For the first time Czech researcher J.Peisker (Peisker J.1905) has paid attention to language connections between Slavs and Turkis and has created the original theory of Slavic-Turkic relation which has been stated in the work “Die ältesten Beziehungen der Slawen zu Turkotataren und Germanen”. His sights have been criticized, in particular by L.Niederle as was considered, that Slavic-Turkic contacts could not exist, if the question was about any “Turanian approachment”. Now we know that contacts of the western Slavs with Turkic Scythians (Bulgars) have real basis and explanation. Certainly, Turkic language influences on Slavs cover very wide period and it is difficult to separate old and latest loan-words which are widely present both in South-Slavic, and in East-Slavic languages. But the presence of Turkic words in West-Slavic languages is very indicative. To tell the truth, Turkisms could penetrate into the Polish language through Ukrainian, and in Slovak and Czech – through Hungarian. Such words are a lot, however, there are in etymological Machek’s dictionary examples of Turkisms which ways of infiltration to Czech and Slovak languages remain enigmatical (А. Machek V., 1957).
As nowaday Chuvashes are descendants of ancient Bulgars, particular importance have Chuvashian-West-Slavic and Chuvashian-Ukrainian language correspondences, especially if they do not have parallels in other Turkic languages. Looking for such correspondeces, one should not forget the hypothetical Turkic sound rz (Stetsyuk Valentyn, 2000). Primary sibiliant sonoric rz/rsalmost did not keep in Turkic languages though it exists in Czech (ř) till now and existed in Polish (it was kept in a spellingrz). It has transformed to z in Turkic languages in most cases but Chuvashian has r on such places. The list of found Turkic-Slavic lexical cirrespondences is adduced below.
Note: Bolg – modern-day Bulgarian Slavic language
Bulg – Bulgarian language as one of Turkic languages.
Ukr babay “an old man”. This word is mainly used in sense “an fearful old man” to frighten small children – Chuv papay “old man”. According Herodotus, main Scythian deity was Papai. Ukrainians didn’t worshipped the alien god but feared him lending him fearful features.
Ukr bačyty “to see”, Pol baczyć, Slk bačit' – Turk bak- (Chuv păx) “to look”.
Ukr (West Dial),batiar, Pol batiar, baciarz “a young brave man of cocky behaviour, a man of street” – Chuv mat’ar “frivolous, giddi man”. The word can originate from common Türkic batyr „hero“.
Rus braga, Ukr braha “home-made beer” – Max Vasmer supposed the origin of the word in Chuvach pěraga “home-made, watery beer”. Obviously, he bore in mind Chuv păraka "grains, draff".
Ukr čumak “Ukrainian travelling salt-marchant”. This word is not enough old in Ukrainian language, but has no sure etymology. There is a good match for it in Qyrgyz language – čomču “Qazakh travelling salt-marchant”. Maybe, such word exists in other Turkic languages too.
Ukr čy? – interrogative word – Chuv šy? – interrogative word.
West Slavic *dǔbati (Ukr. dbaty, Pol dbać, Czech dbati) “to hold in order, good condition” – Chuv. tăp "accurate".
Rus gat’, Ukr hat’, Czech hat, Serb gat “dam, dike” – Chuv kat “dam, dike”.
Pre-Sl *jačmy “barley” (Ukr jačmin’, Rus jačmen’, Czech ječmen, Pol jęczmień etc) – Chuv. yasmăx "lentil”.
Pol harcerz“scout” – Chuv xarsăr "courageous" originated from Turkic *qors “bold, malicious”. Polish word kept old Turkic consonant rz. There are similar words in Turkic languages having meaning “robber”or “thief”. Ukr xartsyz, xartsyz’aka “robber” was borrowed from one of them later as Polish word was.
Pol, Rus kaganiec, Ukr kahanec’, Slvk., Cz. kahan “a primitive oil-lamp with handle” – M. Vasmer considered this word as “dark” but compared it with Chuv. kăкan "handle".
Ukr kapar “poor” – Chuv. kapar "avid for eating".
Rus, Ukr karman “pocket” – Chuv. kărman "basket".
Czechklobouk, Old Slvk. klobúk, koblúk, Rus.kolpak, Ukr kovpak “a kap with long top” – Türk qalpaq “a kap”. Türkic origin of the word is common accepted (Chuv kalpak “a kap”).
Sl *kǔniga “a book” (Rus, Pol kniga, Ukr knyha, Cz kniha etc)– M. Vasmer and others scholars are agree with Türkic origin of the word (Old Chuv. *koniv ← *konig).
Sl *kobyla “a mare” (Ukr, Rus, Cz, Slvk kobyla etc) Lat caballus “horse”, Pers kaval “fast horse”, Gr ιπποσ, Fin hepo, Est hobu “horse” etc – all these words have the origin from Turk jaby “horse”.
Ukr kolymaha, Rus kolymaga, Old Pol kolimaga, Old Czech kolimah etc “cart of various types” – Many scholars think this is a loan-word from Mong xalimag “Kalmuck, literally, high cart”. But the way of borrowing is ovscure. Most likely the word has Old Bulg origin (Chuv k’al “to harnish a horse”, jupax ← jubax “horse”). In this case Mongolian word is borrowed from Turkic (jabaq, jaby “horse”are wide-spreaded Turkic words). Ukr kulbaka “saddle” has the same origin.
Ukr, Rus korčma, Pol karczma, Czech, Slvk krčma etc “inn, tavern” – M. Vasmer supposed this word to be “dark” but it has Old Bulgarian origin (Chuv kărčama “home-made beer”).
Rus kostra, Ukr. kostrytsia, Pol. kostra a.o. Sl.“flaxen or hempen chaff, sheave, boon” – Chuv. koštra “chaff”.
Rus kover, Czech, Slvk koberec, Pol kobierzec “carpet”, Eng cover – Max Vasmer supposed Slavic words have Old Bulg origin (Chuv *kavêr← *kebir), meanig some Turkic words kiviz, kigiz “carpet”. Maybe all tese words origim from Turkic kap- “to cover”.
Rus, Ukrkovyl, Ukr kovyla, Bolg kovil “feather-grass” – Karl Menges gives three possible variants of supposed Turkic origin for kovyl (Menges K.G., 1979, 105-106). All three variants are far phonetically and semantically (compare 1. Old. Uigur. qomy “to be in movement”, 2. Alt. gomyrğaj “a plant with an empty stalk”, 3. Tur. qavla “to shed bark, leaves”). Old Bulgarian language as a source of loan can suit better, for Chuv. xămăl “a stalk, eddish” is more similar to the word kovyl according to the form and the sense. The word of this root is survived for the present in Tat qamlı too.
Sl *morzǔ “frost” (Rus, Ukr, moroz, Pol mróz, Czech, Slvk, Bolg, Serb mraz) – Common Turkic buř. that is burz ( Chuv păr, Tat boz, Tur buz “ice” etc).
Ukr nexaj “let, may” – Chuv ne “what” + xǎj “to dare”. See xaj.
Rus, Pol pirog, Ukr pyrih, Czech, Slvk piroh “pie, meat-pie” – There are similar words in Turkic langages (Tur börek, Chuv pürěk a.o.) but M. Vasmer rejected Turkic origin of the word grounded his opinion by the absence such word in South Slavic languages. As we know, West and East Slavs could have contacts with Old Bulgars directly.
Sl*pĭšeno “millet meal” (Rus, Czech pšeno, Ukr pšono), Serb pšena “species of clover” (Meliotus), Sl pĭšenica “weat” – Chuv. piçen "sow-thistle" (Cirsium vulgare). Seeds of this plant quite could be used as food up to spreading of cultural grain crops and its borrowed from Bulgars name could be extended by Slavs on the name of millet or wheat. The meaning of Serbian word can support this idea.
Sl*proso “millet” (Ukr, Rus, Pol, Bolg, Czech, Slvk proso) – Both M. Vasmer, and V. Machek, and A. Brückner consider this word as "dark" origin, probably, even "pre-European". Maybe, it has Bulgarian origin? (Chuv. părça "peas").
Czechsálat "to flare", Slvk. sálat’ "to radiate, flare" – V. Machek supposed the old meaning of these words"to throw”. In this case Chuv. salat "to scatter, throw about" can have connection with them.
Rus sigat’, Blr sihac’ “to jump” – Chuv sik “to jump”.
Sl *smordǔ “stink, smell” (Rus, Czech smrad, Pol smród, Ukr smorid etc) – Chuv çěměrt “bird cherry (tree)”. It is known the flowerts of the bird tree have strong smell. Moreover Lusatian (Sorbian) languages have the word smrod which has the meaning “bird cherry (tree)”.
Ukr, Rus sorok “forty” – Cрuv xěrěx “forty” (the others Turkic languages have mainly the form qyrq for the meaning “forty”). Turkic origin of this word is not be ruled out the possibility by some scholars.
Ukr šuvar “sweet-rush” (Acorus calamus) – Dobrodomov supposed Old Bulgarian origin of the word (See Vasmer’s dictionary)..
Rus, Pol tabor, Czech, Slvk tábor, Ukr tabir “camp” etc – Slavic words can be borrowed from Hungarian (Hung tábor “camp” which has its origin in Chuv tapăr “watering place”) but Chuvashian word can be borrowed in some Slavic languages directly as there is the word tabyr “herd” in Russian (M. Vasmer).
