Reconstruction:Proto-Turkic/altun

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

Likely related to Proto-Mongolic *altan (“gold”). Compare Mongolian алт (alt), Dongxiang antang and Daur alt. Also compare Old Chinese 銅 (*doːŋ), which belongs here if the Proto-Turkic word is a compound *āl (“scarlet, red”) +‎ *tun (bronze).

Noun

*altun

1. gold (metal)

Declension

Declension of *altun

	Singular 3)
Nominative	*altun
Accusative	*altunnï, *altunug 4), *altunnïg 1)
Genitive	*altunnïŋ
Dative	*altunka
Locative	*altunta
Ablative	*altuntan
Allative	*altungaru
Instrumental 2)	*altunun
Equative 2)	*altunča
Similative 2)	*altunlayu
Comitative 2)	*altunlugu

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.

Descendants

• Oghur:
  • Volga Bulgar: الطن (altın)
    • Chuvash: ылтӑн (ylt̬ăn)
• Common Turkic: *altun
  • Proto-Oghuz: *altun
    • West Oghuz:
      • Old Anatolian Turkish:
        • Azerbaijani: altun
        • Ottoman Turkish: آلتون (altun, altın)
          • Gagauz: altın
          • Turkish: altın
    • East Oghuz:
      • Salar: altun
      • Turkmen: altyn
  • Karluk:
    • Karakhanid: اَلْتُونْ (altūn)
      • Khorezmian Turkic: [script needed] (altūn)
        • Chagatai: [script needed] (altun)
          • Uzbek: oltin
          • Uyghur: ئالتۇن (altun)
  • Kipchak:
    • Kipchak: التن (altın)
      • North Kipchak:
        • Bashkir: алтын (altın)
        • Tatar: алтын (altın)
      • West Kipchak:
        • Crimean Tatar: altın
        • Karachay-Balkar: алтын (altın)
        • Kumyk: алтын (altın)
        • Karaim: алтын
        • Krymchak: алтын
      • South Kipchak:
        • Kazakh: алтын (altyn)
        • Karakalpak: alti’n
        • Nogai: алтын (altın)
      • East Kipchak:
        • Kyrgyz: алтын (altın)
        • Southern Altai: алтын (altïn)
  • Siberian:
    • Old Turkic: 𐰞𐱃𐰆𐰣 (l¹t¹un¹ /⁠altun⁠/)
      • Old Uyghur: [script needed] (ʾʾltwn /⁠altun⁠/)
        • Western Yugur: [script needed] (aʰltïm)
    • North Siberian:
      • Dolgan: алтан (“copper”)
      • Yakut: алтан (altan, “copper”)
    • South Siberian:
      • Sayan Turkic:
        • Tuvan: алдын (aldın)
        • Tofa: аълтан
      • Yeniseian Turkic:
        • Khakas: алтын (altın)
        • Shor: алтын (altın)

See also

Minerals in Proto-Turkic
Stone	stone: *tiāĺ	Iron	iron: *temür	Silver	silver: *kümüĺ
Gold	gold: *altun	Strawberry	copper: *bakïr	Chalk	chalk or earth: *bōr
Coal	coal: *kömür	Salt	salt: *tūŕ	Lead	lead: *korguĺčïn

References

• Clauson, Gerard (1972) “altuːn”, in An Etymological Dictionary of pre-thirteenth-century Turkish, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• Tokat, Feyza (2014) “On the Common Words in Mongolian and the Turkish Dialects in Turkey”, in The Journal of International Social Research (Uluslararası Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi)‎^[1], volume 7, number 32, →ISSN, pages 185-198.
• Nugteren, Hans (2011) Mongolic phonology and the Qinghai-Gansu languages (dissertation)‎^[2], Utrecht: LOT