Taldu-Ajry (A-20)

Description

The inscription is situated on a stele in 1,5–2km from the mouth of the river Taldu-Ajry, the right influx of the river Bar-Burgazy. The inscription was discovered by the participants of the Eastern-Altai Archeological Detachment of the Institute of History, Philology and Philosophy of the Siberian Division of the Russian Academy V.D. Kubarev,A.S. Smirnov and L.M. Chevalkov in August of 1978. The stele is 140х73cm, the length of the inscription is 16cm. The line is vertical consisting of 6 signs; the height of the characters is from 3 to 4,8cm. The inscription is well-preserved, it is read from bottom to top, from right to left.

Reading В. М. Nadeljaevа

Transliteration: r² t¹ i/ї o/u q j¹

Transcription:  Är-atї Uqqaj

Translation: His warrior’s name is Ukaj.

(Nadeljaev 1984: 81–103)

Reading И. Л. Kyzlasovа

Transliteration: r²t¹ï(i)ŋü(ö)j¹

Transcription: (e)r (a)tï (ö)ŋü (a)j

Translation: His warrior’s name is Engü Ay.

(Kyzlasov 2002: 48–55)

Reading of L.N. Tybykova, I.A. Nevskaya and M. Erdal

Runic transliteration:

Transliteration: r² t¹ I U/l² Ü/k¹ y¹

Transcription: (ä)r (a)tï ok (a)y

Translation:  His warrior’s name is Ok Aj (Arrow-Moon)

Comments

This inscription presents a new type of Old Turkic epitaphs in South Siberia: very short epitaphs containing only the name of the deceased (Kyzlasov 2002).