Yuezhi
/ˈjuːeɪˌʒiː/noun
The Yuezhi were an ancient Central Asian people who migrated westward and later founded the Kushan Empire.
Did you know?Although written with Chinese characters meaning roughly “moon” and “clan,” Yuezhi is probably a Chinese transcription of a foreign ethnonym, so its original meaning remains uncertain.
Etymological Timeline
Late 2nd millennium–1st millennium BCE
Central Asian languages
*Yuezhi (reconstructed foreign form, uncertain)
“The original self-name behind the Chinese transcription is unknown; proposed Iranian and Tocharian connections remain disputed.”
2nd century BCE
Old Chinese
月氏 (*ŋʷat-ke)
“The Chinese name recorded for a powerful people living in the Gansu and eastern Central Asian region.”
2nd century BCE
Old Chinese
大月氏 (*daː ŋʷat-ke)
““Greater Yuezhi,” the designation used after the people divided, distinguishing the westward-migrating group from the Lesser Yuezhi.”
1st century BCE–1st century CE
Chinese histories
大月氏
“The western Yuezhi established themselves in Bactria after being driven from their earlier homeland by the Xiongnu.”
1st–3rd centuries CE
Greek, Iranian, Sanskrit
Kushan / Kuṣāṇa
“A Yuezhi ruling house developed into the Kushan Empire, linking Central Asia, India, Iran, and the Roman world.”
Modern English
English
Yuezhi
“The standard modern English name for the ancient Central Asian people, based on the Mandarin reading of 月氏.”