thumb|Belt plaque in the shape of a kneeling horse, 3rd-1st century BCE, gilded silver, made in North China for Xiongnu patrons. Lajos Ligeti was the first to suggest that the Xiongnu spoke a Yeniseian language. In the early 1960s Edwin Pulleyblank was the first to expand upon this idea with credible evidence. The Yeniseian theory proposes that the Jie, a western Xiongnu people, spoke a Yeniseian language. Hyun Jin Kim notes that the 7th AD Chinese conpendium, Jin Shu, contains a transliterated song of Jie origin, which appears to be Yeniseian. This song has led researchers Pulleyblank and Vovin to argue for a Yeniseian Jie dominant minority, that ruled over the other Xiongnu ethnicities, like Iranian and Turkic people. Kim has stated that the dominant Xiongnu language was likely Turkic or Yeniseian, but has cautioned that the Xiongnu were definitely a multi-ethnic society.
thumb|belt plaque in the shape of a kneeling horse 3rd-1st century bce gilded silver made in north china for xiongnu patrons lajos ligeti was the first to suggest that the xiongnu spoke a yeniseian language in the early 1960s edwin pulleyblank was the first to expand upon this idea with credible evidence the yeniseian theory proposes that the jie a western xiongnu people spoke a yeniseian language hyun jin kim notes that the 7th ad chinese conpendium jin shu contains a transliterated song of jie origin which appears to be yeniseian this song has led researchers pulleyblank and vovin to argue for a yeniseian jie dominant minority that ruled over the other xiongnu ethnicities like iranian and turkic people kim has stated that the dominant xiongnu language was likely turkic or yeniseian but has cautioned that the xiongnu were definitely a multi-ethnic society