𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺

Old Uyghur

Orthographic variants
Uyghur script	𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐾄𐽰𐽺 (pwrq̈ʾn /⁠Burḥan⁠/) 𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽲𐽰𐽺 (pwrqʾqʾn /⁠Burḥaġan⁠/)^[1] 𐽼𐽳𐽾 (pwr /⁠Bur⁠/)^[2] 𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽺 (pwrqn /⁠Burḥan⁠/) 𐽼𐽳𐽲𐽰𐽺 (pwqʾn /⁠Buḥan⁠/) 𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽷𐽰𐽺 (pwrkʾn /⁠Burkan⁠/)^[3] 𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽷𐾃𐽺 (pwrḳn /⁠Burkan⁠/)^[4] 𐽼𐽳𐽲𐽰 (pwqʾ /⁠Buḳa⁠/)^[5]
Manichaean script	𐫁𐫇𐫡𐫒𐫀𐫗 (bwrk̈ʾn /⁠Burḥan, Burḳan⁠/) 𐫁𐫇𐫡𐫃𐫀𐫗 (bwrgʾn /⁠Burḥan⁠/) 𐫁𐫇𐫡𐫞𐫀𐫗 (bwrqʾn /⁠Burḥan, Burḳan⁠/) 𐫁𐫇𐫡𐫄𐫀𐫗 (bwrɣʾn /⁠Burḥan⁠/) 𐫁𐫇𐫡𐫠𐫀𐫗 (bwrq̈ʾn /⁠Burḥan, Burḳan⁠/)
Sogdian script	𐼾𐼴𐽀𐼲𐼰𐼻 (pwrqʾn /⁠Burḥan⁠/) 𐼾𐽀𐼲𐼰𐼻 (prqʾn /⁠Burḥan⁠/) 𐼾𐼴𐽀 (pwr /⁠Bur⁠/)^[6]
Arabic script	برخان (brḵʾn /⁠burḥan⁠/)^[7]
Brahmi script	𑀧𑀽𑀭𑁆𑀳𑀸𑀁 (pūrhāṃ /⁠Būrḥān⁠/) 𑀩𑀽𑀭𑁆𑀳𑀸𑀁 (būrhāṃ /⁠Būrḥān⁠/) 𑀧𑀼𑀭𑁆𑀳𑀁 (purhaṃ /⁠Burḥan⁠/) 𑀧𑀼𑀭𑁆𑀓𑀸𑀁 (purkāṃ /⁠Burḳān⁠/) 𑀧𑁆𑀭𑀼𑀳𑀁 (pruhaṃ /⁠Burḥan⁠/) 𑀧𑀼𑀳 (puha /⁠Bu[r]ḥa[n]⁠/) 𑀧𑀼𑀭𑁆𑀳𑀸𑀦𑁆 (purhān /⁠*Burḥān⁠/)^[8]
Tibetan script	པུར་གཾ (pur.gaṃ /⁠Burḳan⁠/)
Han script	卜兒罕 (puwk.nye.xan^H /⁠Bu[ŕ]ḥan⁠/) 佛汗 (bjut.han^H /⁠Burḥan⁠/)
ʼPhags-pa script	ꡤꡡꡘ ꡥꡖꡋ (fur.qan /⁠Burḥan⁠/)

Etymology

Calque of Sanskrit बुद्धराजा (buddharājā, “Buddha-King”). By surface analysis, *𐽼𐽳𐽾 (*pwr /⁠*bur⁠/, “Buddha”) +‎ 𐽲𐽰𐽺 (qʾn /⁠ḥan, ḳan⁠/, “ruler, Khan”). Compare the variant 𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽲𐽰𐽺 (pwrqʾqʾn /⁠Burḥaġan⁠/), with 𐽲𐽰𐽲𐽰𐽺 (qʾqʾn /⁠ḳaġan⁠/, “ruler, khagan”) as the second element and Proto-Koreanic *Pwutukye (“Buddha”) and its descendants, also with the meaning "King Buddha".

Originally used to translate the Sanskrit term given above, this word underwent semantic evolution with the adoption of Manichaeism among the Uyghurs around the 9th century, coming to mean “prophet”. Later, in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, this word would change again to mean “idolatry” with the advent of Islam, which also coincides with the decline of Old Uyghur as a spoken/written language outside the Gansu region of China.

