𐰾𐰇𐰲𐰃𐰏

süçiğ tatlı, hoş

What is strange is that a semantic and collocational connection between the formatives can only be documented from Qarakhanid or late texts, or from prehistory: süçig 'sweet' can be analysed both as süçi-g and as süt+sig (discussed in section 6.2). +sl- may therefore possibly have remained more lively in some undocumented dialect.

süçi-g is attested in the KT and BQ inscriptions, in the DLT and more than thirty times in the QB; among Uigur sources in BuddBio 23, Maitr 92 r1, 71 v25 and 72 r 16, ManTürkFrag 22 and in a few economical texts published in the USp. In QB 2475 it rhymes with kiçig. The Orkhon inscrs., BuddhBio, ManTürkFrag and the Qarakhanid sources have it in its original meaning, 'sweet'. In süçig suv- suş ülä- in Maitr 72 r16 it may have been either adnominal or have been used practically as a synonym of suvsus, but süçig ülädäçi... ärdilär in 71 v25 is a clearly nominal use. In the USP texts it denotes 'wine' (perhaps 'sweet wine'?), a transferred use mentioned also in the DLT. The Uigur do not appear to have used the base, which means that süçig perhaps came directly from *süt+sig. We do find it, however, in the DLT and in QB 813 [The QB İndeks mentions süçi-p from couplet 3346, but that couplet does not contain the verb. süçi- is intransitive.] We also have süçi-n- (DLT and QB 618, 2092, 2836, 2905 and 3783), süçi-t- (DLT and QB 582 and 5777 and, in the ode, 6556) and süçi-ş- (DLT). The etymology of süçig and süçi- is discussed at the end of section 6.2.

süçi- 'to be sweet and pleasant' (DLT fol. 558 and QB 813), however, probably comes from süt 'milk' over *süt+si-. süçi-g 'sweet (of words); wine', attested already in Orkhon Turkic, would be indirect evidence for the early presence of +sI-. Prof Doerfer (personal communication) reminds me that Tkm. süyt (=sǖt) and süyji (= süyjü, < *sǖçig) both have long vowels, which adds likelihood to their connection. For the semantics cf. Middle Pe. šīrēn 'sweet' from šīr 'milk'. Most of the DLT's exs. for this formative are connected with food, but its original semantic scope may have been wider. Bang's etymology açı- < *at+sı- (mentioned in the UW entry for açıg (I)) is, however, too far-fetched to be taken seriously.