English Explanatory Dictionary

Borjigin

English dictionary entry

Meanings

name
  1. The clan which Genghis Khan was a member of

Pronunciation

/ˈbɔː(ɹ)d͡ʒɪɡɪn/

Word forms

Borjigin

Etymology

From Mongolian ᠪᠣᠷᠵᠢᠭᠢᠨ (borǰigin). According to Rashid al-Din Hamadani, in his Jāmi‘ al-Tawārīkh, and later Abu al-Ghazi Bahadur, in his Genealogy of the Turks, this name meant 'having eyes of the color اشهل (ašhal) ~ شهلا (šahlā)', i.e. 'dark blue eyes', which Genghis Khan and his brothers reputedly all had. However, according to Igor de Rachewiltz, "The etymology of the name Borjigin is uncertain. The unreliable interpretation given by Rašīd (borjigin = 'man with dark blue eyes') accounts, through a further misunderstanding, also for the imaginary grey (pmo., mo. boro), or cat's eyes of Činggis Qan, regularly ascribed to the conqueror by modern authors."

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