Бишкек

See also: Бішкек

Kyrgyz

Alternative forms

• Пишкек (Pişkek), Пишпек (Pişpek) — obsolete

Etymology

پشکک شهریده ۴نچی مسجدنینگ امامی ملا کمال بن محمد ویس ― piškäk šähridä 4-ünči mäsjidning imāmı mullā kämāl ibn muhämmäd wäys ― Imam of the 4th mosque of the city of Bishkek, Mulla Kamal b. Muhammad Wais

First attested in the 1870s as پِشْکَکْ (pişkäk), with further origin unclear. Several theories have been proposed in this respect:

• From Kyrgyz беш (beş, “five”) +‎ бек (bek, “chief”). There is no explanation given as to who these five chiefs may have been, or why the settlement was named after them.
• From Classical Persian پیش (pēš, “front”) +‎ کوه (kōh, “mountain”), meaning "mountain face". This theory is weak on phonetic grounds.
• From Classical Persian پیش (pēš, “front”) +‎ بگ (bag, “chief”), referring to a chiefdom on the frontier, with the latter element being a borrowing from Turkic equivalent to Kyrgyz бек (bek). This theory is supported by that fact that Bishkek was founded as a frontier outpost by the Khanate of Kokand following its conquest of the Chuy region in 1825.

Common folk etymologies derive it from Kyrgyz бишкек (bişkek, “koumiss-churning paddle”) or the name of Kyrgyz mythological figure Bishkek Baatyr. Sense 2 is derived from the name of the city. Compare other Kyrgyz given names originating from toponyms, such as Талас (Talas), Нарын (Narın), and Алай (Alay).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /biʃˈkek/
• Hyphenation: Биш‧кек

Proper noun

Бишкек • (Bişkek) (Arabic spelling بئشكەك)

1. Bishkek (the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan)

   Synonym: (1926–1991) Фрунзе (Frunze)

3. a male given name

Declension

Declension of Бишкек (sg-only)

singular (жекелик)
possession → case ↓	—	first-person singular (менин)	second-person singular informal (сенин)	second-person singular formal (сиздин)	third-person singular/plural (анын/алардын)	first-person plural (биздин)	second-person plural informal (силердин)	second-person plural formal (сиздердин)
nominative (атооч)	Бишкек Bişkek	Бишкегим Bişkegim	Бишкегиң Bişkegiŋ	Бишкегиңиз Bişkegiŋiz	Бишкеги Bişkegi	Бишкегибиз Bişkegibiz	Бишкегиңер Bişkegiŋer	Бишкегиңиздер Bişkegiŋizder
genitive (илик)	Бишкектин Bişkektin	Бишкегимдин Bişkegimdin	Бишкегиңдин Bişkegiŋdin	Бишкегиңиздин Bişkegiŋizdin	Бишкегинин Bişkeginin	Бишкегибиздин Bişkegibizdin	Бишкегиңердин Bişkegiŋerdin	Бишкегиңиздердин Bişkegiŋizderdin
dative (барыш)	Бишкекке Bişkekke	Бишкегиме Bişkegime	Бишкегиңе Bişkegiŋe	Бишкегиңизге Bişkegiŋizge	Бишкегине Bişkegine	Бишкегибизге Bişkegibizge	Бишкегиңерге Bişkegiŋerge	Бишкегиңиздерге Bişkegiŋizderge
accusative (табыш)	Бишкекти Bişkekti	Бишкегимди Bişkegimdi	Бишкегиңди Bişkegiŋdi	Бишкегиңизди Bişkegiŋizdi	Бишкегини Bişkegini	Бишкегибизди Bişkegibizdi	Бишкегиңерди Bişkegiŋerdi	Бишкегиңиздерди Bişkegiŋizderdi
locative (жатыш)	Бишкекте Bişkekte	Бишкегимде Bişkegimde	Бишкегиңде Bişkegiŋde	Бишкегиңизде Bişkegiŋizde	Бишкегинде Bişkeginde	Бишкегибизде Bişkegibizde	Бишкегиңерде Bişkegiŋerde	Бишкегиңиздерде Bişkegiŋizderde
ablative (чыгыш)	Бишкектен Bişkekten	Бишкегимден Bişkegimden	Бишкегиңден Bişkegiŋden	Бишкегиңизден Bişkegiŋizden	Бишкегинен Bişkeginen	Бишкегибизден Bişkegibizden	Бишкегиңерден Bişkegiŋerden	Бишкегиңиздерден Bişkegiŋizderden

References

• Bahattin Gencal (2019), “Pi̇şpek Adının Oluşumu [Formation of the Name Pishpek]”, in Uluslararası Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi [The Journal of International Social Research]‎^[1], volume 12, number 67 (in Turkish), →DOI, →ISSN, pages 317–323

Macedonian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbiʃkɛk]

Proper noun

Бишкек • (Biškek) m (relational adjective бишкечки)

1. Bishkek (the capital city of Kyrgyzstan)

Derived terms

• бишкечанец m (biškečanec), бишкечанка f (biškečanka)
• бишкечки (biškečki)

References

• “Бишкек”, in Правопис на македонскиот јазик (Pravopis na makedonskiot jazik) [Orthography of the Macedonian language]‎^[2] (in Macedonian), 2nd edition, Skopje: Institute of Macedonian language "Krste Misirkov" – Skopje, 2017, page 293

Russian

Alternative forms

• Бишке́къ (Biškék) — pre-1918 spelling

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bʲɪʂˈkʲek]

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Бишке́к • (Biškék) m inan (genitive Бишке́ка, relational adjective бишке́кский)

1. Bishkek (the capital city of Kyrgyzstan)

   Synonyms: (1862 to 1926) Пишпе́к (Pišpék); (1926 to 1991) Фру́нзе (Frúnzɛ)

Declension

Declension of Бишке́к (inan sg-only masc-form velar-stem accent-a) 

	singular
nominative	Бишке́к Biškék
genitive	Бишке́ка Biškéka
dative	Бишке́ку Biškéku
accusative	Бишке́к Biškék
instrumental	Бишке́ком Biškékom
prepositional	Бишке́ке Biškéke

Tajik

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian Бишке́к (Biškék), from Kyrgyz Бишкек (Bişkek), of unknown etymology. See there for more.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /biʃˈkek/, [biʃ.kʰék]

Proper noun

Бишкек • (Biškek)

1. Bishkek (the capital city of Kyrgyzstan)