American Journal Of Philological Sciences
310
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajps
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue05 2025
PAGE NO.
310-313
10.37547/ajps/Volume05Issue05-85
On The Origin of Nominalizing Suffixes Derived From
Verbs in The Altaic Languages
Shoira Usmanova
Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, Uzbekistan
Received:
29 March 2025;
Accepted:
25 April 2025;
Published:
30 May 2025
Abstract:
This article explores the nominalizing suffixes derived from verbs in the Altaic languages, specifically
focusing on Turkic, Mongolic, Tungusic-Manchu, and Korean languages. It examines the verb-to-noun derivational
affixes in the Turkic languages as the base language and compares them with their counterparts in other Altaic
languages. The study analyzes their meanings and origins and reconstructs their forms from the Proto-Altaic
period.
Keywords:
Altaic languages, household vocabulary, verb, affix, meaning, form.
Introduction:
Numerous studies have been dedicated
to the comparative-historical morphology of the Altaic
languages. The first comparative-historical grammar of
the Altaic languages was written by the German linguist
W. Schott . Numerals in Altaic languages were studied
by B. Laufer , W. Schott , G.I.Ramsted , B.Munkasi ,
F.Krayelits , V.Kotvich , pronouns by A. Böhler , F.Muller
, V.Kotvich , and cases by W. Bang , B.Laufer , D.Shinor
, N.N.Poppe .
In recent years, major monographic studies in Altaic
studies have gained significant importance. G.I.
Ramstedt's fundamental work “Введение в алтайское
языкознание” (Introduction to Altaic Linguistics) is
devoted to the synthetic study of the comparative
grammar of Altaic languages . In V. Kotvich’s typological
research titl
ed “Исследование алтайских языков”
(Research on Altaic Languages), the similarities and
unique features of morphology and syntax in Turkic,
Mongolic, and Tungusic-Manchu languages were
highlighted, and the general developmental processes
of these languages were outlined. In the collection
“Essays on Comparative Morphology of Altaic
Languages”, edited by O.P. Sunik, a series of articles
devoted to the comparative morphology of Altaic
languages were published . In N.A. Baskakov’s “The
Altaic Language Family a
nd Its Study”, along with a
classification of Altaic languages and directions in Altaic
studies, morphological materials were presented to
prove the closeness and relatedness of Altaic languages
. In X.U. Chen’s dissertation “Comparative Morphology
of Turk
ish and Korean”, the morphology of Altaic
languages was studied from a comparative-historical
perspective .
Below, the derivational suffixes that form nouns from
verbs in Turkic languages are compared with suffixes
from other Altaic languages, with an attempt to
determine their meanings and origins.
Turkic languages: -
čak/
-
čaq // Mongolic:
-
čaġ/
-
čeg //
Tungusic-Manchu: -
ĵak/
-
ĵek/
-
čak/
-
ček/
-
čok. In Turkic
languages, the suffix -
čak/
-
čaq typically appears within
nouns and expresses nuances of diminutiveness or
endearment. However, when combined with verb
stems, it conveys a sense of locality.
We believe that the suffix -
čak/
-
čaq was originally an
independent word meaning “place.” This argument is
supported by the following examples: ōčaq < hōčaq <
hōtčaq “hearth” < hōt “fire” or “to light a fire” + čaq
“place” = “a place for lighting a fire”; burčak “corner” <
bur-
“to twist” +
-
čak/
-
čaq “place.”
G.I. Ramstedt noted that the suffix -
ĵak/
-
ĵek in
Tungusic-Manchu languages indicates the location of
an action: ba
ldiĵak “birthplace” < baldi
-
“to be born”;
buĵek “grave” < bu
-
“to die”; biĵek “dwelling place” < bi
-
“to be/stay somewhere.” However, he interpreted
-
ĵak/
-
ĵek as composed of
-
ĵa/
-
ĵe +
-k, without clearly
establishing the origin of -
ĵa/
-
ĵe. He only specula
ted
that in buĵek,
-
ĵe may retain the meaning “to lie down.”
