Nanai
Encyclopedia : N : NA : NAN : Nanai
The Nanai people (self name нани; tr. "nani"; Russian: нанайцы, tr. "nanaitsy"; Chinese: 赫哲族, tr. "Hèzhézú"; formerly also known as Golds and Samagir) are a native people of Far East, who have traditionally lived along Heilongjiang (Amur), Songhuajiang (Sunggari) and Ussuri rivers.
The Nanai/Hezhe language belongs to the Manju-Tunguzic branch of the Altai languages.
Nanais in Russia
In Russia the Nanais live on the Sea of Okhotsk, on the Amur River, downstream from Khabarovsk, on both sides of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, as well as on the banks of the Ussuri and the Girin rivers (the Samagirs). According to the 2002 census, there were 12,160 Nanais in Russia.
In the Soviet Union, a Nanai written language (based on Cyrillic alphabet) was created which is still taught today in 13 schools in Khabarovsk.
Nanais in China
The Nanais are one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China where they are known as "hezhe." According to the last census of 2004, they numbered 4,640 in China. Chinese Nanais speak the Hezhen dialect of Nanai. The dialect does not have a written system in China and the Hezhe usually write in Chinese. (Second language literacy is 84%.)
Famous Nanais
Akira Kurosawa's 1975 film Dersu Uzala, based on a book by Russian explorer Vladimir Arsenyev, describes the friendship of a pre-revolution Russian military officer and a Nanai man named Dersu Uzala.
Own name
Own names in IPA: [xədʑən], [nanio] and [kilən]. [[Citing sources citation needed]]
Encyclopedia Britannica (1911) on Golds
- In physique they are typically Mongolic. Like the Chinese they wear a pigtail, and from them, too, have learnt the art of silk embroidery. The Golds live almost entirely on fish, and are excellent boatmen. They keep large herds of swine and dogs, which live, like themselves, on fish. Geese, wild duck, eagles, bears, wolves and foxes are also kept in menageries. There is much reverence paid to the eagles, and hence the Manchus call the Golds "Eaglets". Their religion is Shamanism.
References
- [Ethnolog on Nanai]
- Ān Jùn 安俊: Hèzhéyǔ jiǎnzhì 赫哲语简志 (Introduction to the Hezhen language; Běijīng 北京, Mínzú chūbǎnshè 民族出版社 1986).
- [Народы России: Нанайцы]
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