Quoting cynicmystic:

Hi guys, what an interesting thread. Finally, I encounter other souls into Turkic etymology. I have always wandered why the Uyghur are called that way. For the rest of the Turkic speaking groups Uyghurs represent 'civility' for some reason, and hence the word 'UYGAR' in Turkish. In the same way, it was the Uyghur script that was passed onto the Mongolians. Any suggestions to the etymology of the word 'UYGHUR'?

Quoting korshad:

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Quoting si++:

Quoting cynicmystic:

Thank you for the reply. I have heard of the ONOGUR, and am aware of the ON+OK+(AR, UR, ER) combination. However, this explanation doesn't seem to clarify why the word 'uygar' has the meaning it has in modern Turkish. 'OK', for example, is one of the oldest ethnonyms used by the early Turkic or Altaic speakers. As well as meaning 'arrow', it also means 'clan'. ONOGUR, then, would translate as something along the lines of Ten-Arrow-Clan, just as Toghuz Oghuz may have represented the nine clan confederation of the Western Turkic speaking branch. AR, UR, and ER are also very ancient ethnonyms.

Aside from ONOGUR, there is also the possibility that Uyghur is related to the 'UY+MAK' (to suit, fit, comply with, get along...) From the root word 'UY', which sounds very similar to 'IYI' (good), one can derive the word UYGAR.

UY+MAK
UY+UM+LU
UY+UM+SUZ
UY+GAR ------- UY+UK+AR

I agree that ONOGUR must have played a role in the formation of the terms UYGHUR, OGHUZ, TURKMEN etc, but I am still curious as to why it was the Uyghur, for example, and not the Oghuz or Azari that claimed the title for this so-called civility in meaning and perception by the other Turkic clans. Even the Chinese records hint at the possibility that the Chinese had better diplomatic relations with the Uyghur Turks than with any other Turkic speaking clan, and considered the Uyghur to be a civilization, and at times an ally, rather than a horde of 'barbarian nomads' pillaging its frontiers. In the same way, the early Uyghur development seems to be influenced by the Tibetan culture.

I was wondering wonder what the Uyghur word for 'UYGAR' is.

Quoting si++:

We say
yüzebilirim
kılabilirim
for the same verbs.

You don't use "-abilmek"/"-ebilmek"?

Negative is different in our Turkish.
yüz-emem. (I cannot swim)
kıl-amam. (I cannot do)

But in Azeri it's still "-abilmek"/"-ebilmek":
yüz-ebilmezem. (I cannot swim)
kıl-abilmezem. (I cannot do)

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Quoting si++:

Quoting cynicmystic:

It is really kind of you to suggest that. However, if my historic curiosities are boring you, maybe you should't reply at all. Other people seem to be interested, and that is sufficient for me. And, finally, what makes you so arrogant to imply that I don't know how to look things up related to my 'historique (whatever that is) curiosities' without your aid?

Quoting cynicmystic:

Sure, we started using the word 'uygar' after the language reform, but that is a bit beside the point because we nevertheless chose 'uygar' of all words as it must have had a Turkic base to it. ...

Quoting korshad:

Let me give a brief analysis to the word Uyghur.

Uyghur came from Uy-Oghur.

Uy is alliance. Oghur is early dialectic form of Oghuz. Note the early western migrant Turks (Qutoghur, utoghur, onoghur etc), it also implies the "R" and "Z" Turkic variation. Uyghur is the alliances of the Oghurs (or Oghuzs).

Unlike the common belief of Oghuz as the meaning of arrows, "Oq+uz", I think the word of "Oghuz" is more related to the meaning of "white, right, best". We had specific tribal seperation such as Buzoq and Uchoq, which never became as buzoghuz or Uchoghuz. "z" turkic being later seperation, the early form is Oghur. Now we can trace the meaning:

Toghur: just, right
Oghuz süti: the first milk of the mother (best)

White is some how related to the right in Turkic.

aq yol-good, right path

For me, oghur or oghuz can mean the people on the right path (who followed the blue wolf?).

In the Oghuzhan legend, a group of people allied with him, and took the throne, and he called them Uyghurs.

I also heard uyghar in Turkiye Turkic came from the Uyghur after the language reform. Despite the current situation of the Uyghurs, during Uyghur empire and later periods they did achieve cultural height, that the mucis, fashion, food, dance etc became fashionable even in Tang capital according to many peoms by Tang poets. The first printing objects in the world were found to be Uyghur script in Dunhuang. In Uyghur, however, we still use "medeniyet" (Arabic) for civilization.