136) Orhun Köktürk Türkçesi - I - Kadir Gümüş (2025)

Summary

The lecture introduces Old Turkic (Köktürk/Orkhon Turkic) through its historical background and inscriptions, and explains how to distinguish important inscriptions and their features. The lecturer emphasizes that not every early Turkic inscription is in the Turkish language or written in the runic script—and that runic writing was used by more than just the Köktürks.

Historical Background

• The First Köktürk State is presented as the first state to use the name Turk.
• After the Köktürks came under Chinese rule, Kutluk Kaan led a revolt and restored the state. He was given the title İlteriş, explained in the lecture as “the one who gathers and unites the country and people.”
• The lecture names Kül Tigin and Bilge Kaan among Kutluk İlteriş’s sons and places their inscriptions in the Second Köktürk period.

Inscriptions and Scripts

• Runic inscriptions are not limited to stone monuments. They could appear on rocks and stone, as well as on objects such as metal, coins, ceramics, wood, or paper. Writing could be painted or brushed rather than carved.
• Runic-script inscriptions are associated with several Turkic peoples and regions, not only the Köktürks. The lecture mentions examples connected with the Uyghurs, Kyrgyz, Pechenegs, and Bulgars, as well as inscriptions found in Mongolia, Siberia, Turkestan, and Eastern Europe.
• The lecture distinguishes among several important inscriptions:
  • Bugut is identified as the earliest surviving inscription associated with the Turks. It is not in Turkish and not in the runic script: the lecture says three sides are in Sogdian and one in Sanskrit.
  • The Çoyr (Choir) inscription is identified as the first inscription in Turkish runic writing. It is described as a short, six-line text about a Göktürk warrior joining İlteriş Kaan.
• The lecture also refers to inscriptions from the First and Second Köktürk periods and urges students to learn which examples belong to each period.

Inscriptions Highlighted in the Lecture

• Ongin inscription (also called the İşbara Tamgan Tarkan inscription): associated with the deeds of İşbara Tamgan Tarkan and events during the time of İlteriş Kaan and Bilge Kaan.
• Hoyt-Tamir inscription: described as painted on rock. The lecture connects it with the Tardush leader Kölü Çor, his battles, and an expedition to Beşbalık. It mentions 34 pieces, of which 21 had been published.
• Kölü Çor and Kötür inscriptions: both are associated with Kölü Çor and his military actions. The lecture notes a shared expression, rendered in the subtitles as “opl(a)y teğmek,” meaning roughly “to reach quickly.”
• Tonyukuk inscription: Tonyukuk is presented as a vizier who took part in Kutluk’s revolt. In some academic contexts, the inscription is also called the Bayın Tsokto inscription. Its accounts of political events and wars give it historical and memoir-like qualities.
• Kül Tigin and Bilge Kaan inscriptions:
  • Bilge Kaan commissioned the Kül Tigin inscription for his brother.
  • Yollug Tigin is identified as the person who carved the text.
  • The lecture says the inscriptions address the Turkic people and discuss leadership and state affairs. It describes their style as lively, forceful, and artistic, in contrast with Tonyukuk’s more serious style.
  • The captions contain inconsistent details about line counts and some inscription names, so those specifics are less reliable than the broader comparisons.

Literary and Historical Significance

The inscriptions are valuable not only as language documents but also as evidence about state administration, political events, wars, and relations with neighboring peoples.

Tonyukuk’s account is said to contain early examples of historical and memoir-like writing. The Kül Tigin and Bilge Kaan inscriptions are presented as examples of direct address and oratorical style, including appeals urging the people to remain alert.

The lecture also notes proverbs and features that it associates with Oghuz Turkic. Some details in this portion of the captions are garbled, so specific examples should be checked against a reliable text.

Study Guidance

• Separate three categories: the earliest inscription associated with the Turks, the earliest Turkish-language inscription, and the earliest Turkish runic inscription. They are not necessarily the same.
• Do not assume every runic inscription is Köktürk or that every inscription is carved on a stone monument.
• Learn the main inscriptions by their distinctive features—language or script, location or medium, subject, and historical period.
• Give particular attention to Tonyukuk, Kül Tigin, and Bilge Kaan; learn the other inscriptions through their identifying details.
• The lecturer says the next lesson will cover Uyghur runic inscriptions and inscriptions attributed to the Kyrgyz.

Speakers and Sources Mentioned

• Speaker: Kadir Gümüş, the lecturer.
• Sources and people mentioned in the subtitles: Radloff; Naman Dorge; Chinese annals and the history of the Tang dynasty; and ÖSYM, mentioned in connection with likely exam terminology.
• Several other personal names in the auto-generated subtitles are unclear or badly transcribed, so they cannot be identified confidently.