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American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2273)
O.A. Konstantinova wrote that the suffixes -
đaq/
-
čaq in
Tungusic-Manchu and Turkic languages combine with
verb roots to indicate “place of action” or “name of the
action”: xavalđak “workplace,” “work” < xaval
-
“to
work.” She also pointed out that elements carrying the
semantic of “place” such as čāk, čēk, and čōk occur in
various Tungusic-
Manchu lexical units like bičēk,
čuγačāk, boločō
k, tu
γečēk, expressing meanings like
“residence,” “place inhabited by people,” or “seasonal
dwelling.”
Turkic: -gaj/-
ġaj/
-gäj/-qaj/-kaj // Mongolic: -gaj/-
ġaj/
-
qaj/-kej // Korean: -kai/-kei. Sources emphasize that
the suffix -qaj/-
ġaj mostly expresses diminutiveness or
endearment (e.g., Uzbek bålakaj < båla “child”;
Tatar
kujankaj “little rabbit” < kujan “rabbit”).
G.I. Ramstedt noted that the -qaj/-
ġaj markers in Turkic
and Tungusic-Manchu languages may have formed
under Mongolic influence, and that the Korean -kai
suffix is rarely used. He also compared the Mongolic -
ġaj/
-qaj suffix with the Turkic -
ġa/
-qa and Tungusic-
Manchu -ga/-ka suffixes. Q. Muhamadjonov linked the
-qaj suffix in Uzbek and its dialects to the root qaj-
denoting movement in a particular direction: qajt-
“to
return,” qajïr “to turn aside,” qajïl “to turn back”; in
Chuvash qaj “to go, to leave”; in Old Turkic qaj
-
“to turn,
to bend,” etc. He also highlighted that while this suffix
forms adjectives in Mongolic and Tungusic-Manchu, in
Uzbek it also forms nouns, verbs, and adverbs.
However, we do not
agree with Q. Muhamadjonov’s
claim that -qaj only forms adjectives in Mongolic and
Tungusic-Manchu. The following examples support our
view. In the vocabulary of everyday life in Altaic
languages, the suffix -gaj/-
ġaj/
-gäj/-qaj occurs in names
of clothing and ornaments. Examples include:
•
Tatar: ĵilbägäj “a garment worn without
fastening the front”
•
Bashkir: jelbägäj “same meaning”
•
Kyrgyz: ĵelbegej “a garment worn over the
shoulders without putting on the sleeves”
•
Uzbek: jelägäj / dialectal ĵelbägäj “
same
meaning”
•
delägäj: “a loose robe worn over a coat”
These forms derive from the root ĵelbä
-
“to wave” and
the suffix -gäj. In Old Mongolian, related forms include
maqalai, malaqaj, maγala, maqalaj; Khalkha: malgaj;
Buryat: malgaj; Kalmyk: maxlä:; Dunsen: maGala;
Daghur: malgaj; Mongolic: malGei “fur hat” < maxi
-
“to
bend, fold.”
X.U. Che compared the Mongolic suffix -
ġai/
-gei with
Korean -kai/-
kei: Korean pjekä “pillow” < pje
-
“to lay
(one’s head)”; təpkai “quilt,” “blanket” < təp
-
“to
cover.” Addition
al Korean lexemes from our research
include: s:akai “sock liner” < s:a
-
“to wrap”; s:ïkai
“headwear” < s:ï
- < sï-
“to put on the head”; norikai (Old
Korean n
ò
r
í
k
ái) “women’s belt ornament” or “toy” <
n
ò
l-
“to play” +
-
í
.
As for the origin of the suffix -qaj, we fully agree with
Q. Muhamadjonov’s view that it derives from the root
qaj- expressing directional movement. Indeed, words
containing the -qaj element often convey meanings like
“to bend,” “to fold,” “to incline,” or “to split in two.”
