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the archetype of all our Mss.; but such a solution is too problematic to allow us to change the spelling.
On former attempts at explanations and on the Mongol felt and cloth figures, cf. Y, I, 257-259.
The information on this last subject might be supplemented to a considerable extent, but that
would take up more space than the scope of the present notes permits.

296. NEGODAR

gorobar LT nogadir VB nogodar F, FA
negodar V, VA, VL noghodar TA¹, TA³ nugodar F; R
nogadar FB, VB

I have preferred the « Negodar » of V, VA, VL (supported by the « Hegodar » of S) to the
generally accepted « Nogodar », because it is the form which corresponds to what I believe to be the
true name. The usual Persian transcriptions نکودر or نگودر give no clue as to the first vowel; never-
theless VULLERS (II, 1344) writes نکز as the name of the tribe which has been associated with the
name of «Negodar», and, although I do not know what VULLERS's authority may be for the spelling,
it represents a nö-, not a nō- or nü-, in the first syllable.
BLOCHET (Bl, II, 158, 563; Moufazzal, 556) has said that « Nigueuder » (= *Nigödär) was
Mong. nigādūgār (nigādü'ār), « first », but I cannot agree with him. Classical Mong. nigān,
« one » (pronounced nikān in the Mongol period, and still nikān to-day by the Moghols of Afgha-
nistan), would have no labial vowel in the second syllable, and -dūgār (-dü'ār) ought not to result
in dār (moreover with a brief -ā- since it is not always noted in Arabic writing). As in the case of
Tägüdär, I do not doubt that we have to do here with the suffix -dār which appears also in such
names as Yäsüdär (see « Iesudar »), Tümändär (WANG Hui-tsu¹, 25, 5 b; SCHMIDT, Gesch. der
Ost-Mongolen, 219), Tämüdär (Bl, II, 160; Ha¹, II, 182; WANG Hui-tsu¹, 35, 5 a), Qutudar (WANG
Hui-tsu¹, 28, 5-6), Baidar (who went to Hungary), perhaps Bäktär (Chinghiz-khan's half-brother), etc.
Unfortunately, I have not yet noticed any mention of the name Nägüdär (for one of Tägüdär, see
« Acmat² ») in Mongolian texts or in Chinese transcriptions. But I think that the first element is
probably the same as in Nägübai, often mistranscribed « Nikpäi » or « Nikhäi » from the Arabic
spelling نکبای, which however occurs in Chinese as the name of several individuals, under the
transcription 捏 古 拜 Nie-ku-pai, i. e. Nägübai (cf. JA, 1927, II, 266; WANG Hui-tsu¹, 31, 11 b).
I am somewhat doubtful about the real value of nägü-. The most natural hypothesis seems to be
that it represents, with the usual slurring of final -n, a sonant form of näkün, « servant », « slave-
woman », unknown to modern Mongolian, but which is well attested in the Middle Ages and which
has survived in the Manchu nehu (cf. TP, 1930, 45).
On the ambiguous Persian transcriptions giving « Tägüdär » for « Nägüdär » and vice-versa,
see « Acmat² » and « Caraunas ». Under « Caraunas », I have discussed the identity of the « king
Negodar ».