Borjigin

B3O1R1J8I1G2I1N1
/ˈbɔː(ɹ)d͡ʒɪɡɪn/

proper noun

The clan which Genghis Khan was a member of

Scrabble 18

Meanings

proper noun
  1. The clan which Genghis Khan was a member of

Origin

  1. Mongolianᠪᠣᠷᠵᠢᠭᠢᠨ
  2. EnglishBorjigin

From Mongolian ᠪᠣᠷᠵᠢᠭᠢᠨ (borǰiɣin). According to Rashid al-Din Hamadani, in his Jāmi‘ al-Tawārīkh, and later Abu al-Ghazi Bahadur, in his Genealogy of the Turks, this name meant 'having eyes of the color اشهل (ašhal) ~ شهلا (šahlā)', i.e. 'dark blue eyes', which Genghis Khan and his brothers reputedly all had. However, according to Igor de Rachewiltz, "The etymology of the name Borjigin is uncertain. The unreliable interpretation given by Rašīd (borjigin = 'man with dark blue eyes') accounts, through a further misunderstanding, also for the imaginary grey (pmo., mo. boro), or cat's eyes of Činggis Qan, regularly ascribed to the conqueror by modern authors."

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Borjigin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Borjigin

MLA

“Borjigin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Borjigin. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Borjigin,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Borjigin.

Source: Borjigin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.