Tocharian B 'Mule' More Likely from Turkic 'Donkey' than Iranian 'Horse'

What is it about?

The Tocharian B word for 'mule', etswe, which was first identified in a Tocharian B–Old Uyghur bilingual text, is proposed to have originated from a Proto-Turkic word for 'donkey' rather than an Iranian word for 'horse'. While prior scholarship, particularly by Peyrot (2015, 2018), had identified etswe as a loanword from Old Iranian *atswa- 'horse' (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ék̂wos 'horse'), this new study argues for a Turkic etymology. The central proposal is that Tocharian B etswe is a direct loanword from Proto-Turkic *ät₂gä [ɛtsʰˈɣɛ] 'donkey'. This Proto-Turkic form is the ancestor of the Common Turkic äšgäk and Khalaj äšgä. A key linguistic point supporting this is that the Tocharian B /w/ in etswe is understood as a substitution for the Proto-Turkic phoneme /g/, a phonological adaptation observed in other languages where a voiced velar fricative was absent. From a semantic perspective, the evolution of a word from 'donkey, ass' to 'mule' is considered more plausible than a shift from 'horse, steed' to 'mule', with the Russian word ishak (a Common Turkic borrowing) serving as a parallel example, meaning both 'donkey, ass' and 'mule'. The previous Iranian etymology faces challenges, particularly regarding its semantics and phonology. The meaning 'mule' is not attested for Iranian *aśu̯a- 'horse' in Old and Middle Iranian periods, suggesting the meaning would have had to emerge within Tocharian itself, which, while possible, requires demonstration of its likelihood in the given cultural context. Phonologically, it remains unclear which Old Iranian dialect would have undergone the proposed depalatalisation of *ću̯ to *tsw, as attested Old Iranian languages typically show *ć as /s/ or /θ/, and Scythian reflects *aspa- with /sp/ for 'horse'. Some scholars have even noted that such Tocharian loanwords would need to show "very early, even pre-Proto-Iranian phonology". Furthermore, an etymology is proposed for the Proto-Turkic word *ät₂gä itself. It is suggested that *ät₂gä originally meant 'eared (animal)', deriving from the root Proto-Turkic *ät₂i 'ear'. This root *ät₂i is also the source of the verb *ät₂id- 'to hear' (which evolved into Common Turkic äšid- and Chuvash ilt-). This proposed origin for 'donkey' is semantically compelling because donkeys are notably characterised by their long ears. This is not unique, with parallels found in Mongolic (e.g., Mongolic čikitei 'wild ass' from čikin 'ear') and colloquial German (Langohr 'long-eared') both signifying 'donkey'. The study also tentatively connects the Turkic word äšič 'cooking pot' to the same base *äši 'ear', citing the parallel of Turkish dialect kulaklï (literally 'having ears') also meaning 'large pot, cauldron' or 'two-handled frying pan'. The study goes further to propose that Proto-Turkic *ät₂i 'ear' is itself an indirect loanword from Akkadian ḫasīsu(m) /hatsītsu(m)/ 'ear; wisdom'. This Akkadian word is also linked to Hittite and Hurrian terms for 'ear' and 'wisdom'. If a Pre-Proto-Turkic *ät₂it₂V existed, it would have been simplified to *ät₂i through haplology. This is presented as one of several potential Akkadian loanwords into Turkic, alongside examples like Common Turkic baltu ~ baldu '(battle) axe' from Akkadian pāštu(m), pāltu 'axe, adze', and Common Turkic älti ~ eltü 'lady, wife; sister-in-law' from Akkadian aššatum 'wife'. The study acknowledges that for some of these loanwords, intermediary languages that facilitated the transfer must be "dead and unattested" due to the significant geographical and temporal distances. Regarding broader linguistic contact, the study posits that borrowings between Proto-Turkic and Tocharian, including etswe, likely occurred in the 2nd century BCE, a period roughly corresponding to "Common Tocharian" and possibly involving contact between the Xiongnu and the Lesser Yuezhi. Besides etswe, other potential Turkic loanwords in Tocharian include Tocharian AB tsit 'to touch' from Proto-Turkic *d₂et₁ä̆- 'to reach' and Tocharian B kärś- 'to chop up' from Proto-Turkic *kïrkă- 'to shear, cut'. Conversely, the study suggests that Tocharian B patsa 'bottom' might be the origin of Common Turkic (h)aš 'low, below', indicating a bidirectional linguistic influence.

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Photo by dimitri.photography on Unsplash

Photo by dimitri.photography on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study is important because it revises the widely accepted etymology of a significant Tocharian B word, etswe 'mule'. Previously, etswe was believed to be a loanword from an Iranian term meaning 'horse'. However, this study proposes a more plausible origin from the Proto-Turkic word *ät₂gä 'donkey'. This new etymology is crucial because: * It offers a semantically more logical progression (donkey to mule, rather than horse to mule). * It provides a clearer phonological explanation for the Tocharian B /w/ as a substitution for the Proto-Turkic /g/. * It deepens the understanding of the Turkic word itself, tracing *ät₂gä 'donkey' back to a Proto-Turkic root *ät₂i 'ear', implying 'eared (animal)' as the original meaning. This root is further connected to the Akkadian word ḫasīsu(m) 'ear; wisdom'. Ultimately, this research reshapes our understanding of ancient linguistic contact and influence between Turkic and Tocharian-speaking groups, particularly suggesting interactions around the 2nd century BCE.

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