Changes

*suk, stand for Zak} ''čak''.<ref>Final ''k'' in transcriptions never answers to a final ''r'', but only to ''k'', ''g'', or ''x'' (cf. also Pelliot, ''T'oung Pao'', 1912, p. 476).</ref> The entire speculation is deplorable, and we are even expected "to allow for a change the word may have undergone from the original meaning within the last two thousand years"; but there is no trace of evidence that the Osmanli word has existed that length of time, neither can it be reasonably admitted that the significance of a word can change from "pea" to "alfalfa." The universal term in Central Asia for alfalfa is bidd2 ''bidā''<ref>A. Stein, Khotan, Vol. I, p. 130.</ref> or beda''bēdä'', z <ref>Le Coq, Sprichwörter und Lieder aus Turfan, p. 85.</ref> Djagatai bidd''bidä''. This word means simply "fodder, clover, hay." 4 <ref>I. Kunos, Sulejman Efendi's Čagataj-Osman. Wörterbuch, p. 26.</ref> According to Tomaschek,6 <ref>Pamir-Dialekte, p. 792.</ref> this word is of Iranian origin (Persian ''beda''). It is found also in SariqollSariqolī, a Pamir dialect. 6 <ref>R. B. Shaw, ''Journal As. Soc. Bengal'', 1876, p. 231.</ref> This would indicate very well that the Persians (and it could hardly be expected otherwise) disseminated the alfalfa to Turkistan.

According to VamberyVámbery,7 <ref>Primitive Cultur des turko-tatarischen Volkes, p. 220.</ref> alfalfa appears to have been indigenous among the Turks from all times; this opinion, however, is only based on linguistic evidence, which is not convincing: a genuine Turkish name exists in Djagatai jonuSka ''jonuška'' (read yonucka''yonučka'') and Osmanli ''yondza* ''<ref>The etymology given of this word by Vámbéry is fantastic and unacceptable.</ref> (add Kasak-Kirgiz yonurcka''yonurčka''), which simply means "green fodder, clover." Now, these dialects represent such recent forms of Turkish speech, that so far-reaching a conclusion cannot be based on them. As far as I know, in the older Turkish languages no word for alfalfa has as yet been found.

A Sanskrit §§ M- fJ jM <> ''sai-pi-li-k'ie'', *sak-bi-lik-kya, for the designation of ''mu-su'', is indicated by Li SiŠi-cenčen, 9 <ref>''Pen ts'ao kaṅ mu'', Ch. 27, p. 3 b. ''Mu-su'' is classified by him under ''ts'ai'' ("vegetables").</ref> who states that this is the word for ''mu-su '' used in the ''Kin kwan min kin -§£%!$% W± kwaṅ miṅ kiṅ'' <> (SuvarnaprabhasaSuvarṇaprabhāsa- sutrasūtra). This is somewhat surprising, in view of the fact that there is no Sanskrit word for this plant known to us; 10 <ref>This was already remarked by A. de Candolle (Origin of Cultivated Plants, p. 104). Also Watt gives only modern Indian vernacular names, three of which, ''spastu'', ''sebist'', and ''beda'', are of Iranian origin.</ref> and there can be no doubt that the latter was introduced into India from Iran in comparatively recent times. Bretschneider's suggestion, 11 <ref>Bot. Sin., pt. III, p. 404.</ref> that in