Proto-Turkic

The Ancestral Roots of the Turkic Language Family | A Proto-Turkic Overview

In this video, we take a journey deep into the linguistic past to explore the fascinating world of Proto-Turkic—the reconstructed ancestor of all Turkic languages. From Turkish and Uyghur to Chuvash and Kazakh, these languages share common threads that trace back to a single, ancient source.

What you'll learn in this video:
• The difference between Proto-Turkic and Old Turkic
• Where Proto-Turkic might have been spoken
• How early dialects like Oghur and Common Turkic diverged
• What Proto-Turkic might have sounded like (vowels, consonants, and word structure)
• Key grammatical features including vowel harmony, case system, and verb morphology
• The cultural and linguistic insights hidden in reconstructed vocabulary
• Theories about its relationship with Mongolic, Tungusic, and other language families
Whether you’re a linguistics enthusiast or just curious about how modern Turkic languages came to be, this video offers a comprehensive yet accessible overview of Proto-Turkic and its importance in understanding Eurasian history.

🎯 My goal is to reach 10,000 subscribers by the end of the year! If you enjoyed this content and want to see more like it, please like, share, and subscribe. Got questions or want a deeper dive into a specific topic? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Selected Sources:
Menges, K. H. (1995). The Turkic Languages and Peoples: An Introduction to Turkic Studies (2nd ed.). Otto Harrassowitz Verlag.

⭐Johanson, L., & Csató, É. Á. (Eds.). (2021). The Turkic Languages (2nd ed.). Routledge. (especially Chapter 4)

⭐Róna-Tas, A. (1988). "Turkic Influence on the Uralic Languages". In The Uralic Languages. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill.

Janhunen, J. (Ed.). (2003). The Mongolic Languages. Routledge.

Tekin, T. (1968). A Grammar of Orkhon Turkic. Indiana University.

Robbeets, M., & Savelyev, A. (Eds.). (2020). The Oxford Guide to the Transeurasian Languages. Oxford University Press.

[LearnHittite]

"Learn Hittite" is just the channel name (it started out focusing on learning Hittite). I totally get that doing a video on Proto-Turkic under that name might confuse folks who are new here, so let me clarify:

Hittite is definitely part of the Anatolian branch of the Indo-European language family ✌👍

[SaradeBerg-zy]

As a white blonde Westerner I didn’t even know I was a Turkic until I searched for the roots of my grandmother and grandfather: So as a Turkic I never knew how beautiful, rich and proud our Turkic cultures and history is 🩷
I didnt know that even it the oldest time of humanity the Turkics lived a harmonious life with human, nature and animals.
That in Turkic cultures women, girls, children and elderly were always treated with the most respect and love 💁🏼‍♀️ and that men were masculine, honorfull, leaders and big gentlemen’s at the same time 🦅 🏆
A culture that we share from Scandinavia all the way to East Asia. Love you all!

[NayZebouloRt.]

Tanrı degen biraz türk tilinen çıktı. Bizde kırgızdarda, kazaktarda, altayda "таң" degen söz bar. Ң - ng jakın. Bizde kırgızdarda, Taң(tan/tang) - morning blue sky. Tün - night sky. Biz daima "таң boldu", "tün girdi" süylöybüz. Bizde "таңга маал(tanga maal)" - early morning. Bizde jaa - bow. Jaadı(jaa+dı) - fall, get, raining. Jamgır bizde - rain. Ir-ırı-rı bul bir türkçö bütüşü. Tan degen türk söz. Tanır/Tanırı/Tanrı bul türkçö söz, mongolço degilbeyt. "Ң" - ng jakın. Uşudan taңırı->tangrı->tengri. Gök/kök bul da türk söz. Gök Tengri degen menim tüşünümdö türk söz.
Türk karındaştarımın ömürü uzun bolsun❤

[poliglot_kundaligi]

Juda qiziqarli video boʻlibdi，oʻzbek va boshqa turkiy tillardagi taglavhalarga alohida tashakkur

[brianphillips]

As usual solid language nerdery from Learn Hittite. All good solid lecture pointed at us layfolks but still pulled from the best scholars. Zero wack crap, just the best educated guess at the facts.

