Kalbak-Tash XX (A-43)

Description

This is a vertical inscription consisting of 18 signs; it is 27,9cm long. The height of the characters is 1,8-3,3cm. It was discovered by V.D. Kubarev вin 1987 on plane III (Kubarev & Jacobson 1996: fig. 384). D.D. Vasil’ev considers that it is not a separate iscription, but a part of inscription А-48 according to his numeration, see Kalbak-Tash XIX.

Reading of I. L. Kyzlasov

Transliteration: i(ï) g n² g : b² d² z γ l² i(ї) : u(o) z r² m š²(s²) ä(a)

Transcription: (j)ig (i)n(i)g : b(e)d(i)zγ(a)li : uz (e)rm(i)š

Translation:  After he cut a good tamga, he became skillful.

(Kyzlasov 2002: 120)

Comments

According to I. L. Kyzlasov, the inscription tells about creation of a personal sign of the praying person on the rock in order to make his praying successful. If making an inscription on a rock was considered by Manichaens to be a good deed approved of by the God, writing a tamga could be a good deed too. In his opinion, this explains the use of the epithet «good» to the word «tamga». However, there is no word ig ‘good’, there is the word yeg, which was never written without the first consonant. Besides, the word en ‘tamga’ is not met in written texts until the XIVth century (Clauson).

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

Runic transliteration:

Transliteration:

I/s² g² n² g² : b² d² z g¹ l² I : U z r² m š¹ A

Transcription: (ä)šg(i)n(i)g : b(ä)d(i)z(ä)gli/ b(ä)dz(ä)g(ä)li : uz (ä)rm(i)š а

Translation: ‘Apparently, he depicts running animals skillfully. ’