On the name “Äšir” in the Tonyukuk Inscription
The name of the ancient Turkic ruling clan is written in Middle Chinese as 阿史那 (ā shǐ nà). Scholars have long inferred that this word is derived from the Khotan-Saka language and signifies “blue” as expressed in the forms āṣṣeina ~ āṣṣana. However, there is a clan name positioned between the words t...
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Istanbul University Press
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Türkiyat Mecmuası |
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| Online Access: | https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/6853D1AFE90B4F54AE03D58C9DD3EFFF |
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| author | Asuman Baş |
| author_facet | Asuman Baş |
| author_sort | Asuman Baş |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The name of the ancient Turkic ruling clan is written in Middle Chinese as 阿史那 (ā shǐ nà). Scholars have long inferred that this word is derived from the Khotan-Saka language and signifies “blue” as expressed in the forms āṣṣeina ~ āṣṣana. However, there is a clan name positioned between the words türük and bodun in the Tonyukuk inscription and researchers often read it as sir. It can be read as äšir according to the rules of the Turkic runic script. Several pieces of evidence indicate that the word could convey the name of the ancient Turkic ruling clan. It is thus plausible to construe the phrase türük äšir bodun occurring five times in the Tonyukuk inscription as meaning Turk Äšir people. With the reading and interpretation of the expression in this manner, it can be argued that the name 阿史那 (ā shǐ nà), considering historical sources, is a distorted form of an Old Turkic word and its written representation in Middle Chinese. Consequently, the Soviet and Western scholarly hypothesis associating the etymology of the name of the ruling clan of the First and Second Turkic Empires with Indo–Iranian languages, particularly the Middle Eastern Iranian, must be rejected. This study assesses the word presented five times in the Tonyukuk inscription as s2Ir2 and suggests that in its historical context, Turk Äšir people may be the name of one of the twelve Turks in the Second Turkic Khaganate period |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c255d50babc949ca96c1530470efcbda |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2651-3188 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Istanbul University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Türkiyat Mecmuası |
| spelling | doaj-art-c255d50babc949ca96c1530470efcbda2025-08-20T01:49:26ZengIstanbul University PressTürkiyat Mecmuası2651-31882023-12-0133291391910.26650/iuturkiyat.1354762123456On the name “Äšir” in the Tonyukuk InscriptionAsuman Baş0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1508-0624İzmir Katip Çelebi Üniversitesi, Izmir, TurkiyeThe name of the ancient Turkic ruling clan is written in Middle Chinese as 阿史那 (ā shǐ nà). Scholars have long inferred that this word is derived from the Khotan-Saka language and signifies “blue” as expressed in the forms āṣṣeina ~ āṣṣana. However, there is a clan name positioned between the words türük and bodun in the Tonyukuk inscription and researchers often read it as sir. It can be read as äšir according to the rules of the Turkic runic script. Several pieces of evidence indicate that the word could convey the name of the ancient Turkic ruling clan. It is thus plausible to construe the phrase türük äšir bodun occurring five times in the Tonyukuk inscription as meaning Turk Äšir people. With the reading and interpretation of the expression in this manner, it can be argued that the name 阿史那 (ā shǐ nà), considering historical sources, is a distorted form of an Old Turkic word and its written representation in Middle Chinese. Consequently, the Soviet and Western scholarly hypothesis associating the etymology of the name of the ruling clan of the First and Second Turkic Empires with Indo–Iranian languages, particularly the Middle Eastern Iranian, must be rejected. This study assesses the word presented five times in the Tonyukuk inscription as s2Ir2 and suggests that in its historical context, Turk Äšir people may be the name of one of the twelve Turks in the Second Turkic Khaganate periodhttps://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/6853D1AFE90B4F54AE03D58C9DD3EFFFashinatonyukuk inscriptionäširthe twelve turkstürük äšir bodun |
| spellingShingle | Asuman Baş On the name “Äšir” in the Tonyukuk Inscription Türkiyat Mecmuası ashina tonyukuk inscription äšir the twelve turks türük äšir bodun |
| title | On the name “Äšir” in the Tonyukuk Inscription |
| title_full | On the name “Äšir” in the Tonyukuk Inscription |
| title_fullStr | On the name “Äšir” in the Tonyukuk Inscription |
| title_full_unstemmed | On the name “Äšir” in the Tonyukuk Inscription |
| title_short | On the name “Äšir” in the Tonyukuk Inscription |
| title_sort | on the name asir in the tonyukuk inscription |
| topic | ashina tonyukuk inscription äšir the twelve turks türük äšir bodun |
| url | https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/6853D1AFE90B4F54AE03D58C9DD3EFFF |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT asumanbas onthenameasirinthetonyukukinscription |