[theodor_adorno]

6:12 "ekmek" mean is not just "bread" in turkish. It's also mean sprinkle with the hand, so this word is also a verb.

[alisarikaya]

According to the Dutch scholar Marcus Zuerius van Boxhorn, who lived in the 17th century, European languages had a unity of origin with Turkish. At that time in Europe many people, under the influence of the Bible, believed that Hebrew was the root of all languages. However, van Boxhorn opposed that languages ​​derive from a language, such as Hebrew and came to conclusion that Turkish, Latin, Greek, Germanic, Slavic, Celtic, Baltic Persian derive from a common ancient language called Scythian. To prove the common root between these languages and by comparing the etymologies, grammer, inflectional patterns, comgenetic analysis he found similarities suggesting a relationship. Van Boxhorn first presented his theory to his friend Claudius Salmasius in 1637. Ten years later in 1647, he published his theory the 'Scythian Theory' into three parts. Later, Claudius Salmasius added Sanskrit to Marcus Zuerius van Boxhorns Scythian Theory. Scottish scientist James Burnet (Lord Monboddo) had introduced Scythian Theory in Britain in the early 18th century. The British invaded India in the late 18th century. They began to colonize and in the early 19th century, controlled most of India and became an imperialist power that ruthlessly exploited its resources. An Englishman named Sir William Jones, who served as a judge in Bengal at the time the British began to colonize India, inspired by van Boxhorn the Scythian Theory ², pushed foward that Sanskrit, Greek, Latin and Persian was derived from a common root and was associated with European languages. William Jones was also the first to suggest an "Aryan migration" to India This view would be defended by the colonial rulers later endorsed by Herbert Hope Risley. However, Turkish was suddenly not among theses languages anymore This is because William, working for the UK: Jones's own country's imperialist interests. The Ottoman Empire, in the 18th century, posed a great threat and the Turks had to be dismanteld from Europe. Most importantly, it was known that there were large oil deposits on Ottomans territory. Therefore, the distortion of history and linguistics, started with the colonial policy of the British. Later, many European pseudo-scientists began to put forward similar theories. By the early 1900s, Proto Indo-Europeans and Proto Indo-Europeans developed/fabricated theories that even the Old Anatolian languages belonged to these indo european languages But they have not been able to put foward a scientific document, such as a record, document, or inscription of thr existence of an Proto Indo-European language, there is no evidence. Therefore, the words that western scientists put a star on his head, claiming to be PIE Indo European (words) are not based on any source. Just İmaginary/fantasy/invented products. In this respect, linguistics and history have never been a true science in the West. The interests of the imperialist western countries various history theses were produced. Of these The first was Friedrich Schlegel's Exodus Theory. According to this theory, which he established in the early 19th century, Indo-The European Language Family originated in India and through Central Asia, the Black Sea steppes and Anatolia spread to Europe. Later Marija Gimbutas in 1956 came with the Kurgan Theory, which stated that the indo europeans tamed the horse and that the kurgans belonged to the The Indo-Europeans, originated in the steppes, the Caucasus and the west of the Urals, black Sea and from there it spread throughout the world. According Colin Renfrew's Anatolian Theory 1987, the Indo-European Language family spread from Anatolia to the world in 7000 BC. What is common in these theories is that Turks and Turkish was deliberately excluded. Thus, Marcus Zuerius van Boxhorn's scientific Scythian Theory, for the sake of imperialism: Turks and Turkish language are excluded and their unscientific, ridiculous, absurd theory turned into a theory that shouldn't even be considered a theory. Indo-European Theory, targeting Turks planned organizaed with only aim to remove the Turks from history PIE theory can never be confirmed on a scientific basis. Because the missing language in this theory is Turkish and Turkish is the only unifying element. Turkish is the ancestor of all these languages.. Thus, the Indo-European theory cannever be proved, only imposed. This is what is clearly happening today. (Gerda Hassler (Ed.). History of Linguistics 2008: Selected papers from the eleventh International Conference on the History of the Language Sciences, 2008, Potsdam. Volume 115, Studies in the History of the Language Sciences. John Benjamin Publishing, 2011.) From Turkolog/Linguist Arif Cengiz Ermans book Real history of Anatolia (12.000 years of Turkic exitence

