A lexicalized compound of
kara “black, dark” and
kuš “bird”. In Karakhanid and Middle Kipchak lexicography it denotes an eagle, while Buddhist Old Uyghur also uses it for a vulture;
talım kara kuš in the
Irk Bitig and Buddhist texts frequently denotes Garuḍa, the mythological king of birds. Clauson’s more specific identification as “probably the golden eagle” is plausible but not securely demonstrated.
A lexicalized compound of kara “black, dark” and kuş “bird”. In Karakhanid and Middle Kipchak lexicography it denotes an eagle, while Buddhist Old Uyghur also uses it for a vulture. The expression talım kara kuş in the Irk Bitig and Buddhist texts frequently denotes Garuḍa, the mythological king of birds and enemy of serpents.
The ancient equivalents and glosses include Arabic al-ʿuqāb “eagle”, Sanskrit gṛddhra (standard gṛdhra) “vulture”, and Sanskrit Garuḍa. Kāšġarī additionally records karakuş as a name of the planet Jupiter, glossed with Arabic al-muštarī. The more specific identification “golden eagle” is plausible, but is not securely established by the historical glosses.