For exampl
e, in Uzbek dialects: čalġaj “armpit area of
shirt,” ĵaγačalġaj “lining inside a coat”; Mongolic:
qačaġaj “bent” < qačaji
-
“to bend”; keltegej “crooked”
< kelteji-
“to bend”; tasurqaj “cracked” < tasura
-
“to
split.” The suffix also appears in somatic terms
describing “bending div parts”: in Uzbek dialects of
Karakalpakstan, baqaj “ankle”; Mongolic: berbegei
“upper joint of hoof,” tabgaj “foot sole (palm),” “paw
of animals.”
Turkic: -ga/-
ġa/
-kä // Mongolic: -ga/-
ġa,
-ge //
Tungusic-Manchu: -ka/-ke. In Turkic languages, the
suffix -ga/-
ġa/
-kä occurs in names of household items,
such as Tatar sǒskä “ladle” and Chuvash äskä “dipper”
< sǒs
-// äs-
“to scoop.”
This suffix is actively used in Altaic languages to form
names of household items. Examples include:
•
Mongolic: tulga/tulγa “tripod stove,” “support”
< tul-
“to lean on”;
•
xučilγa “covering” < xučī
-
/kuči
-
“to cover”;
•
kedürge “upper garment” < kedür
-
“to wear”;
•
Tungusic-Ma
nchu: elbuke “tent covering” <
elbu-
“to cover”;
•
maltika “folding knife” < malta
-
“to fold.”
The Suffix -gu/-gü/-
ġu/
-qu in Turkic Languages // -gu/-
ġu in Mongolic //
-ku in Tungusic-Manchu // -gu in
Korean
The suffix -gu/-gü/-
ġu/
-qu plays a significant role in
enriching the household vocabulary of Turkic
languages. It actively participates in the derivation of
words related to kitchen utensils: In Uyghur, bïčġu
“knife” < bïč
-
“to cut”; In dialects of Turkish, süzgü
means “strainer,” “fisherman’s net,” or “a watering can
made from metal with a straining end” < süz
-
“to strain,
to filter”; süsgü is “a wire strainer used during milking
to prevent impurities from entering the milk” < süz
-
“to
strain.”
This suffix also forms clothing terms: In Old Turkic,
jaγqu
“raincoat” < jaγ
-
“to rain”; keđgü “clothing” <
keđ
-
“to wear.”
The suffix aligns with affixes found in other Altaic
languages. In Mongolic, it derives nouns from verbs,
e.g.: dēsәgu “mat” < deb
-
“to spread, to lay out”; It also
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
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American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2273)
forms adjectives: bolduġu “fat” < boldu
-
“to become
fat”; qataġu “hard” < qata
-
“to dry, harden.”
In Tungusic-Manchu, the form -ku is productive in
forming names of household items: alikû “bowl, tray” <
alï-
“to give, to offer”; elbeku “cover” < elbe
-
“to cover”;
mūliku “bucket” < mūue
-
“to go fetch water.”
The Turkic -
ġu/
-gü suffix was first compared to the
Mongolic -
ġu/
-gü and Tungusic-Manchu -ku by G.J.
Ramstedt. Later, H.U. Che included the Korean nominal
suffix -
ki in the same group (hăki “to do, to act” < hă
-
“to do”). However
, in our opinion, instead of -ki, it is
more appropriate to include the Korean suffix -gu in
this group. For example, in Korean, -gu appears in the
names of household tools: čәlgu, tәlgu (Pyongan
dialect) “mortar” < čәl / tәl
-
“to decrease.”
The Suffix -i/-ï/-u/-ü in Turkic // -i in Mongolic // -i in
Tungusic-Manchu // -i in Korean
This suffix is non-productive in Turkic but still appears
in terms for clothes and tools. Examples: Old Turkic
jaku, Altay jakï, Oirat jaqqï, Tuvan čaγï, Kyrgyz (dial.)