[Yarenoglu]

From my personal findings, it seems the most likely scenario is that the Proto-Turks came from the region between Lake Baikal and Volga River, also known as the Altai region. However, this wasn't always their homeland. Turkic people are pastoral semi-nomads, and they likely inherited these lands with the Andronovo and Afanasievo migrations (likely they were just a few families in these migrations). Both of these mass migration events came out of Yamnaya culture around 3000 BC. Yamnaya was a pastoral semi-nomadic culture based around the Pontic-Caspian steppe. The migratory pattern of these people line up pretty closely with the 'ancestral homelands' that are known of the proto-Turkic and proto-Mongolic people. Also, the old Turkic writing system, known as Orkhon inscriptions, is claimed by some to have come from Aramaic/Sogdian, but they look very similar to old Scythian writing IMO, though that's more of a personal observation. Yamnaya is a reasonable place where both Proto-Turkic and Proto-Mongolic languages could have interacted. It also is a good explanation for the Finno-Ugric relationship with Turkic, which is debated by some, but Yamnaya migrations are a good explanation of this relation as well. It seems that the 'missing link' so to say, has been Yamnaya for a while. It's just that the two and two hasn't been put together by big-name historians. Turks later migrated further east and settled as far east as modern day central China, and then migrated back west. It's not that Turks were an eastern people who migrated west, at least, it's not the full story. They migrated east first, then back to west. And the reason for the old Turkic people to look more asian is because they always mixed with locals where ever they went. Just like how Turkish people from Turkey look more like Greeks and Arabs because they mixed with them for centuries, whereas a Turk from Kyrgyzstan looks more Chinese because they mixed with them.

[TerryDowne]

I am a historian, not a linguist, but I have recently gotten interested in historical linguistics. I have enjoyed Simon Roper's and Jackson Crawford's channels, and I rate yours highly as well. Your balanced and non-sensational approach is refreshing, and I greatly appreciate the way you cite the different works you draw your material from. I am fascinated by the history of the steppe peoples and especially the Huns, Avars, and Magyars, all of whom present linguistic and ethnographic puzzles of one kind or another. I was hoping that you would tackle Proto-Turkic, so this presentation was exactly what I was looking for. Thanks a lot, I look forward to more steppe language stuff from you in the future.

[bir_cumle]

Languages and their connections are a marvelous mystery. It's like solving puzzles. Thank you.

[nikitagrishin]

As for the numerals: both in Turkish and Uzbek languages they're virtually unchanged, which is stunning imo

[AxelSyren]

Very nice overview! I'm a little surprised there hasn't been more word-loaning between Turkic and Finno-Ugric languages

[nenenindonu]

Great summary of a very complex topic btw 3:43 the humanoid stone of Choir as well as the Buyla inscription predate the Orkhon scriptures as earlier Old Turkic texts but are obviously not as linguistically sufficient since not fully interperted

[SaradeBerg-zy]

When it comes to language: my Turkish friend (from Turkiye) nearly fully understands every Turkic language literally from Scandinavian natives to the Uyghurs 💁🏼‍♀️which is very cool tbh! But mostly understanding some native Greenlandic sentences very clearly was wild. We listened together and at one of their dialects for example they talk like: “iyi, iyittinmi?” Which is in Greenlandic: (i am) fine, how are you doing / are you good?” Which is the same in Turkish language. Basically exactly : good, are you doing good? But in Turkish they have more variations to the “iyi ettinmi” in modern Turkish language.

