kauṃ

See also: kaum

Tocharian B

Etymology

From Proto-Tocharian *kaun (whence Tocharian A koṃ), from there uncertain. Likely borrowed from a Turkic language (obviously into Proto-Tocharian), from Proto-Turkic *kün. Compare Crimean Tatar kün, Turkish gün, both meaning "sun" and "day" (Meilet 1914:19). While Windekens (1941) suggested a borrowing from Tocharian into Turkic, Pedersen (1944:11) was in favor of a necessarily opposite borrowing from Turkic into Tocharian. This was later acknowledged by Windekens (1976:627). This theory is also supported by combinations of the meanings "sun" and "day" being very unusual in the Indo-European languages.

Winter suggests a connection with Ancient Greek καίω (kaíō, “to kindle, set on fire”), however this root is isolated in Indo-European and further unlikely compared to the evidence for the former theory.

Noun

kauṃ m

1. sun
2. day

Derived terms

• kauṃ-kläsko (“west”)
• kauṃ-parki (“sunrise”)
• kauṃ-pirko (“east”)
• kauṃ-yaptsi (“sunset”)
• kauṃ-yänmālle
• kauṃ-ñäkte (“sun, sun-god”)
• komt (“daily”)
• komtak (“today”)

 

References

• Adams, Douglas Q. (2013) “kauṃ”, in A Dictionary of Tocharian B: Revised and Greatly Enlarged (Leiden Studies in Indo-European; 10), Amsterdam, New York: Rodopi, →ISBN