Editing Xiongnu (section)

=== Turkic theories ===
{{See also|Turkic languages}}
[[File:野驢紋金牌飾-Plaque in the Shape of a Grazing Kulan MET 2002 201 118 O1.jpg|thumb|Plaque in the shape of a grazing [[Turkmenian kulan|kulan]] (wild ass), 2nd–1st century BC, Northwest China, Xiongnu culture.<ref>{{cite web |title=Metropolitan Museum of Art |website=www.metmuseum.org |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/59527}}</ref>{{sfn|Bunker|2002|loc=p. 137, item 109}}]]
According to a study by Alexander Savelyev and Choongwon Jeong, published in 2020 in the journal Evolutionary Human Sciences, "The predominant part of the Xiongnu population is likely to have spoken Turkic". However, genetic studies found a mixture of haplogroups from western and eastern Eurasian origins that suggested large genetic diversity, and possibly multiple origins of Xiongnu elites. The Turkic-related component may be brought by eastern Eurasian genetic substratum.<ref name="Savelyev & Jeong, 2020"/>

Other proponents of a Turkic language theory include [[Edward Harper Parker|E.H. Parker]], [[Jean-Pierre Abel-Rémusat]], [[Julius Klaproth]], [[Gustaf John Ramstedt]], [[Annemarie von Gabain]],<ref name="Savelyev & Jeong, 2020" /> and [[Charles Hucker]].{{sfn|Hucker|1975|p=136}} André Wink states that the Xiongnu probably spoke an early form of Turkic; even if Xiongnu were not "Turks" nor Turkic-speaking, they were in close contact with Turkic-speakers very early on.{{sfn|Wink|2002|pp=60–61}} [[Craig Benjamin]] sees the Xiongnu as either proto-Turks or [[proto-Mongols]] who possibly spoke a language related to the [[Dingling]].<ref>Craig Benjamin (2007, 49), In: Hyun Jin Kim, [https://books.google.com/books?id=fX8YAAAAQBAJ The Huns, Rome and the Birth of Europe]. [[Cambridge University Press]]. 2013. page 176.</ref>

