Manos (Kyrgyzstan epic poem); Kyrgyzstan food

[A. Maberry]

On Thu, 10 May 2001 Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:

>    The OED numbers are pathetic:
>
> Kyrgyzstan--0 hits
> Kyrghyzstan--0 hits
> Kyrgyz (Republic)--0 hits
> Kyrghyz (Republic)--0 hits
>
>    Yes, that's right.  Nothing at all!  Doesn't even exist!

OED has: "Kirghiz
A. n. A widespread Mongolian people of west central Asia, now chiefly
inhabiting the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic; a member of this people;
their Turkic language.  B. adj. Of or pertaining to the Kirghiz; spec.
Kirghiz pheasant = Mongolian pheasant (MONGOLIAN a. 4). Also Kirghizian a.
and n."

The OED is seems very selective in citing place names and is certainly not
as useful a source for them as a gazetteer. E.g., OED online 1989 ed.
lists Hungary, but not Latvia or Lithuania. I wouldn't expect a 1989
work to list countries created after 1991.

>
> --------------------------------------------------------
> MANOS
>
>    MANOS is the hero of the national epic poem of Kyrgyzstan.  It supposedly is the world's longest epic poem.
>    MANASCHI are the storytellers of this epic poem.
>    OED?
>
> --------------------------------------------------------

Most commonly known as MANAS.
As for the OED the Kalevala didn't make it either. But the Aeneid,
the Iliad and the Odyssey did.

allen
maberry at u.washington.edu