𐰞𐱃𐰆𐰣

Old Turkic

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Turkic *altun (“gold”). Cognate with Chuvash ылтӑн (ylt̬ăn, “gold”), Karakhanid اَلْتُونْ (altūn, “gold”), Old Uyghur ʾʾltwn (altun, “gold”), Turkish altın (“gold, golden”), Uzbek oltin, Bashkir алтын (altın, “gold”), Yakut алтан (altan, “copper”), Khakas алтын (altın, “gold, golden”). Compare also Manchu ᠠᡳᠰᡳᠨ (aisin) and Mongolian алт (alt), a Turkic borrowing.

Noun

𐰞𐱃𐰆𐰣 (altun)

1. gold
   • 8th century CE, Kültegin Inscription, S5

     𐰞𐱃𐰆𐰣:𐰚𐰇𐰢𐱁:𐰃𐰾𐰏𐱅𐰃:𐰸𐰆𐱃𐰖:𐰉𐰆𐰭𐰽𐰔:𐰨𐰀:𐰋𐰃𐰼𐰇𐰼

     altun:kümüš:išgiti:qutay:buŋsïz:anča:birür

     They give us gold, silver and silk in abundance.

Adjective

𐰞𐱃𐰆𐰣 (altun)

1. golden
   • 9th century CE, Irk Bitig, Omen 1

     𐱅𐰤:𐰾𐰃:𐰢𐰤:𐰖𐰺𐰣:𐰚𐰃𐰲𐰀:𐰞𐱃𐰆𐰣:𐰇𐰼𐰏𐰃𐰤:𐰇𐰔𐰀:𐰆𐰞𐰆𐰺𐰆𐰯𐰣:𐰢𐰭𐰃𐰠𐰘𐰇𐰼:𐰢𐰤

     tensi:men:yarïn:kéče:altun:örgin:üze:olurpan:meŋileyür:men

     I am the Son of Heaven. In the morning and evening, I enjoy sitting on the golden throne.

Alternative forms

• 𐰞𐱄𐰆𐰣 (altun) (Yenisei Kyrgyz)

Derived terms

• 𐰞𐱃𐰆𐰣:𐰖𐰃𐱁 (Altun Yïš, “Altai Mountains”)

References

• Tekin, Talât (1968) “altun”, in A Grammar of Orkhon Turkic (Uralic and Altaic Series; 69), Bloomington: Indiana University, →ISBN, page 301
• Tekin, Talât (1993) “(a)ltun”, in Irk Bitig: The Book of Omens, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, →ISBN, page 47
• Clauson, Gerard (1972) “altu:n”, in An Etymological Dictionary of pre-thirteenth-century Turkish, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 131