzu Yuwen 民族语文 1988.1: 1-8.
- 1989. "Basibazi zhong de ling shengmu fuhao" 八思巴字中的零声母符号; Minzu Yuwen 民族语文 1989.2: 29-36.
- 1990. 八思巴字和蒙古语文献·Ⅰ研究文集 ('Phags-pa and Mongolian Documents Part 1: Research). Tokyo: Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
- 1991. 八思巴字和蒙古语文献·Ⅱ文献文集 ('Phags-pa and Mongolian Documents Part 2: Documents). Tokyo: Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
- 2000. "Huihuwen zimu de Basibazi zhuyin" 回鹘文字母的八思巴字注音; Minzu Yuwen 民族语文 2000.4: 50-51.
- 2003. "Yizhong Basibazi tuotai erlai de wenzi" 一种八思巴字脱胎而来的文字; Minzu Yuwen 民族语文 2003.1: 56-58.
- 2007 "Basibazi Mengguyu wenxian de yuyin xitong" 八思巴字蒙古语文献的语音系统 (The Mongolian Phonological System Reflected in Documents Recorded in the 'Phags-pa Script); Minzu Yuwen 民族语文 2007.2.
With Yang Naisi 楊耐思
- 1987. Menggu Ziyun Jiaoben 蒙古字韵校本 (A critical edition of the Mongolian Rhyming DictionaryMenggu ZiyunMenggu Ziyun ["Rimes in Mongol Script"] is a 14th century rime dictionary of Chinese as written in the 'Phags-pa script that was used during the Yuan Dynasty . The only surviving examplar of this dictionary is an 18th century manuscript copy that belonged to Stephen Wootton Bushell , and is now...
). Beijing : Minzu Chubanshe.
External links
Article about Junast on the Hudong wiki http://iea.cass.cn/org/beifang/xuezhe/xuezhe-zhaonasitu.htmBiography of Junast at the Department of Northern China Minority Languages at the Chinese Academy of Social SciencesChinese Academy of Social Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences , established in 1977, is the premier and highest academic research organization in the fields of philosophy and social sciences as well as a national center for comprehensive studies in the People's Republic of China. It was described by Foreign Policy...
] Article about Junast CCTV program on the deciphering of extinct scripts