𐱅𐰇𐰼𐰰
Old Turkic
Turkic · historical / hidden variety
Old Turkic (𐱅𐰇𐰼𐰰) is the earliest attested Turkic language, recorded in the Orkhon inscriptions (732 CE) and Yenisei runiform texts. The Orkhon script of ~38 letters, possibly inspired by Sogdian/Aramaic models, was the first writing system devised specifically for Turkic. Modern Turkish, Kazakh, Uyghur etc. all descend from this stage.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Old Turkic
Water
𐰽𐰆𐰉
/sub/
Fire
𐰆𐱃
/ot/
Sun
𐰚𐰰𐰣
/kyn/
Moon
𐰀𐰖
/aj/
Mother
𐰜𐰏
/øɡ/
Father
𐰴𐰭
/qaŋ/
Eat
𐰘𐰃-
/je/
Drink
𐰃𐰲-
/itʃ/
Love
𐰽𐰋-
/sæb/
Heart
𐰚𐰭𐰠
/køŋyl/
Tree
𐰃𐰍𐰲
/ɯɣatʃ/
House
𐰋
/æb/
Dog
𐰃𐱃
/it/
Cat
—
/—/
Hand
𐰘𐰠𐰏
/eliɡ/
Eye
𐰚𐰕
/køz/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
One
𐰋𐰃𐰼
/bir/
Good
𐰓𐰏𐰢
/ædɡy/
Words compared
Compared with related Turkic languages
| Meaning | Old Turkic | Karakhanid | Tofa | Nogai | Altai | Karachay-Balkar | Karakalpak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 𐰽𐰆𐰉 /sub/ | suw /suw/ | суғ /suɣ/ | сув /suv/ | суу /suː/ | суу /suw/ | suw /suw/ |
| Fire | 𐰆𐱃 /ot/ | ot /ot/ | от /ot/ | от /ot/ | от /ot/ | от /ot/ | ot /ot/ |
| Sun | 𐰚𐰰𐰣 /kyn/ | kün /kyn/ | хүн /xyn/ | күн /kyn/ | кӱн /kyn/ | кюн /kyn/ | kún /kyn/ |
| Moon | 𐰀𐰖 /aj/ | ay /aj/ | ай /aj/ | ай /aj/ | ай /aj/ | ай /aj/ | ay /aj/ |
| Mother | 𐰜𐰏 /øɡ/ | ana /ana/ | ийе /ije/ | ана /ana/ | эне /ene/ | ана /ana/ | ana /ana/ |
| Father | 𐰴𐰭 /qaŋ/ | ata /ata/ | ача /atʃa/ | атай /ataj/ | ада /ada/ | ата /ata/ | ata /ata/ |
| Eat | 𐰘𐰃- /je/ | yi- /ji/ | чиир /tʃiːr/ | аш /aʃ/ | јиир /dʒiːr/ | ашаргъа /aʃarʁa/ | jew /ʒew/ |
| Drink | 𐰃𐰲- /itʃ/ | ič- /itʃ/ | иъжер /iʔʒer/ | иш /iʃ/ | ичер /itʃer/ | ичерге /itʃerɡe/ | ishiw /iʃiw/ |
| Love | 𐰽𐰋- /sæb/ | sevgü /sevɡy/ | — /—/ | суьюв /syjyv/ | сӱӱш /syːʃ/ | сюймеклик /syjmeklik/ | muhabbat /muhabbat/ |
| Heart | 𐰚𐰭𐰠 /køŋyl/ | yürek /jyrek/ | чүрек /tʃyrek/ | юрек /jyrek/ | јӱрек /dʒyrek/ | джюрек /dʒyrek/ | júrek /ʒyɾek/ |
| Tree | 𐰃𐰍𐰲 /ɯɣatʃ/ | ığač /ɯɣatʃ/ | ыъаш /ɯʔaʃ/ | терек /terek/ | агаш /aɡaʃ/ | терек /terek/ | ag'ash /aʁaʃ/ |
| House | 𐰋 /æb/ | ev /ev/ | өг /øɣ/ | уьй /yj/ | айыл /ajɯl/ | юй /yj/ | úy /yj/ |
| Dog | 𐰃𐱃 /it/ | it /it/ | ыът /ɯʔt/ | ит /it/ | ийт /ijt/ | ит /it/ | iyt /ijt/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | piši /piʃi/ | — /—/ | мысык /məsəq/ | киске /kiske/ | киштик /kiʃtik/ | pishik /piʃik/ |
| Hand | 𐰘𐰠𐰏 /eliɡ/ | qol /qol/ | хол /xol/ | къол /qol/ | кол /kol/ | къол /qol/ | qol /qol/ |
| Eye | 𐰚𐰕 /køz/ | köz /køz/ | карак /karak/ | коьз /køz/ | кӧс /køs/ | кёз /køz/ | kóz /køz/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | salām /salaːm/ | — /—/ | ассаламу алейкум /asːalamu alejkum/ | эзен /ezen/ | салам /salam/ | salam /salam/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | tabug /tabuɡ/ | — /—/ | сав бол /sav bol/ | быйан /bɯjan/ | сау бол /saw bol/ | rahmet /ɾaχmet/ |
| One | 𐰋𐰃𐰼 /bir/ | bir /bir/ | бир /bir/ | бир /bir/ | бир /bir/ | бир /bir/ | bir /biɾ/ |
| Good | 𐰓𐰏𐰢 /ædɡy/ | yaqšı /jaqʃɯ/ | эъки /eʔki/ | яксы /jaksə/ | јакшы /dʒaqʃɯ/ | ариу /ariw/ | jaqsi /ʒaqsɯ/ |
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