чихэр

Mongolian

Etymology

1. From Proto-Mongolic *šiker or *šikir, compare Buryat шэхэр (šexer), Kalmyk шикр (şikr).
2. Probably transmitted via a Turkic language from Persian شکر (šakar), ultimately from Sanskrit शर्करा (śárkarā, “ground or candied sugar, originally meaning grit, gravel”).

Initial ч- (č-) is irregular and isn't found in all dialects, but there exist parallels in other Mongolic and Turkic languages such as Middle Mongol 扯克兒 (čeker), جَكَرْ (čeker) (a hapax legomenon) in Karakhanid يَنْدَنْ جَكَرْ (yandan čeker, “manna”, literally “camelthorn sugar”) or Kipchak جکر بورک (čeker börek, literally “sugar burek”).

Noun

чихэр • (čixer) (Mongolian spelling ᠰᠢᠬᠢᠷ (sikir))

1. sugar
2. candy

Descendants

• → Southern Altai: чикир (čikir)
• → Tuvan: чигир (çigir)