The map accompanying this article was prepared by a linguist. It provides a highly comprehensible explanation of how the word for wine has evolved from archaic languages to the present day. If you pay attention, you'll notice that the common color covering almost the entire European continent indicates that it is rooted in the language of the Hittite civilization, which existed in what is now Turkey and has come down to us through tablets. (Allow us to remind you that the name WAYANA also comes from the same root.) Hittite is considered one of the oldest examples of the Proto-Indo-European language family recorded in writing.
Within the European continent, we see a few examples that do not come from this root and are used locally. The country marked in light green is Hungary, where the word for wine is "bor." The map legend shows that it is of Persian origin and was transferred to the Hungarians through the Turks. Our neighbor Greece also uses the word "krasis" for wine. In ancient Greek, this word means "to mix," and in ancient Greek texts, it is explained as mixing wine with water (and other additives). In a small region along the France-Spain border, there is also the word "ardo," which comes from the old Basque language.
Today, our country and Turkish-origin states use the word ‘şarap’ for wine. After the Turks adopted Islam, the increasing influence of Arabic words in the language eventually led to the establishment of the word ‘şarap’ for wine. Considering that the Turks were familiar with wine before Islam, one might wonder which word or words were used to refer to wine in pre-Islamic times.
In Old Uyghur Turkish, the word "bor" was used to mean wine. Let us quickly recall that this word is still used in Hungarian today. Alongside the word "bor," the synonymous word "süçig" was also used to mean wine among the Uyghurs, while in Orkhon Turkish, "süçig" was also used to mean "sweet."
As we move forward in time to the Karakhanid period, we see that the word "süçig" is still used in both the context of sweetness and in the context of wine as a drink. In Kipchak Turkish, there is a phonetic change in the word "süçig," and it appears that the forms "süçü" and "suçu" were used to mean wine made from sweet grapes.
After the 15th century, in Chagatai Turkish, "süçi" meant wine, "süçi-hane" meant a wine shop, and "süçük" meant sweet, tasty, or pleasant. While the Ottoman dictionaries did include "süçik" and "süçüg" as terms for wine, their usage became less frequent compared to Arabic words like "sherab," "mul," "mey," "hamr," "bade," and "shira."
In modern Turkish, "süçi" and "süçig" have disappeared, replaced entirely by the word ‘şarap’ for wine. However, records show that the word "süci" was used regionally in Konya and Tokat, "sücü" in Izmir, and "sünci" in Ordu.
It is noteworthy that researchers have pointed out that this usage, rooted in "süç," which simultaneously carried the meanings of "sweet" and "wine," is derived from the root of "milk" that has undergone fermentation to become sweet (milk=süt in Turkish). Even though it no longer finds a place in our current usage, it is a pleasant thought that our Turkish language has a word of its own origin, not imported from Arabic, in its history.
I have referenced the work "From Mare's Milk to Wine: Evaluations on the Word 'SÜÇİG' in Old Turkish Culture" by Caştegin Turgunbayer and Hasan İsi for this article. We thank both authors for their open-to-public research.Kısrak Sütünden Şaraba: Eski Türk Kültüründe ‘SÜÇİG’ Kelimesi Üzerine DeğerlendirmelerI have referenced the work "From Mare's Milk to Wine: Evaluations on the Word 'SÜÇİG' in Old Turkish Culture" by Caştegin Turgunbayer and Hasan İsi for this article. We thank both authors for their open-to-public research.
