OLD TURKIC GRAMMAR ELEMENTS IN THE MANAS EPIC

Abstract

According to the studies of scholars such as M. Auezov, A.N. Bernshtam et al., the Manas Epic, which emerged on the basis of historical events that took place in the VIII-XI centuries, bears traces from the Old Turkic period. One of them is language elements. As a result of our work on the epic, we were able to determine that there are morphological features such as the suffix /+Xn/ which makes the case adverb in inscriptions with Köktürk letter; adverb-verb suffix /-gXlX/ peculiar to Old Turkic; /-gUlUk/ suffix which expresses necessity. The /+Xn/ suffix in words such as “colborstoyun” and “kamandayin” makes a case adverb like the /+In/ suffix in Köktürk letter inscriptions. The /+In/ suffix found in two texts means instrumental case as in Old Turkish. While the /-gXlX/ suffix shows similarity with the /-gAlI/ suffix, which is used to indicate the purpose and starting point of the main action in Kök Turkish, the /-gUlUk/ suffix expresses necessity as in Old Uighur.