One northern nation, parent of Huns, Turks, Mongols and Tartars
Editorial contextDeguignes opens his history of the ancient Huns with his big claim: a famous nation north of China's frontier provinces gave rise to the peoples later known as Huns, Turks, Mongols, Hungarians and Tartars. He lists the names the Chinese gave it over the dynasties, ending with Hiong-nou, which he thinks produced the name Hun.
North of the northern frontiers of the provinces of Shaanxi, Shanxi and Beizhili there once lived a famous nation, which gave birth to those we have since known under the names of Huns, Turks, Mongols, Hungarians and Tartars
Working translation
Original wording
Au Nord des frontières Septentrionales des Provinces de Chensi, de Chansi & de Petcheli, habitoit autrefois une Nation célèbre, qui a donné naissance à celles que nous avons connues depuis sous le nom de Huns, de Turcs, de Mogols, de Hongrois & de Tartares
About Xiongnu (Hiong-nou), in Deguignes' view the ancestors of the Huns and later Tartars
Keep in mind
A scholarly theory, not a report; the Xiongnu-Hun link is still debated and 'Hungarians' in this list is Deguignes' own speculation.