[alisarikaya]

The thesis, which is widespread today and accepted by European scientists; The thesis is that the R1a subgroup is the 'common gene of the Indo-Europeans, and the R1b subgroup is the common gene of the Turks and other Central Asian peoples and Finn-Yuğra peoples. (1- Anatoly A. Kyosov, Journal of Russian Academy ogf DNA genelogy, 2010 vol. 3No 1 pp.3-58)
However, the R gene is a single gene with all its haplogroups and is a 'Turkish gene'. The R1b subgroup is actually highly concentrated in Western Europe and moderately in Central Eurasia and Sub-Sharan in Central Africa, Eastern Europe, Western Asia and Central Asia.
The R1b subgroup is 80% Irish, Scots and Welsh; 50-60 percent in Spaniards, Portuguese, French and English; 25-50% in Germans, Dutch, Danes and Norwegians; 25-40% in Italians; 25% in Sweden and Norway; 15% in the Balkan peoples; It is found 10-15% in Poles, 10% in Russians and Ukrainians, 10-15% in Anatolian Turks (25% in Black Sea and Eastern Anatolia regions and 15-25% in Kyrgyz. Rb1 ratios in Central Asian Turks and Fin-Yuğra peoples are very low or there is none.
The Rb1 subgroup is quite high among Celtic, Germanic, and Latin peoples who have assimilated Proto-Turkic Peoples such as the Iberian and Aquit peoples in Spain and France, and Finns further north at a low level. This ratio is around 60-80% in the British and Irish islands, for example. In Scandinavian peoples who have heavily assimilated the Finnish peoples, the R1b rate is relatively low, such as 25%.
Rb1 is as low as 10-15% in Slavic and Balkan peoples. For Russians, Ukrainians and Polish peoples, this rate is at a very low level, between 0-10%. In Hungarians, this rate is between 0-10%. This subgroup is also between 0-10% in Croats of European Avars origin and Bosnians of Pecheneg origin.
R1a is a haplogroup with a high rate in Turks. R1a, 50-70% Central Asian Turks, 50-60% Russians, Ukrainians, Poles and Sorbs (Slavs in Germany), 50-60% Afghans, Pakistanis and North Indians, 20-60% Hungarians; 52% Ashkenazi Jews, 15-30% Scandinavian peoples, 30% Finns, Estlers, Lapps, Baltic people, 15-20% Italians and some areas in northern Spain (this includes the Basque region) 25-60% Dravidians, 10 percent -15% in Tibetans, 15-20% in North Chinese, 15-30% in Germans, 30-40% in Balkan peoples, 20-30% in Caucasian, Anatolian and Iranian peoples.
The genetic compositions of today's Turkic peoples are quite different from each other and show a genetic unity.
Anatolian Turks also have C, H, I, J, K, O, Q, T chromosomes besides R1a and lesser R1b. The highest gene among Turkic peoples is R Y-DNA. (R1a and R1b) Next comes J Y-DNA. J Y-DNA is a gene carried by Arabs and Semetic Jews, which emerged in the Arabian peninsula about 30, 000 years ago, and is divided into 2 subgroups as J1 and J2. This rate is as low as 20% in Ashkenazi Jews of Turkish origin, and they got this gene by mixing with Semetic Jews. There are J2 subgroups at the rate of 10% and 20% among the Anatolian Turks. The genetic composition of Azerbaijan's Iranian Turks is similar to that of Anatolian Turks. In Turkmens in Turkmenistan, on the other hand, R1a is higher and J chromosome is lower than Anatolian and Azerbaijani Turks, while O and Q chromosomes are higher. Among the Turkic peoples in Central Asia, the highest rate of R1a is found in the Kyrgyz Turks with 70 percent. 50-60% of that. KazakhTurks, UygurTurks, and UzbekTurks, MongolTurks and TibetTurks, this rate is around 10-15%. All Central Asian peoples have C, I, J, K, O, Q chromosomes, but the J chromosome is very low in these peoples.
However, C Chromosome is found at very high levels in KazakTurks, MogolTurks, KirgizTurks, UygurTurks and UzbekTurks. Other peoples carrying this chromosome are Tunguses, Koreans and Japanese. Tibetans also carry about 40% of the D chromosome. This chromosome is found in other Central Asian Peoples at very low rates. Another people who carry this chromosome at a high rate like the Tibetans are the Aynos, the oldest people of the Japanese islands.
The issue that confuses European scientists is that the R1a subgroup is found in Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, Pakistanis; It is very high in Afghans and north Indians. This is quite natural actually. The lands where these peoples live are the old lands where the Turks have established strong lands for centuries. If we look at the maps of these Turkish states, it can be easily seen that these maps overlap with the R1a maps. This is the only reason why these populations have high levels of R1a. The Turks living in these lands became new peoples by mixing with other peoples who did not migrate from these lands when their states were disintegrated. It is not known on what the European scientists base the thesis that the R1a subgroup is the common gene of 'Indo-Europeans' and the R1b group is the common gene of Turks and other Central Asian peoples and Finn-Ygra peoples (Fins, Estonians, Lapps), but it is found in Turkish and other Central Asian peoples and Phoenician peoples. the higher gene is not R1b, but the R1a subgroup. R1b is at very low levels. This 'strangeness' is explained by European scholars as 'the Turks carry a high rate of R1a because they assimilated the Iranian Peoples in Central Asia in the 4th and 11th centuries' (2 origins, age, spread and ethnic association of European Haplogroups and subclades)
However, there is no record that the Turks erased the 'Central Asian Iranians' from history in the 4th and 11th centuries. If one can show records, evidence, etc., of course, it would be very appropriate. In addition, R1a is high not only in Turks, but also in Caucasian peoples living in the Caucasus and Dravidian peoples living in southern India. Also, if R1a is a Turkish gene, why is it 60-80% found in British, French, Spanish, and Celts?
It must be Ahhuns (Sakalar, Kushans or Ak Sakalar) or Tagars (Tohars) that European scientists mean by Iranians in Central Asia. The Tağars established a powerful state in the present-day Shanxi and Kansu provinces of China between 300 BC and 20 BC. However, European historians claim that the Tagars were 'Indo-European'. No 'Indo-European' state was established in Central Asia, neither in 300 BC nor in the following centuries. There are no archaeological findings proving this. there are only dry claims. There was only a small number of people of Indian origin, who spread to present-day Southern Turkestan (Afghanistan and then to East Turkestan, and then melted down among the Uyghurs) around 500 AD. The descendants of this people are texts written in Brahmi script from the period between 500 AD and 700 AD. It is understood that they spoke an Indian language that has become extinct.European historians and archaeologists have found thousands of years old in central Asia.
They claim that they were descended from 'Indo-European tohars' because their mummies were auburn-blonde and their clothing resembled those of the Celtic peoples. However, the People of Indian origin, whom they call the Tohars, are not brown-haired, but a dark people like today's Indians, and their migration date to Central Asia is very late.
These mummies are from the Turks. In addition, it is natural that these oldest clothes of the Turks are seen in the Celts, an early Turkish people. It is not surprising that the Turks were brown-blonde before mixing with other peoples.