Noun

𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺 (pwrqʾn /Burḥan/)

(religion, Buddhism) Buddha, Tathāgata
Synonyms: 𐽼𐽳𐾀 (pwt /⁠But⁠/), 𐽳𐽶𐽾 (wyr /⁠Fir⁠/), 𐽿𐽳𐽳𐾁𐽰𐽶 (šwwlʾy /⁠Šuu-lay⁠/)
- c. 9th-10th centuries, Daśakarmapathāvadāanamālā: The tale of King Caṣṭana page 260: U452.44-46 (v08-10):^[9]
  𐽰𐽻𐾀𐽶 𐾈 𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺 𐽲𐾄𐽳𐾀𐽶𐾁𐽶𐽲 𐽷𐽳𐽶𐽻𐽳𐽻𐽶𐽺𐾀𐽰
  𐽰𐽰𐽺𐽽𐽰𐽲𐾄𐽶 𐽰 𐽶𐽹𐽰 𐾀𐽶𐽺𐽹𐽰𐽸𐽶𐽺 𐽲𐾄𐽶𐾁𐽲𐽳𐾁𐽳𐽲𐾄
  𐽰𐽶𐽻𐽶𐽺𐽷𐽰 𐽰𐽾𐽳𐽵𐾄 𐽷𐽳𐽶𐽺𐽷𐽳𐾁𐽶𐽺 𐽰𐽾𐽶𐾀𐽶 𐽰𐽰𐽾𐽹𐽰𐽸𐽶 𐾈
  ʾsty pwrqʾn q̈wtylyq kwyswsyntʾ
  ʾʾncʾq̈y ʾ ymʾ tynmʾdyn q̈ylqwlwq̈
  ʾysynkʾ ʾrwẍ kwynkwlyn ʾryty ʾʾrmʾdy
  / […] asdï. Burḥan; ḳutïlïġ küsüšinte, anča-ḳya yéme tïnmadïn, ḳïlġuluḳ išiŋe aruḳ[suz] köŋülin arïtï armadï./
  Buddha; in his desire for the feliticious, without resting for even a moment nor getting tired, cleansed the impure hearts - that is his duty.
1. (religion, Buddhism) a statue or an image of Buddha
  Synonyms: 𐽳𐽶𐽾𐾀𐽶𐽺 (wyrtyn /⁠firtén⁠/), 𐽻𐽳𐽳 (sww /⁠soo⁠/)
(religion, Buddhism, Manichaeism) prophet
Synonyms: 𐽰𐽰𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐾀 (ʾʾrqʾnt /⁠arḥant⁠/), 𐽹𐽿𐽶𐽲𐽰 (mšyqʾ /⁠méšiḥa⁠/), ܦܬܓܐܡܘܪ (ptγʾmβr /⁠patġamvar⁠/), پیغامبار (pyʿʾmbʾr /⁠pïġambar⁠/), 𐽶𐽰𐾁𐽰𐽱𐽰𐽽 (yʾlʾβʾc /⁠yalavač⁠/)
- c. 11th century, Raymasṭ Frazénd (𐫡𐫀𐫏𐫖𐫘𐫎 𐫜𐫡𐫉𐫏𐫗𐫅), Xᵘāstvānīft VII.B 148-149 (lines 7-8):^[10]
  𐫁𐫇𐫡𐫒𐫀𐫗 𐫎𐫏𐫛𐫀𐫗 𐫀𐫏𐫃𐫏𐫔𐫔 𐫗𐫇𐫖𐫞𐫀
  𐫀𐫇𐫔𐫇𐫗𐫎𐫇𐫖𐫇𐫉 𐫎𐫀𐫛𐫗𐫎𐫖𐫉 𐫀𐫡𐫘𐫀𐫡
  bwrk̈ʾn ṯypʾn ʾygyδδ nwmqʾ
  ʾwδwnṯwmwz ṯʾpnṯmz ʾrsʾr
  /Burḥan tipen, igid nomḳa uduntumuz tapïntïmïz erser […] /
  [And] if we, saying: "[He is a] prophet," should have cherised and believed in a false doctrine […]
(very rare, religion, Islam) idol, specifically pagan idols; heathen prophets
- c. 14th century, Dialogues between Islam and Buddhism SHT794.09-14 (v09-14):^[11]
  𐽷𐽳𐽶𐽾𐽹𐽶𐽿 𐽶𐽳𐽲 𐽰𐽶𐽻𐽸𐽶𐽹 𐽹𐽳𐽻𐽳𐽾𐽹𐽰𐽺 𐾁𐽰𐽾 𐽰𐽳𐽲
  𐽻𐽳𐽶𐽴 𐾁𐽰𐽾 𐾁𐽰𐽾 𐾈 𐽼𐽳𐽸𐽶𐽺 𐽷𐽳𐽶𐽾𐽹𐽰𐾃𐽸𐽺 𐽰𐽾𐽶𐽼 𐾀𐽺𐽷𐽾𐽶
  𐽺𐽶𐽺𐽷 𐽼𐽳 𐽻𐽳𐽶𐽴𐾁𐽰𐽾𐽶𐽲 𐽷𐽶𐽹 𐽽𐽶𐽺 𐽰𐽿𐽶𐾀𐽸𐽶
  𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐾂 𐽼𐽶𐽲𐽰𐽹𐽼𐽰𐽾 𐾁𐽰𐽾 𐽺𐽶𐽺𐽷 𐽶𐽰𐽾𐾁𐽶𐽲 𐽶
  𐽼𐽳 𐽻𐽳𐽶𐽴 𐾀𐽶𐽺 𐾀𐽰𐽹𐽸𐽰𐽷 𐽰𐽾𐽹𐽰𐽴𐽹𐽳 𐾈
  𐽼𐽶𐾁 […] 𐾁𐽰𐽾 𐽰𐽰𐽹𐾀𐽶 𐽼𐽶𐾁𐽷𐽰𐾁𐽰𐽾 𐾈
  kwyrmyš ywq ʾysdym mwswrmʾn lʾr ʾwq
  swyz lʾr lʾr pwdyn kwyrmʾ̣dn ʾryp tnkry
  nynk pw swyzlʾryq kym cyn ʾšytdy
  pwrqʾṅ pyqʾmpʾr lʾr nynk yʾrlyq y
  pw swyz tyn tʾmdʾk ʾrmʾzmw
  pyl […] lʾr ʾʾmty pylkʾlʾr
  /Körmiš yoḳ, isdim Musurmanlar oḳ sözlerler:
  Bodïn körmedin erip teŋriniŋ bo sözlerig kim čïn ešitdi? Burḥan-payġambarlarnïŋ yarlïġï bo söztin temdek ermez-mü?
  Bil[iŋ]ler, amtï bilgeler./
  Having not seen it, those very Muslims always say this:
  Without seeing the real physical form of the god itself, who [can claim to] have heard the true words of the god? Can [then] the teachings of heathenous^[12] prophets be [ever] verified?
  Wise people, now you know this.

