𐰀𐰕

Old Turkic

Alternative forms

• 𐰔 (z /⁠az⁠/)

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Turkic *āŕ (“few, very little”).

Adjective

𐰀𐰕 (az /az/)

1. few, scanty
   • c. 735 CE, Yollïġ Tigin (𐰖𐰆𐰞𐰞𐰃𐰍 𐱅𐰃𐰏𐰤), Bilge Qaɣan Inscription line 32, facing East:

     𐰋𐰃𐰔:𐰔:𐰼𐱅𐰢𐰔:𐰖𐰉𐰔:𐰼𐱅𐰢𐰔

     b²iz:z:r²t²mz:y¹b¹z:r²t²mz

     /Biz az ärtimiz, yabïz ärtimiz […] /

     We were but a few [people], we were in bad shape.

Adverb

𐰀𐰕 (az /az/)

1. a little, a few

Derived terms

• 𐰔𐰴𐰪𐰀 (zqńa /⁠azqïɲa⁠/, “very few”)
• 𐰔𐰲𐰃 (zči /⁠azča⁠/, “a few”)

Etymology 2

Inherited from Proto-Turkic *āŕ- (“to go astray, lose one's way”).

Verb

𐰀𐰕 (az /āz-/)

1. (intransitive) to go astray, to lose one's way
   1. (figurative, intransitive) to die, perish

      Synonym: 𐰇𐰠 (öl-)

      • c. 8th-9th centuries, Begre Inscription (e-11) line 2/5:

        𐰚𐰇𐰥𐰀𐰖𐰀𐰔𐰑𐰢𐰀

        kün²ay¹azd¹ma

        / […] künä aya azïdïma./

        In the day and the night I perished [over the loss of my wife and my master.]

Derived terms

• 𐰔𐰆 (zu /⁠azu⁠/, “or, if so”) (conjunction)

References

• Clauson, Gerard (1972), “a:z-”, in An Etymological Dictionary of pre-thirteenth-century Turkish, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 729
• Clauson, Gerard (1972), “a:z”, in An Etymological Dictionary of pre-thirteenth-century Turkish, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 727
• Tekin, Talât (1968), “az”, in A Grammar of Orkhon Turkic (Uralic and Altaic Series; 69), Bloomington: Indiana University, →ISBN, page 306
• Tekin, Talât (1968), “az-”, in A Grammar of Orkhon Turkic (Uralic and Altaic Series; 69), Bloomington: Indiana University, →ISBN, page 307