Analysis of compound nouns containing the word "Alp" in Mahmud Kāshgarī's Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk

Abstract

Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk by Mahmud Kāshgarī is a significant work in the study of linguistics and literary works from the 11th century AD. It covers cultural, social, political, geographical subjects, and the use of compound words such as "Alp" is prevalent throughout the book. The work is considered unique among the Turk nation from a scientific, historical, and linguistic point of view. The Kāshgarī's linguistic view, the introduction of words, grammatical rules, and phonetic features of Turkic languages are examined in this book. The work was written during the reign of the Khaqani Turks, and it reflects the use of specific old Turkish nouns by members of the nobility. For example, each member of the nobility had old Turkish nouns like: Tegin çağr, Tegin küç, Qutluğ Tegin, Tegin kömüş, Tuğ Tegin, börı Tegin, Toŋa Tegin, Arsalan Tegin, tuğrul Tegin, Yenal Tegin, Qara Tegin. The Khaqan kings also used the word "Öge(üke) Tegit" to refer to their youngest children and individuals removed from their positions. The book analyzes the structure of compound nouns with the word "Alp", such as "Alp Aya", "Alp Er Toŋa”, "AlpAağut", and "AlpTegin", using the library method. The semantic and formal features of these compound nouns are also examined, drawing on reliable scientific sources and data from Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk. Overall, this research provides a detailed examination of the linguistic and historical significance of Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk.