𐰢𐰤

Alternative forms

• 𐰋𐰤‎ (ben)

Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *bẹ-n (“I”). An early nasalized form of 𐰋𐰤‎ (ben) which was already attested at Orkhon inscriptions and completely replaced this original form in eastern Common Turkic languages. 11th century Turkic scholar Kashgari mentions that only the Kipchak and Oghuz use the form ben while the rest uses men. Cognate to Turkish ben (“I”), the only modern Turkic form apparently preserving initial /b/. Compare also Turkish -im (“first person singular suffix”).

Pronoun

𐰢𐰤 (men)

1. I

Suffix

𐰢𐰤 (-men)

1. Denotes first person singular after simple present or future tense marker.

   ‏𐰽𐰲𐰺: 𐰢𐰤‎‎ ― Sačar men. ― I scatter.

   ‏𐰴𐰕𐰍𐰣𐰆𐰺𐰢𐰤‎‎ ― Qazɣanurmen. ― I conquer.

2. Denotes "to be" for first person singular

   ‏𐰞𐱃𐰆𐰣: 𐰉𐰽𐰞𐰃𐰍: 𐰖𐰃𐰞𐰣: 𐰢𐰤‎‎ ― Altun bašlïɣ yïlan men. ― I am a snake with golden head.

References

• Clauson, Gerard (1972), “ben”, in An Etymological Dictionary of pre-thirteenth-century Turkish, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 346