Proto-Altaic: *ĕ́t`è
Meaning: elder relative
Russian meaning: старший родственник
Comments: Цинциус 1972a, 37-40. Poppe 51, 56, АПиПЯЯ 296, Дыбо 6; a weak attempt of disproving the etymology see in TMN 1, 188. A "nursery" word, represented in all Altaic subgroups. Ramstedt (KW 129) compares the Mong. form with Turk. *eči / *eče 'elder brother', but it is obviously closer related to *ata (Mong. *eči-ge = Turk. *ete-ke / *ata-ka). The form *ete-k`e, reflected in Turkic, Mongolian and Tungus, is probably an archaic diminutive, and Doerfer's (TMN 2, 9) attempt to treat the Turk. form as a compound ata 'Vater' + äkä 'älteres Geschwister' is certainly faulty.
