Tuvan English

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

proper name supreme god

noun phrase Milky way (literally top of sky)

proper name Little Yenisei River

noun phrase Milky way (literally road of darkness)

proper name names of the main god

noun phrase Orion

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

proper name Yenisey River (literally big river)

proper name name of a fantastic bird

noun phrase hell (literally land of devils)

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

noun phrase envy, slander (lterally white mouth-tongue)

verb get shaman’s illness (meaning become a shaman) (literally get possessed by devils)

noun phrase golden breath (balanced condition of an organism)

noun ritual of cleansing

noun phrase spirits of mountain passes

noun pay for shaman services

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

noun unit of measurement of number of cattle

noun phrase lama-shaman

noun phrase ritual of invocation for happiness

noun phrase round bread

noun / verb animist ritual, tribal prayings (holiday)

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

noun smal drum (used by lamas)

noun board cut

verb phrase send curses

noun phrase a person suffering in his/her life of some kind of harmness / obsticle

noun doll mockup made out of dead person’s clothes

noun shaman drum

noun Mongolian calendar

proper name shamans and lamas who can see the spirits

noun blessing, parting wishes/words, wishes

noun phrase fights (quarells), scolding, scandals (literally black mouth-tongue)

noun phrase black soul (which guards the grave of a dead person)

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 phrase red breath (the last sigh)

noun phrase lama-astrologer

noun Tuvan flute

noun "birthmarks" - according to Buddhism every person has a certain set of birthmarks of different colors and numbers depending on the birth date according to the Luna calendar

verb phrase ritual of fixing the birthmark of a person

noun phrase bad soul (used by Southern Tuvans)

noun phrase silver breath (good physical shape)

verb phrase drive an arrow (shaman technique to look for lost thing)

noun grave (literally hole)

verb phrase ritual of burning a sacral fire

noun phrase good soul (used by Southern Tuvans)

noun buddhist monk community

noun phrase ritual to remember those who died last year during the ritual of worshiping sacred tree in the fall

noun phrase yellow or exact astronomy

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

noun ritual of reading prayers and offering ’prayed’ vodka to the local spirit-master

noun liver pieces wrapped in interior fat

noun phrase another world (literally Northen edge)

noun / noun phrase soul

noun potential

noun bloodline (litreally bone)

noun hell

noun mantra

[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 phrase great shaman (literally big shaman)

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 female shamans (collective meaning)

noun phrase shaman tree

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

Source: Simchit 2010,

verb phrase final stage of shaman ritual (literally closing of chimney (the hole on the top of the yurt))

noun phrase white caragana (Siberian peashrub)

noun prayer service on recovery of a sick person

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

noun pl young acolyte

noun phrase master of lake

noun summer tent (in modern Tuvan - barn)

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 cave (literally mouth of the earth)

noun phrase ending of life (literally earth instantly disappears)

noun phrase ritual of ’renting the land" (for burials)

noun luck in hunting

noun phrase agalmatolite (stone used in Tuvan stone carving)

noun hell

noun doll figure symbolizing sign of illness

verb phrase ritual of fixing the birthdate of a person

noun stick

noun scraper

verb phrase euphemism - die suddenly (literally gone with smoke)

noun phrase mourning, grave sign

noun phrase upper universe / paradise

noun phrase upper sky

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

noun destination and deeds

noun phrase dead soul

[örgül] n. sacrifice, ritual of feeding the master spirits of a place

Source: First edition