уурхай

Mongolian

Nuurst Khotgor coal mine

Etymology

Cognate with Buryat уурхай (uurxaj, “nest, mine”), Kalmyk уурха (uurxa, “mine, source”).

Perhaps from Proto-Mongolic *huxur (“grave”) (Middle Mongol هوور, Mongghul fuuri) +‎ -хай (-xaj) if this reconstruction is valid, that is if given cognates don't derive from *hexür (“nest”), for which see үүр (üür).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʊːrxai/

Noun

уурхай • (uurxaj) (Mongolian spelling ᠠᠭᠤᠷᠬᠠᠢ (aɣurqai)); (regular declension)

1. mine
   1. excavation from which ore is extracted along with buildings and equipment used by the mining crew

      ил уурхай ― il uurxaj ― opencast mine

      уул уурхайн үйлдвэр ― uul uurxajn üjldver ― mining industry

   2. the site containing ore itself
2. (figuratively) a source
3. pit, hole

Derived terms

• уурхайчин (uurxajčin, “miner”)
• үүр уурхай (üür uurxaj, “nest”)