[inquisitiveguest]

as ogur languages are the main source of proto turkic, the birth place of turkic may not be in east asia but much more likely to be south siberia, urals region, this can be detected in loans with uralic tongues.

[Abeturk]

Numbers
Count your fingers from right to left …
1 > Bir (pir) = ~per / ~pre / ~pro /~ pri > fir-st
2 > Iki (ekqi) = ~add-itional / ~extra
3 > Üç (uch) = ~up / ~top point
4 > Dört (thuert) = ~thrust / ~ poke > …..by (forefinger)
5 > Beş (pesh) = ~face / ~front / ~ahead / visible side > (thumb)
6 > Altı (alter/anti) >(başaltı)= under (underhead) = anti-thumb
7 > Yedi (jetty / cette) = ~got at outcome / ~enough / ~ended up / ~got lost
8 > Sekiz (sahhis)= ~coerces / ~stuckes / ~gives difficulties
9 > Dokuz (towess)= ~at the heights /~fullest ones / ~satiateds
10 > On (aun) = ~main / ~base / ~origin /~ root level
0 > Sıfır (sfur) = ~pitch (dark)
11 > Onbir = eleven
12 > Oniki = twelve
13 > Onüç = thirteen
14 > Ondört = fourteen
20 > Yirmi (Jigirmae)=twenty
30 > Otuz ( autuss)=
40 > Kırk (Quareq)
50 > Elli (Alley)
60 > Altmış (altimesh)
70 > Yetmiş (jettimesh)
80 > Seksen (saqison)
90 > Doksan (towğuson)
100 > Yüz (juse)= ~surface / ~face / ~skin / ~page
1000 > Bin (ming) = ~ride on / ~get upon / ~end of cycle