Chinese sources link several Turkic peoples to the Xiongnu: 
* According to the ''[[Book of Zhou]]'', ''[[History of the Northern Dynasties]]'', ''[[Tongdian]]'', ''[[New Book of Tang]]'', the [[Göktürks]] and the ruling [[Ashina tribe|Ashina]] clan was a component of the Xiongnu confederation,<ref name="Zhou50">[[Linghu Defen]] et al., ''Zhoushu'', [https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E5%91%A8%E6%9B%B8/%E5%8D%B750 vol. 50] quote: "突厥者，蓋匈奴之別種，姓阿史那氏。"</ref><ref>''Beishi'' [https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E5%8C%97%E5%8F%B2/%E5%8D%B7099#%E7%AA%81%E5%8E%A5 "vol. 99 - section Tujue"] quote: "突厥者，其先居西海之右，獨為部落，蓋匈奴之別種也。" translation: "The Tujue, their ancestors dwelt on the right bank of the Western Sea; a lone tribe, probably a separate branch of the Xiongnu"</ref><ref>Golden, Peter B. (August 2018). [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326609440_The_Ethnogonic_Tales_of_the_Turks "The Ethnogonic Tales of the Türks"]. ''The Medieval History Journal'', 21 (2): p. 298 of 291–327, fn. 36. quote: "'Western Sea' (xi hai 西海) has many possible meanings designating different bodies of water from the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]], [[Caspian Sea|Caspian]] and [[Aral Sea|Aral]] Seas to [[Qinghai Lake|Kuku-nor]]. In the Sui era (581–618) it was viewed as being near [[Byzantium]] (Sinor, 'Legendary Origin': 226). Taşağıl, ''Gök-Türkler'', vol. 1: 95, n. 553 identies it with [[Ruo Shui|Etsin-Gol]], which is more likely."</ref><ref name = "tongdian197">[[Du You]], ''Tongdian'' [https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E9%80%9A%E5%85%B8/%E5%8D%B7197 vol. 197] quote: "突厥之先，平涼今平涼郡雜胡也，蓋匈奴之別種，姓阿史那氏。"</ref><ref>''Xin Tangshu'', [https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E6%96%B0%E5%94%90%E6%9B%B8/%E5%8D%B7215%E4%B8%8A vol. 215A]. "突厥阿史那氏, 蓋古匈奴北部也." "The Ashina family of the Turk probably were the northern tribes of the ancient Xiongnu." quoted and translated in Xu (2005), [https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/19205 ''Historical Development of the Pre-Dynastic Khitan''], University of Helsinki, 2005</ref>
** However, the Ashina-surnamed Göktürks were also stated to be they were "mixed barbarians" ({{wikt-lang|zh|雜胡}}; ''záhú'') who fled from [[Pingliang]] (now in modern [[Gansu province]], [[China]]).<ref> [[Wei Zheng]] et al., ''Suishu'', [https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E9%9A%8B%E6%9B%B8/%E5%8D%B784#%E7%AA%81%E5%8E%A5 vol. 84] quote: "突厥之先，平涼雜胡也，姓阿史那氏。"</ref><ref name= "tongdian197"/> or from an obscure Suo state (索國), north of the Xiongnu.<ref>''Zhoushu'', "vol. 50" "或云突厥之先出於索國，在匈奴之北。"</ref><ref>''Beishi'' "vol. 99 - section Tujue" quote: "又曰突厥之先，出於索國，在匈奴之北。"</ref>
* Uyghur Khagans claimed descent from the Xiongnu (according to Chinese history ''[[Weishu]]'', the founder of the [[Uyghur Khaganate]] was descended from a Xiongnu ruler).{{sfn|Golden|1992|p=155}}<ref>[[Wei Shou]] et al., [[Book of Wei]] [https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E9%AD%8F%E6%9B%B8/%E5%8D%B7103#%E9%AB%98%E8%BB%8A vol. 103 - section Gaoche] quote: "高車，蓋古赤狄之餘種也，初號為狄歷，北方以為勑勒，諸夏以為高車、丁零。其語略與匈奴同而時有小異，或云其先匈奴之甥也。其種有狄氏、袁紇氏、斛律氏、解批氏、護骨氏、異奇斤氏。" translation: "The Gaoche are probably remnants of the ancient Red [[Beidi|Di]]. Initially they had been called Dili. Northerners consider them [[Tiele people|Chile]]. The [[Huaxia|various Xia]] (aka Chinese) consider them Gaoche [[Dingling]] (High-Cart Dingling). Their language, in brief, and Xiongnu [language] are the same yet occasionally there are small differences. Some say that they [Gaoche] are the sororal nephews/sons-in-laws of the Xiongnu of yore. Their tribes (種) are Di, Yuanhe (aka [[Uyghur Khaganate|Uyghurs]]), Hulu, Jiepi, Hugu, Yiqijin."</ref><ref>''Xin Tangshu'' [https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E6%96%B0%E5%94%90%E6%9B%B8/%E5%8D%B7217%E4%B8%8A vol 217A - Huihu] quote: "回紇，其先匈奴也，俗多乘高輪車，元魏時亦號高車部，或曰敕勒，訛為鐵勒。" translation: "Huihe, their ancestors were the Xiongnu; because they customarily drove carts with high-wheels and many spokes, in [[Northern Wei|Yuan Wei]]'s they were also called Gaoche (High-Cart), or also called Chile, mistakenly rendered as [[Tiele people|Tiele]]."</ref>
* The [[Book of Wei|''Book of Wei'']] states that the Yueban descended from remnants of the [[Northern Chanyu|Northern Xiongnu chanyu]]'s tribe and that Yueban's language and customs resembled Gaoche (高車),<ref>''Weishu'', "vol. 102 [https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E9%AD%8F%E6%9B%B8/%E5%8D%B7102#%E7%83%8F%E5%AD%AB-%E7%96%8F%E5%8B%92-%E6%82%85%E8%88%AC Wusun, Shule, & Yueban]" quote: "悅般國，…… 其先，匈奴北單于之部落也。…… 其風俗言語與高車同"</ref> another name of the Tiele.
* The [[Book of Jin|''Book of Jin'']] lists 19 southern Xiongnu tribes who entered [[Former Yan]]'s borders, the 14th being the [[Alat tribe|Alat]] (Ch. 賀賴 ''Helai'' ~ 賀蘭 ''Helan'' ~ 曷剌 ''Hela''); ''Alat'' being glossed "piebald horse" (Ch. 駁馬 ~ 駮馬 ''Boma'') in [[Old Turkic]].<ref>''Jinshu'' [https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E6%99%89%E6%9B%B8/%E5%8D%B7097#%E5%8C%88%E5%A5%B4 vol. 97 Four Barbarians - Xiongnu]"</ref><ref>''[[Yuanhe Maps and Records of Prefectures and Counties]]'' vol. 4 quote: "北人呼駮馬為賀蘭"</ref><ref>Du You. Tongdian. [https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E9%80%9A%E5%85%B8/%E5%8D%B7200#%E9%A7%AE%E9%A6%AC Vol. 200]. "突厥謂駮馬為曷剌，亦名曷剌國。"</ref>

However, Chinese sources also ascribe Xiongnu origins to the Para-Mongolic-speaking [[Kumo Xi]] and [[Khitans]].<ref name= "Lee2016p105"/>