国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

side of the Yellow River. Ning-hsia's importance dates from the time when it was walled and
made the Hsi-Hsia capital towards 1020. It was then named 興 州 Hsing-chou, which was changed
later to 興 慶 府 Hsing-ch'ing-fu and to 中 興 府 Chung-hsing-fu (see also « Calacian »). The
name of Ning-hsia was given to it in 1288 (YS, 60, 12 b).

When Chinghiz-khan conquered the Hsi-Hsia capital later called Ning-hsia, the Hsi-Hsia
sovereign sought refuge in Dörmägäi, named in the Secret History (§ 267) with the correct equi-
valence Ling-chou; this is the « Turmegei » of SCHMIDT, 508. Iryai is sometimes named along
with Tämägätü (« [Place] with camels »), and SCHMIDT thought (p. 416) that Tämägätü was perhaps
another form of Dörmägäi; but Tämägätü was the Mongol name of Yü-lin (inside the north-eastern
corner of the great bend); cf TP, 1931-1932, 480. It is Dörmägäi which was misread « Deresgai »
and « Derssekai » in Y, I, 281, and « Dersekai » in Ber, III, 95. Dörmägäi seems to be Mongolian;
the word dörmägäi occurs in the Secret History (§ 276), with the translation hsia-tëng, « inferior »,
« low class ». RAMSTEDT (Kalm. Wörterbuch, 99²) gives a word dörŋkẽ, « violent », « excited »,
written Mong. *dörümkäi, probably the same word which is transcribed türimäkäi by KOVALEVSKII,
1938², and translated « strong », « audacious »; but the meaning does not agree with that attributed
to Dörmägäi in the Chinese translation. Another Kalmuck word, türŋkẽ, written Mong.
*türümkäi, means « poor », «miserable» (RAMSTEDT, loc. cit., 416²); although I do not know the
true history of this word, I think it is the same as the dörmägäi of the Secret History.


217. ELCIDAI

elcidai F, L

«Elcidai» can represent two different names which have sometimes become confused, parti-
cularly in Chinese texts, to wit Alčidai and Äljigidäi; cf. Pel, 116, 117, 154. I do not doubt that
the man meant here is the emir « Ildschidai » of Ha¹, I, 396, and Polo's spelling tends to show that
his name ought to be transcribed Elčidäi (? < Alčidai).


218. ELI

dely R ely FA, FB, LT, TA¹ hely P
eli F, Fr, t, I, V, VA, VL, Z heli Pr ley TA²
elli Z helli G

YULE has shown that this is the name that survives in « Mount Dely », properly « Monte d'Ely »,
a conspicuous promontory jutting into the sea some 16 miles north of Cananore (cf. Y, II, 386-388;
Y¹, I, 309; II, 115; IV, 26, 74, 75; Hobson-Jobson², 303; DAMES, Barbosa, II, 1-2). The Malayalam
form is Eḷi, but the etymology is doubtful. YULE is certainly right in saying that « Dely » is a mis-