Reconstruction:Proto-Turkic/elig

This Proto-Turkic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Turkic

Etymology

Usually considered to be simplex, however some theories have been thrown around:

1. Sevortyan compares the dialectal Turkish elmek (“hand”) and suggets a common root *el-
2. Tekin ties the word to *ẹĺ- (“to dig”), stating that the sigmatism didn't occur due to its medial position.
3. Nişanyan suggets a derivation *ạl- (“to take”) +‎ *-ïg, however note that the word is never attested as being back voweled through history.

The reason behind the disappearence of the final -i in some languages is uncertain but likely due to confusion with the third person singular possessive, compare *tātïg (“taste”), *bẹńi (“brain”) for similar cases.

Some linguists also suggests a relation with *ellig (“fifty”) since a hand has five fingers. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Noun

*elig

1. (anatomy) hand

Declension

Declension of *elig

	Singular 3)
Nominative	*elig
Accusative	*eligni, *eligig 4), *elignig 1)
Genitive	*eligniŋ
Dative	*eligke
Locative	*eligde
Ablative	*eligden
Allative	*eliggerü
Instrumental 2)	*eligin
Equative 2)	*eligče
Similative 2)	*eligleyü
Comitative 2)	*eligligü

¹⁾ Possibly in Pre-Proto-Turkic.
²⁾ The original instrumental, equative, similative & comitative cases have fallen into disuse in many modern Turkic languages.
³⁾ Plurality is disputed in Proto-Turkic. See also the notes on the Proto-Turkic/Locative-ablative case and plurality page in Wikibooks.
⁴⁾ Found in the Old Turkic era.

Derived terms

• ⇒? *ellig
• ⇒ *elig-e- (“to sift”)

Descendants

• Oghur:
  • Volga Bulgar: الو (elüw)
    • Chuvash: алӑ (ală)
• Common Turkic: *elig

• Arghu:
  • Khalaj: əl
• Oghuz: اَلِكْ (elig)
  • Old Anatolian Turkish:
    • Ajem-Turkic:
      • Azerbaijani: əl
      • Qashqai: [script needed] (el)
    • Ottoman Turkish: [script needed] (el)
      • Gagauz: el
      • Turkish: el
  • Salar: el
  • Turkmen: el
• Karluk:
  • Karakhanid: اَلِكْ (“elig”)
    • Chagatai: [Term?] (“élik”)
      • Uyghur: ilik (dial.)
      • Uzbek: ilik (arch.)
• Kipchak:
  • East Kipchak:
    • Southern Altai: ӧлӱ (ölü, “finger”), элӱ (elü)
• Siberian:
  • Old Turkic: 𐰠𐰏 (l²g /⁠elig⁠/)
    • Old Uyghur: ʾlʾk (elig)
      • Western Yugur: [script needed] (ılığ)
  • North Siberian:
    • Yakut: илии (ilii)
    • Dolgan: илии
  • South Siberian:
    • Yenisei:
      • Shor: [script needed] (ilik)

References

• Clauson, Gerard (1972) “elig”, in An Etymological Dictionary of pre-thirteenth-century Turkish, Oxford: Clarendon Press, pages 140-141
• al-Kashgarî, Mahmud (1072–1074) Besim Atalay, transl., Divanü Lûgat-it-Türk Tercümesi [Translation of the “Compendium of the languages of the Turks”] (Türk Dil Kurumu Yayınları; 521) (in Turkish), 1985 edition, Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurmu Basımevi, published 1939–1943
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “el”, in Nişanyan Sözlük
• Räsänen, Martti (1969) Versuch eines etymologischen Wörterbuchs der Türksprachen (in German), Helsinki: Suomalais-ugrilainen seura, pages 39-40
• Starostin, Sergei, Dybo, Anna, Mudrak, Oleg (2003) “el, -ig”, in Etymological dictionary of the Altaic languages (Handbuch der Orientalistik; VIII.8)‎^[2], Leiden, New York, Köln: E.J. Brill