yarsko, yärskö, yarasa and yar(ıg) kanat: Turkic ‘bat’ revisited
Journal: International Journal of Old Uyghur Studies
Year: 2025

The recently discovered Old Uyghur word Y’RSQW ‘bat’ fills a gap in our data. It is now probably the oldest word for ‘bat’ recorded in Turkic languages. It sheds some new light on terms for ‘bat’ in other modern and historical Turkic languages. It seems useful to have another look at these words. Previous etymological proposals will be discussed, of which some are based on Turkic roots, while others assume a foreign origin.