Tuvan English

proper name supreme god

noun phrase Milky way (literally road of sky)

noun phrase Milky way (literally top of sky)

proper name Little Yenisei River

noun phrase black sky (the origin of the strongest shamans)

noun phrase Orion (literally evening Venus)

noun phrase Mars (literally fire star)

noun phrase nine skys (in shamanism meaning nine worlds of the upper universe)

proper name name of a fantastic bird

noun blessed energy (coming from the depictions of saints in buddhism and from reading prayers)

noun phrase white soul (which comes to living relatives in the image of a dead person)

noun phrase golden breath (balanced condition of an organism)

noun ritual of cleansing

noun phrase master of the spring water

noun phrase spirits of mountain passes

noun shaman ritual of cleansing

noun pl half-gods living in the higher world of sansara

noun travelling lamas walking around camps and reading prayers

noun wandering lamas tradesmen

noun phrase middle world / universe (literally this universe / world)

noun phrase grey soul (which stays on earth and bothers life relatives)

verb phrase get shaman’s illness (meaning become a shaman) (literally pass out)

noun board cut

noun phrase life soul

verb phrase send curses

noun doll mockup made out of dead person’s clothes

noun phrase middle soul (used by Southern Tuvans)

noun shaman drum

noun honorable place of the master of the home

noun phrase wake (funeral repast) on the 40th day (literally 40 days)

proper name shamans and lamas who can see the spirits

noun phrase master of camp

noun phrase prohibited direction of funerals (literally mouth of a black dog)

noun phrase black sky

noun phrase black (dark) forces

noun phrase black astronomy

noun big drum (used by lamas)

verb phrase shaman ritual of diverting anger

noun phrase main soul

noun mind, consciousness

noun phrase red breath (the last sigh)

verb healing with a help of a shaman mirror kyuzyungyu

noun Tuvan flute

noun paper strips with mantras

noun phrase the direction of the end of the life (unfavorable geografical direction when calculating the element of the birth)

noun phrase silver breath (good physical shape)

noun phrase eternal universe (referring to upper and under worlds)

verb phrase ritual of burning memorial food in the sacred fire during the funerals

noun festivities for youth after harvesting (holiday)

noun phrase middle world / universe (that is Earth)

verb phrase ritual of burning a sacral fire

noun defenders of teaching (Buddist faith)

noun phrase good soul (used by Southern Tuvans)

noun buddhist monk community

noun Buddgist concept of six worlds

verb phrase ritual of making sacred bonfire or incense burner in front of a grave (literally put the bonfire)

noun liver pieces wrapped in interior fat

noun phrase element (used at calculation to define the birthdate of a person by shamans)

noun phrase another world (literally Northen edge)

noun burials of outstanding lamas

noun spirit, life force

noun / noun phrase soul

noun phrase ways of soul to extract the curse out of a body practiced by shamans

noun bloodline (litreally bone)

verb ritual of smoking near a grave so the dead one could smoke with the relatives for the last time

noun sack of white color

noun hell

noun pl chiefs (referring to Soviet party top bosses)

noun small timpani

[tos-karak] n. a ritual wooden implement used to sprinkle milk or tea as an offering to the spirits, in the shape of a square spoon with nine holes and a ribbon

Source: First edition

noun / noun phrase breath of life / soul

noun phrase soul of a child (from newborn until 13 years of age)

noun pl children born from parents of different nationalities or ethnicities (somewhat pejorative)

noun phrase she-shaman (literally shaman-woman)

noun phrase shaman tree

noun phrase shaman fight (literally shaman eating of each other)

noun phrase shaman’s fellow travellers (referring collectively to all mythical-spiritual beings with whom a shaman may interact)

Source: Simchit 2010,

noun phrase blood related people who inherit the knowledge and experience of noble bloodline of shamans

noun smoke hole

noun phrase devil’s bird - messenger of death

noun phrase life energy

noun devil (used by Southern Tuvans)

noun phrase white caragana (Siberian peashrub)

noun small stones for fortune-telling (used by shamans)

noun ritual of cleansing face and hands after the funerals

noun summer camp

noun phrase special stone (used to see the spirits even by ordinary people)

noun curse

noun chosen person who can manage the special stone

noun phrase multiple spirits who give a shaman knowledge and visions

noun phrase master of the land

noun phrase agalmatolite (stone used in Tuvan stone carving)

noun buddhist lamp (icon lamp)

noun doll figure symbolizing sign of illness

noun scraper

noun phrase mourning, grave sign

noun phrase upper universe / paradise

noun phrase wake (funeral repast) on the third day (literally three days)

noun fate

noun phrase dead soul