ĵaqï, Kazakh (dial.) žaqï, Bashkir jaqï –
all meaning
“raincoat” < jag
-
“to rain”; Old Turkic soqu, Turkish
soku, Turkmen sokï, Uzbek (dial.) soqï “pestle” < sok
-
“to strike, crush”; Old Turkic adrï “wheat
-
cleaning tool”
< adïr-
“to separate.”
G.J. Ramstedt and N.N. Poppe compared the Turkic -i
suffix with Mongolic -i and Tungusic-Manchu -i; H.U.
Che added Korean -i to this comparison. In Mongolic, it
forms verbal nouns: ajisui “approach” < ajis
-
“to
approach” +
-u (linking vowel) + -
i; odui “departure” <
od-
“to go.” In Tungusic
-Manchu, it creates nouns from
verb roots: degi “bird” < deg
-
“to fly”; teti “clothing” <
tet-
“to wear.” In Korean, it forms abstract nouns from
verbs: hari “complaint” < har
-
“to complain”; ibati
“service” < ibat
-
“to serve”; sari “life” <
sar-
“to live.”
The Suffix -(V)k/ -(V)q/ -(V)g/ -
(V)ġ in Turkic //
-g/ -
ġ in
Mongolic // -(V)k in Tungusic-Manchu
This ancient and productive Turkic suffix functions in
multiple semantic domains. In names for kitchen
utensils: elgek/elek “sieve” < elge
-
“to sift”; kalak/qalaq
“spoon,” “paddle” < qala
-
“to gather.” In tools: körük
“bellows” < körü
-
“to blow air.” In bedding: töšek
“mattress” < töše
- < to
ĺ
e-
“to spread”; örtük “sheet” <
ört-
“to cover.” In clothing: ičik “lined garment” < ič
-
“to
be inside”;
küpik “padded coat” < kup
-
“to swell,
bulge”; börk “hat” < boru
-
“to cover.” In accessories:
qijiq “belt” < qij
-
“to cut”; jiriq “hem” < jir
-
“to tear.”
This suffix also derives adjectives: tešik “hole” < teš
-
“to
pierce”; egik “bent” < eg
-
“to bend.” In
Chuvash, the
variant -
x is observed: vărax “far” < văra
-
“to stretch”;
śïvăx “near” < śïvă
-
“to approach.”
In Mongolic, -g/-
ġ plays a similar role: ükeg “box” <
üküg “sarcophagus” < ükü
-
“to die”; qabčig “clamp” <
qabči
-
“to squeeze.” In Tungusic
-Manchu: a
vak “towel”
< av-
“to wash”; elbek “cover” < elbe
-
“to cover”; huklek
“bed” < hukle
-
“to sleep.”
The Suffix -
kač/
-
qač/
-
geč,
-
kïč/
-
qïč/
-
gič/
-
ġič in Turkic //
-
kač/
-kat, -
kič in Tungusic
-Manchu // -
kač in Korean
This suffix forms names for tools and instruments from
verb roots: ačqač “key” < ač
-
“to open”; qïsqač “tongs”
< qïs-
“to squeeze”; süzgeč/süzgič “strainer” < süz
-
“to
strain.” Its phonetic variants are also common:
japkïč/jåpqïč “sheet” < jap
-
“to cover”; qirġič “grater” <
qir-
“to grate”; qïsqïč “pliers” < qïs
-
“to squeeze.”
These suffixes correspond with Tungusic-Manchu -
kač/
-kat/-
kič: upkač, upkat “whole” < up
-
“to become
whole”; örikič “residence” < örin
-
“to dwell.”
H.U. Che compared the Turkic -
kač/
-
qač suffix with
Korean -
kač (motkăči “meeting”
< mot-
“to gather”).
G.J. Ramstedt suggested that Turkic -
ġač/
-
gäč and
Mongolic -
ġad/
-ged come from a common *-
ġad form,
a view supported by N.N. Poppe. In many cases, the
Mongolic suffix -
ūūr/
-üür serves the same function as
Turkic -
kïč/
-
qïč/
-
gič/
-
ġič: xavčur “tongs” < xavč
-
“to
squeeze”; ölgüür “hook” < öl
-
“to hang.”
