Chapter 1. TEK — Ancestry

The name of my father’s RU [clan] — Taz, its seal, and its battle cry, “Baqaı”. Photo from https://el.kz/news/archive/aza-_rularyny-_-rany_men_ta-basy-_taz_ruy/.

“Erte kúnde otty Kúnnen Ǵun týǵan,

[In the beginning of time, the Hun was born from the fiery Sun,]

Otty Ǵunnan ot bop oınap men týǵam.

[From the fiery Hun, blazing, I was born.]”

M. Jumabaev

A book about language is starting with a chapter about ancestry not just because “you gotta start from the beginning”. Ancestry/lineage/descent — TEK — historically held enormous meaning for Qazaqs. A person with noble ancestry would commonly be described as TEKTI [well-born] and ASYL TEKTIŃ URPAǴY [descendant from noble ancestors], and the highest praise for a bride are the words TEKTI JERDEŃ SHYQQAN [she comes from a great lineage].

There are also terms like ARǴY TEGI [distant ancestors] and BERGI TEGI [close ancestors]. The word ATA [grandfather] is also used in the meaning of “ancestor”: ARǴY ATA [distant ancestors]; BERGI ATA [close ancestors]; ATAM ZAMANNAN BERI [since the times of my ancestors]; ATA JOLYMEN JÚRÝ [to follow the way of the ancestors]; ATA JOLYN QÝÝ/BUZÝ [to follow/break from the traditions of ancestors]. The term ATA-BABA is also used. For example, ATA-BABA JOLY [the way/traditions of ancestors]; ATA-BABA QONYSY/MEKENI [the land of ancestors] or, simply, ATAMEKEN.

Many Qazaq proverbs speak to the importance of ancestry, and the following are a few common ones:

• Atasyz ul jetesiz, jetesizden aqyl surap ne etesiz?

[A rootless person has no wisdom, why would you ask them for advice?]

• Ákesi boldy jetesiz, balasy qaldy nekesiz.

[The father had no kin, and the son was born out of wedlock.]

• Jaqsyda kek joq, jamanda tek joq.

[A good person seeks no revenge, and a bad person has no good ancestry.]

• Jetesi jaman — tegi nashar, ushyp shyqqan uyasy jaman.

[A bad lineage means bad ancestors and a bad home.]

• Kórgensiz degenge arlanba, teksiz degenge arlan.

[Don’t be upset if they say you’re uncultured, be upset if they say you have bad lineage.]

• Teksizdiń tegi — qul.

[One who does not know their lineage is a slave.]

The institute of SHEJIRE [genealogy] is one of the basic pillars of Qazaq society. It consists of two parts:

• The first one is the knowledge of JETI ATA, the names of one’s seven direct paternal ancestors.
• The second one is the knowledge of ATA TEGI (or RÝ), one’s clan, its seal — TAŃBA, its battle cry — URAN, and its position in the structure of all Qazaq clans.