𐰴𐰆𐰢𐰆𐰺𐰽𐰍𐰀

Old Uyghur

FWOTD – 29 October 2017

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Turkic *kumursga.

Attested only in Ïrḳ Bitig.

Noun

𐰴𐰆𐰢𐰆𐰺𐰽𐰍𐰀 (qumur¹s¹ǧa /ḳumursġa/)

1. (entomology, hapax legomenon) ant

   Synonym: 𐽽𐽶𐽹𐽰𐾁𐽶 (cymʾly /⁠čimeli⁠/)

   • c. 930 CE, anonymous, Ïrḳ Bitig Ïrḳ 37 (33.l01-07):

     𐰇𐰚𐰇𐰔𐰇𐰏⸱
     𐰋𐰃𐰠𐰃𐰤⸱𐰋𐰃
     𐰲𐰀⸱𐰴𐰆𐰢𐰆
     𐰺𐰽𐰍𐰀⸱𐰘𐰃
     𐰢𐰃𐰾⸱𐰴𐰢𐰽
     𐰖𐰆⸱𐰆𐰢𐰀𐱃𐰃
     𐰣⸱𐱃𐰆𐰺𐰆𐰺⸱

     üküzüg⸱
     b²il²in²⸱b²i
     ča⸱qumu
     r¹s¹ǧa⸱y²i
     mis²⸱qms¹
     y¹u⸱umat¹i
     n¹⸱t¹ur¹ur¹⸱

     / […] öküzüg bélin biče ḳumursġa yémiš. Ḳamšayu umatïn turur./

     An ox was being eaten by ants gnawing around its belly. It stands, without being able to move.

References

• Clauson, Gerard (1972) “kumursğa:”, in An Etymological Dictionary of pre-thirteenth-century Turkish, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 628
• Nadeljajev, V. M.; Nasilov, D. M.; Tenišev, E. R.; Ščerbak, A. M., editors (1969), “QUMURSΓA”, in Drevnetjurkskij slovarʹ [Dictionary of Old Turkic] (in Russian), Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, Nauka, page 466
• Tekin, Mehmet Talât (2004) Irk Bitig: Book of Omens (Turcologica; 18), →ISBN, pages 18-19
• Wilkens, Jens (2021) “kumursga (r)”, in Handwörterbuch des Altuigurischen (in German), Göttingen: Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, page 423