The Suffix -(V)m in Turkic // -m in Mongolic // -m in
Korean
In Old Turkic, this was a productive suffix. It forms
names for carpets and garments: jadïm “carpet” < jad
-
“to write, to lay out”; kerim “rug, tapestry” < ker
-
“to
stretch.” It also forms clothing names: keđim “clothes”
< keđ
-
“to wear.” Auxiliary clothing: In Bashkir, kürim
“belt tie” < kür
-
“to tie.”
Affixal Derivation of Household and Clothing
Vocabulary in Altaic Languages
In Turkic languages, the affixes -maq/ -mak/ -mäk, in
Mongolic -mag/-mog, and in Korean -mak are
commonly attached to verb roots to derive nouns
referring to household objects. For example: toqïmaq
“a beating tool, a device for threshing grain” < toqï
-
“to
be
at”. They also form clothing terms: ičmäk “a garment
lined with leather” < ič
-
“to be inside”. These affixes
also yield accessory terms: kürmäk “a clothing strap” <
kur-
“to tie”.
In Mongolic, similar derivations occur in clothing-
related accessories: orom
og “foot wrapping” < oro
-
“to
wrap”. In Korean, they form names of garments:
turumaki “outerwear” < turu
- < turï-
“to wrap”; In
Korean dialects, khurimäki “coat”, “chapan” < khuri
- <
kori-
“to wrap, tie”.
In Turkic languages, the suffix -(V)n (as well as -n in
Mongolic and Tungusic-Manchu) is used to derive
household nouns from verb roots: tügün / tugun “a
knot” < tug
-
“to tie”; orun “a bedding set” < or
-
“to
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
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American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2273)
place, arrange”.
This affix also forms clothing
items: čapan “outer
garment” < čap
-
“to split in two”; and accessories: kolan
“a broad belt” < kola
-
“to tie a belt”.
Such affixes play an active role in forming domestic
lexicon across Altaic languages. For instance: In
Mongolic: oron “bed, sleeping place” < oro
-
“to enter a
place”; In Tungusic
-
Manchu: kalan “cauldron” < kala
-
“to gather together”; čoman “wine goblet” < čom
-
“to
immerse, dip”; guren “string, cord” < gure
- < gurevu-
“to tie”.
The Turkic suffixes -
(V)č/
-
(V)š and the Mongolic
-
(V)š
form kitchenware nouns from verb stems. For example:
čömič / čömüš “ladle” < čom
-
“to dip”; qamïč “ladle” <
qam-
“to collect, gather”; kömäč / gömeč “a clay
cooking pot” < kom
-
“to bury”; eğič / ejiš “curved tool
for fruit picking” < eğ
-
“to bend”.
X.U. Che compared the Turkic suffix -
č with the
Mongolic -
ča /
-
če (e.g., bariča “gift” < bari
-
“to hold”);
the Tungusic-Manchu -
če (e.g., irče “mature” < ir
-
“to
grow up”); and the Korean
-
(V)či (e.g., kərəči “beggar”
< kər
-
“to beg”).
However, in our view, the affixes grouped in the
analysis above do not align in terms of phonetic
structure and semantic-functional roles. Specifically,
the Turkic -
(V)č /
-
(V)š affixes should be compared to
the Mongolic -
(V)š, while Turkic
-
ča /
-
če are more
appropriately aligned with the Mongolic -
ča /
-
če,
Tungusic-Manchu -
če, and Korean
-
ča.
Accordingly, S. Sidikov compared the Mongolic suffix -
(V)š with the Turkic
-
(V)š on the basis of examples like:
xevteš “a resting place above a stove” < xevt
-
“to lie
down”; toxoš “a cart harness” <
tox-
“to saddle”.
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