# Jurchen

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈd͡ʒɜːt͡ʃɛn/

## Definitions
1. A member of a medieval and early modern Tungusic people, progenitors of the Manchus.

## Etymology
From a reconstruction of Jurchen *jörcen, attested via Middle Chinese 竹里真 (trjuwk li^X tsyin) and Khitan 𘲮𘯤𘰭 (*ju rả n), developed under the influence of Manchu ᠵᡠᡵᠴᡳᡨ (jurcit) and Classical Mongolian ᠵᠦᠷᠴᠢᠳ (ǰürčid). Vajda argues for a derivation from a Proto-Tungusic word meaning "reindeer people", cognate with the Orochs of Russia's Khabarovsk Province and the Oroks of Sakhalin.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/jurchen