Declension

Declension of **𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺**
	singular	definite plural
nominative	𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺 (pwrqʾn)	𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐾁𐽰𐽾 (pwrqʾnlʾr)
genitive	𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐽺𐽶𐽺𐽷 (pwrqʾnnynk)	𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐾁𐽰𐽾𐽺𐽶𐽺𐽷 (pwrqʾnlʾrnynk)
dative	𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐽲𐽰 (pwrqʾnqʾ)	𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐾁𐽰𐽾𐽲𐽰 (pwrqʾnlʾrqʾ)
accusative	𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐽶𐽲 (pwrqʾnyq), 𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐽺𐽶 (pwrqʾnny)	𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐾁𐽰𐽾𐽶𐽲 (pwrqʾnlʾryq), 𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐾁𐽰𐽾𐽺𐽶 (pwrqʾnlʾrny)
locative	𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐾀𐽰 (pwrqʾntʾ)	𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐾁𐽰𐽾𐾀𐽰 (pwrqʾnlʾrtʾ)
ablative	𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐾀𐽶𐽺 (pwrqʾntyn)	𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐾁𐽰𐽾𐾀𐽶𐽺 (pwrqʾnlʾrtyn)
instrumental	𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐽶𐽺 (pwrqʾnyn)	𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐾁𐽰𐽾𐽶𐽺 (pwrqʾnlʾryn)
equative	𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐽽𐽰 (pwrqʾncʾ)
directive	𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐽲𐽰𐽾𐽳 (pwrqʾnqʾrw), 𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐽾𐽰 (pwrqʾnrʾ)
similative	𐽼𐽳𐽾𐽲𐽰𐽺𐾁𐽰𐽶𐽳 (pwrqʾnlʾyw)

Descendants

→ Karakhanid: بُرْخَنْ (burχan, “idol, Buddha”)
- → Mamluk-Kipchak: بورغن (burġan, “devil, demon”)
→ Mongolian: бурхан (burxan, “god”)
→ Tuvan: бурган (burgan, “god”)

References

^ With 𐽲𐽰𐽺 (qʾn /⁠ḥan⁠/, “ruler, lord”) supplanted by 𐽲𐽰𐽲𐽰𐽺 (qʾqʾn /⁠ḳaġan, ḳaḥan⁠/, “Khagan”).
^ With 𐽲𐽰𐽺 (qʾn /⁠ḥan⁠/, “Khan, ruler, lord”) dropped.
^ Misspelling.
^ Misspelling.
^ Misspelling.
^ With 𐽲𐽰𐽺 (qʾn /⁠ḥan⁠/, “Khan, ruler, lord”) dropped.
^ Sense 3 only.
^ Attested as 𑀭𑁆𑀳𑀸𑀦𑁆𑀢𑀸 (rhāntā)
^ https://turfan.bbaw.de/dta/u/images/u0452seite1.jpg
^ https://idp.bl.uk/uv/?manifest=https%3A%2F%2Fdata.idp.bl.uk%2Fiiif%2F3%2Fmanifest%2F192566F9732149E7B230100C6362D516#?c=&m=&cv=17&xywh=0%2C-238%2C1875%2C1880
^ http://idp.bbaw.de/image_IDP.a4d?type=loadRotatedMainImage;recnum=270271;rotate=0;imageType=_M
^ in this context, Buddhist.