𐰴𐰍𐰣

Old Turkic

Etymology

Thought to be a borrowing from an uncertain source, possibly a Yeniseian language. Cognate to Turkish kağan (“khagan”), and Mongolian ᠬᠠᠭᠠᠨ (qaɣan, “king, khan”), which Clauson (1972) considers a loanword from Turkic; though the reverse loan direction (from Mongolic into Turkic) was equally likely, as Turks borrowed this title from the Rourans (as proposed by Vovin, 2007). Compare also Turkish hākān, an early Arabicized form from Arabic خاقان (ḵāqān).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /qɑɣɑn/

Noun

𐰴𐰍𐰣 (qaɣan)

1. a type of ruler; khagan, king, emperor
   • 8th century CE, Kültegin Inscription, S1

     𐱅𐰭𐰼𐰃:𐱅𐰏:𐱅𐰭𐰼𐰃𐰓𐰀:𐰉𐰆𐰞𐰢𐱁:𐱅𐰇𐰼𐰜:𐰋𐰃𐰠𐰏𐰀:𐰴𐰍𐰣:𐰉𐰆:𐰇𐰓𐰚𐰀:𐰆𐰞𐰺𐱃𐰢

     teŋri:teg:teŋride:bolmuš:türük:bilge:qaɣan:bu:ödke:olurtum

     I, the God-like and Heaven-born Turkic Bilge Khagan, succeeded to the throne at this time.

Alternative forms

• 𐰴𐰣 (qan) (Irk Bitig, Yenisei)

Derived terms

• 𐰴𐰍𐰣𐰞𐰍 (qaɣanlïɣ)
• 𐰴𐰍𐰣𐰞𐰀 (qaɣanla-)
• 𐰴𐰍𐰣𐰽𐰺𐰀 (qaɣansïra-)
• 𐰴𐰍𐰣𐰽𐰺𐱃 (qaɣansïrat-)

References

• Tekin, Talât (1968) “qaγan”, in A Grammar of Orkhon Turkic (Uralic and Altaic Series; 69), Bloomington: Indiana University, →ISBN, page 339
• Clauson, Gerard (1972) “xağan”, in An Etymological Dictionary of pre-thirteenth-century Turkish, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 611
• Vovin, A. (2007) "Once Again on the Etymology of the Title qaγan" in Studia Etymologica Cracoviensia, 12. p. 184-185