A new analysis of Kalbak Taşı (A-23) incription

Abstract

This paper focuses on Kalbak-Tas I inscription which belongs to the Mountainous Altai group. It provides an analysis of the problematic issues of the inscription that have emerged in previous studies, as well as some new reading proposals for some parts of the inscription. the transliterations of Kalbak-Tas I given by the previous researchers differ from one another regarding some sign decipherments. Our study evaluates those decipherments and eliminates the problematic identifications. It reveals the most acceptable transliteration of the inscription through a detailed analysis of the photograph of Kalbak-Tas I inscription taken and published by Tybykova et al. (2012). the author considers the sign groups <Tm>, <bdzgI>, <sgn>, <bIss(sic)A>, <WrmAT>, <icdA>, <yryA> as separate lexical units. the inscription is transcribed and translated here as yer ba(sic)gu armis atam badzagi asgin bessi(sic)a urmat(1)[i] icda y<i>rya (...) 'The earth has been eternal. (This is) my father's ornament (inscription?). Without blowing to his ambling mare, from the court northwards (...)'.