Further Discussion on the Pronunciation and Meanings of Some Graphemes of Khitan Large Script (Sequel II)

Abstract The most significant task facing Khitan studies today is the decipherment of the glyphs of the Khitan Small script and the graphemes of the Khitan Large script. The comparative study of both the Khitan Large and Small scripts enables us to analyse the correlation between the two, as well as being one of the most important methods for interpreting the Khitan language overall. This paper, largely based on the Epitaph of Yelü Qi 耶律祺墓誌銘 in Large script and the Epitaph of Yelü Tianni Taishi 耶律天你太師墓志銘 and the Epitaph of Yelü Wumo Fushu 耶律兀沒副署墓誌銘 in Small script, further explores the corresponding relations between the two scripts, as well as interpreting several Khitan Large script graphemes in light of previously deciphered Khitan Small script words discovered in other materials. Additionally, based on the phonological patterns of languages related to Khitan, the phonetic values of Khitan Large script graphemes will be reconstructed.