Ba Ba = Baba / Apa / eba / abu /爸爸= Papa ( Pater > Father)
Na Na = Ana / Anné = 妈妈/ Ma Ma / Mom ( Mater > Mother)
Ne Ne = Néné / Niné = 奶奶/ Nanny (Grandmother) >> Bög anné > büyükanne = big mama
Anneanné = maternal mother / Babaanné= paternal mother
Ta Ta = Ata / Dédé =爹 / 爷爷/ (Pater) Grandfather >> Bög baba > büyükbaba = big father
Ka Ka = Aga / Kéké (~router /beak) 哥哥/ > (beğ-eke > bayke) aga-bög > ağabeg> ağabey = big brother
Birader =(ber-ol-teger>bir-o-diğer)> (per-alter /pre-other / one-other) =兄弟/ Brother
Kardeş =(Karın-daeş )> (ventral equivalent)> Sibling
(sweetie= balak > bala ) (Çağa-cuk /tiny generation) Çocuk = Child
Erkek= male >> oğul= son > oğlan/ulan=boy >> kız çocuk=daughter > Kız= girl
Erkek kardeş = brother / Kız kardeş = sister
Ba ba la =Baba-la /apa-la /abuela > Abla =(old girl)> older sister ( ~with father)
Ba ba chui = Bavoji > Badji > Bacı = younger sister ( ~loves father)
Ba ba cha = Apa-ça /abu-ja > amijae > Emmi / Amca =舅舅/ paternal uncle (~fatherly)
Tai U >> Dayı = ( nearest he’s )= 叔叔 / maternal uncle
Tai Thu >Taitsu >> Teyzé = ( nearest that’s )= maternal aunt / Dasy
Bi Bi = Ebé / Bibi = Hala = 姑姑 / paternal aunt
Çe Çe = Ecé / Cécé / 姐姐 / older sister
Mi Mi = Ümmü / Mimi / 妹妹 = young sister / young aunt (young woman / little mom)
Beh Beh = Bébé / bebek =宝宝 / baby
Torun= grandchild
Kayın ağacı = Beech tree (tree of life) >>>difficult pedigree = big family tree
Kayın pédér / Kayın baba / Kaynata = father-in-law /公公
Kayın validé / Kayın anne / Kaynana = mother-in-law /婆婆
Kayın birader = brother in-law
Kayın = brother in-law for women > Kayınçı / Kayınço = brother in-law for men
Baldız = sister-in-law /嫂子 ( honey- salt) wife's sister for men
Görümcé = sister-in-law (~observer) husband's sister for women
Elti = Brother in-law's wife(~anti /other bride) > just for women
Yengé = Brother's wife (~came upon marriage)
Gelin = bride / 新娘 (~newcomer)
Güvey /Damat = groom /倌 / 马夫
Nedimé= the bride's assistant at the wedding and closest friend
Sağdıç (sağdeş) = the groom's assistant at the wedding and closest friend
Dünür= parents who are related to each other through their children's marriages (~ later relatives)
Bacanak = sister-in-law's husband (each of the husbands of the sisters of someone's woman) just for men
Enişté = sisters or aunt’s husbands

[NuridinYumer]

thank you very much for the explanation.

[siyacer]

9:40 Perhaps the native word is actually *qa*, which is found (at least in Uzbek) in question words like qancha (how many), qaysi (which), qaerda (where), qanday (how), and qachon (when).

[nesrindemirhan]

Can you make a video about the common words and word exchanges between Sumerian and Turkish? Also, in which region and period did this word relationship occur? Apart from late word exchanges, how many common and cognate words are there between Mongolian and Turkish?