Proto-Altaic: *n[u]ńa
Meaning: a k. of grass
Russian meaning: вид травы
Comments: Martin 240, Дыбо 10, Robbeets 2000, 104. The root denotes some sort of wild-growing flower (clover, dandelion, shepherd's purse), but - as most plant names - raises some problems. Mong. nimniɣa must represent a transformation of *nin-miɣa, with not quite clear suffixation. The tone correspondence between Kor. and Jpn. is irregular. If the original Turk. form is *jor-ɨnčka (cf. (QB) jor "porridge" - a semantic derivation like Russ. кашка 'clover'?), it does not belong here. On the other hand, cf. PT *jandak 'name of a thorny plant, camel-thorn, thistle' (EDT 947, VEWT 185). It appears semantically distant from the other forms, but may represent a secondary development due to association with jan- 'burn' ('burning plant'). The reconstruction in this case would have to be changed to *ni̯uńa - better explaining consonant reflexes and Mong. vocalism, but also suggesting a secondary restructuring in Turkic (*jɨn-dak > *jan-dak).