Rus telega, Ukr teliha, Bolg taliga “cart” a.o. Slavic words – The word has no sure etymology but supposed by some scholars to be of Turkic origin. Maybe it can be connected with Chuv talkăš “to go swiftly”.
Rus tolmač, Czech tlumač, Pol tłumacz a.o. Slavic words of the meaning “dragoman, translator” – Generelly accepted opinion tis is common Slavic ancient loan-word from Turkic languages.
Rus tvarog, tvorog, Czech, Slvk tvaroh, Pol twaróg a.o. Slavic words of the meaning “curds, cottage cheese” – Chuv turǎx “fermented baked milk”.
Rus vataga, Ukr vataha “crowd, throng” – M. Vasmer supposed the origin of these words in Old Chuv *vătağ “family, room”. I did not found this word in modern-day Chuvashian.
Ukr vyrij, irij “mythical south country where birds fly away in the autumn, warm lands” – The origin of this word has such explication. There are words ir "morning" and uj "a field, steppe" in Chuvashian. M Vasmer supposed the initial form of Ukrainian word as *vyroj. Hence, Old Bulg. *iroj could mean "morning (east or, south) steppe". When Slavs still occupied a wood zone they could see how birds fly in the autumn somewhere to the south, in steppe, and said then, that they fly in "irij".
Sl xǔmeljĭ “hop, Humulus lupulus” (Rus xmel’, Bolg xmel, Bolg xmil’, Pol chmiel, Czech, Slvk chmel etc) – The words of this root are present in many Indo-European and Finno-Ugric languages. Scholars deem that the ways of their spreading are very complicated but they agree about their common sourse. Some linguists see it in Bulgar language (cf. Chuv xămla “hop”), others doubt in the possibility of infiltration Bulgarian word so far in Europe (Lat humulus, Old Eng hymele , N Germ humli).
Rus, Ukr xomut, Czech chomout, Slvk chomút, Pol chomąt “collar for horse” – Chuv xămăt “collar for horse”. Old Bulgarian origin of Slavic word could be sure as similar words are present in other Turkic languages, however the nasal vowel ą in Polish word has to be explained.
Sl xyža “hut” (Ukr xyža, Rus xižina, Czech chýše, Slvk chyža и т.д.) – Chuv xüše „hut, hovel”. The words of this root are present in Germanic languages (Germanic hūsa, Germ Haus, Eng house etc). This word is noted as “Herkunft unklar” (obscure origin) in Kluge’s dictionary.
Sl *zerz “iron, rust”. Most part of scholars restore Slavic word for the rust as *rǔdja according to Pol rdza, Bolg rǔžda, Rus rža, Ukr irža, Czech rez, and Slav *ruda “ore”. But there is the word zerz “rust” in Lusatian (Sorbian) languages which cannot be derived from *rǔdja. The root of this word has Turkic origin. Turkics use words jez, zez, čes (Chuv. jěs) for the name of copper or brass which derived from ancient forms jerz/zerz. Indo-Europeans have borrowed this word from Turkic at the time when the "know-how" of iron technology was unknown, and used it for the name of copper and bronze. Later this word has been transferred on the name of iron in the some Indo-European languages. Just the primary Turkic form for the name of copper is kept in Lusatian word zerz “rust”. This form was transformed in Slavic *zelz-o with the meaning “iron” (Ukr zalizo, Rus železo, Bulg, Pol żelazo, etc). On the other hand, the ancient Turkic word zerz in lightly altered form has kept in Ukr. žers-t’ “tin-plate” (similar Russian word žes-t’ has lost r).
Sl želězo “iron” (Rus želězo, Ukr zalizo, Pol żelazo etc) – See zerz.
References
Brückner Aleksander. 1996. Słownik etymologiczyny języka polskiego. Warszawa.
Holthausen F. 1974.Altenglisches etzmologisches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg.
Kluge Friedrich. 1989. Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache. Berlin – New York.
Kobiv J. 2004. Slovnyk ukrajins’kykh naukovykh I narodnykh nazv cudynnykh roslyn. (In Ukrainian) – The Dictionary of Scientific and Folk Names of Vascular Plants. Kyiv.
Machek V. 1957. Etymologicky slovnik jazyka českeho a slovenskeho. Praha.
Menges Karl Heinrich. 1951. The Oriental Elements in the Vocabulary of the Oldest Russian Epos the Igor’ Tale “Slovo o Pъlku Igorevě. Supplement to “Word”, journal of the linguistic circle of New York. (Russian translation in Leningrad 1979).
Peisker J.1905. Die älteren Beziehungen der Slawen zu Turkotataren und Germanen. Stuttgart.
