𐰉𐰞𐰶

Old Turkic

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Turkic *bialïk (“city, fortress”). Cognate with Old Uyghur [script needed] (balïq, “town”), Karakhanid بَلِقْ (balïq, “stronghold, town”). Compare Mongolian ᠪᠠᠯᠭᠠᠰᠤ (balɣasu, “city”), a Turkic borrowing.

Noun

𐰉𐰞𐰶 (balïq)

1. town, city
   • 8th century CE, Kültegin Inscription, N4

     𐰭:𐰃𐰠𐰚:𐱃𐰆𐰍𐰆:𐰉𐰞𐰶𐰑𐰀:𐰾𐰇𐰭𐱁𐰓𐰢𐰔

     eŋ:ilk:toɣu:balïqda:süŋüšdümüz

     First, we fought at the city of Toghu.

References

• Tekin, Talât (1968) “balïq”, in A Grammar of Orkhon Turkic (Uralic and Altaic Series; 69), Bloomington: Indiana University, →ISBN, page 307
• Clauson, Gerard (1972) “balık”, in An Etymological Dictionary of pre-thirteenth-century Turkish, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 335 & 336
• Starostin, Sergei, Dybo, Anna, Mudrak, Oleg (2003) “*bialɨk”, in Etymological dictionary of the Altaic languages (Handbuch der Orientalistik; VIII.8), Leiden, New York, Köln: E.J. Brill