ZOLTÁN KODÁLY

On the 35th anniversary of his death, Hungarians remember this great composer, ethnographer, writer, philosopher, and teacher. His compositions are based on the musical language of the Magyar people and are played in concerts all over the world. His unique teaching methods are known here in the United States, largely as a result of the dedicated efforts of Denise Bacon and the Kodály Center of America, which started some twenty years ago in Wellesley, Massachusetts. A generation of students have grown up since the Center’s founding, and they help to carry on the Magyar heritage of love of country, of music, and peace. His writings center upon the efforts to bring about a happier future for mankind This he hoped to achieve through music and the proper use of language. His teachings were collected in the two volume book Visszatekintés (translation: Looking back), published by the Zenemûkiadó Vállalat in Budapest, 1978. His advice is addressed to Hungarians in the homeland and the world over, but it is valid for all.

“Music is spiritual food and cannot be substituted by anything else. Whoever does not partake from it will live and die in a state of spiritual anemia. There are regions of the soul which can be illuminated only through music. The task of music is to help us know our inner world better and to help it bloom and fulfill itself…. And where we reach the limits of human consciousness, music will point even further into a world which we cannot know, only feel.”

“What will our future be? A fairyland or a wasteland? It depends on us. Will there be enough hands to work this problem out? Will there be enough well educated and spiritual conductors who can accomplish this task? Because we have to work on this task with both hands.”

“And who will be in the mood to continue a prolonged and hopeless struggle with matter when the road between the soul and matter can be thus easily shortened? It is at such occasions that the thesis, ‘The strength of the spirit can triumph over the resistance of matter,’ can be validated. The aim of the human spirit is to rule over the body, and this struggle will gain a giant helpmeet in the organized study of speech.”

***

THE UNTENABILITY OF THE FINNO-UGRIAN THEORY

FROM A LINGUISTIC POINT OF VIEW

Dr. László Marácz

RESEARCH OF THE MAGYAR LANGUAGE RELATIONSHIPS

In The Magyar Turning Point

My book, The Magyar Turning Point; Political Opinions Concerning Central Europe was published in 1995 in the Dutch language. This book’s aim was to break out from the ring of oppression, news blackout, the multiple taboos that surround the Magyars of the Carpathian Basin, and their culture, to state the truth including the injustices of the Trianon peace dictate. As a linguist I raised the question of the Finno-Ugrian language theory, too. I came to the conclusion that this theory is untenable even from a linguistic point of view. In this book I summarize my arguments against the Finno Ugric relationship of the Magyar language in the following ten paragraphs

1. Attempts to validate the Finno-Ugrian language relationships are based solely upon the relationships between words. Language research really began to take shape only after the second world war. When we speak of Finno-Ugrian language relationships, we mainly address the lexical parallels of these languages.(p.68)

2. The Finno-Ugrian theory underdetermines. It fails to isolate any lexical parallels that are valid only in the case of the Finno-Ugrian languages, but that leave out other Eurasian languages out such as the Altaic languages, the Turkish, the Mongolian, the Sumerian, etc. (p.69). Sándor Csõke in his manuscript entitled The Sumerian-Mongolian-Turkish Equivalents Of The Supposedly Finno-Ugrian Word-Supply Of The Magyar Language (Eberstein, 1982), demonstrated very convincingly that the word stems and words listed under the 670 title-words of the Lakó-Rédei etymological dictionary, entitled The Finno-Ugrian Elements Of The Magyar Words, Vol.I-III (Budapest, 1971, 1972, 1978) occur not only in the so called Finno-Ugrian languages, if they appear in them at all, since forty percent of the entire vocabulary appears regularly in only one, the so called Finno-Ugrian language and is missing from all the others. Next to the Magyar language’s Finno-Ugrian elements we can also find the Sumerian, Turkish and Mongolian equivalents. The same can also be said of the original basic strata of the vocabulary, which is considered a decisive factor in the search of language relationships, so it must hold true in the relationship of the Finno-Ugrian languages too.[1] Pronouns, names of body parts, some words denoting family ties, objects or phenomena of nature, names of basic actions, and numerals belong into this category of the vocabulary. Based on logic we can surmise that we are dealing here with related languages. Let’s take a closer look at some of these categories. The numbers are the same as in the Lakó-Rédei dictionary.

Pronouns

419. Magyar mi = we

Sumerian me =as above

Finnish me =as above

Estonian me = as above

Vogul män =as above

Ostyak men =see dual

Old Turkish biz =we (phon.: m > b)

Turkish biz =as above

Middle Turkish miz =as above

Chatagaj biz =as above

Mongolian bida = as above

see manai = ai possessive pron. Ours

Kalmyk manä = as above

94. Magyar te = you

téged, tied, tiéd/ yours

Sumerian za/ze-, zi/ = te; z > t/ you

Finnish si- = you

Old Turkish sä- = you

Turkish se- = you

Mongolian èi < ti- = you

(This particle is missing from the so called Ugrian languages).

Names of body-parts

143. Magyar fej, fejet, fô; j-hézagtöltô/ head

1. fej =head

2. fej = ember, személy/ person

Mongolian beje = bodies

Manchurian beje = Mensch

Yakut bäjä =as above

Osman bäjin = brain

Turkmen bejni = as above

Azerbaijani. bejin =as above

Uigur miji = as above

Jakut mäji = head

Lebed pää = brain

Mongolian ekin = brain

Middle Mongol. hekin = brain

Manchurian fehi = brain

Gold pejé = forhead

Korean pong = head

Vogul pangk, pungk = head, pinnacle, mountain

Finnish pää = head

Magyar ponk = dial. pinnacle

Sumerian pa = appu = summit, top

Arch. Magyar fe = arch. head

Their ancient forms:

Turkish pängi

Finno Ugr. ??? pänge

Arch.Mongolian päki

Arch.Tungus peghi

232. Magyar has = belly

Sumero-Akkadian hašù= innards

Kalmuck xoto = belly, stomach

Mongolian qotu = as above

Manchurian qodo = as above (phonology: š> t)

Osman karyn = as above

Uigur karyn = as above

Old Turkish qarîn = belly, -phon. š > r

Sumerian haš= qadâdu = to bend

Magyar hasal, le-hasal = to lie on one’s stomach

Middle Turkish kîš- = to bow, to bend

Osman kîš- =as above

237. Magyar hát = back

Sumerian gudu = kinnatu = hind quarters

Vogul khute, khuti = behind something

Old Turkish kid = the end, behind

vö. kidin = as above

Uigur kid = as above

Chatagai kät = back of something

Yakut kätäx = back of the head

Mongolian gädä = back, behind, etc.

323. Magyar kéz, keze-t = hand

Sumerian giš = hand, foot,

mountains

loose change, etc.

Magyar kezel, kezes, közvetítés, készpénz/to handle, handy, mediation, cash

keszkenô, kesztyû,.etc-= handkerchief, gloves

Vogul kät = hand

Ostjak ket = hand

Finnish käsi = hand

in compounds: käte-hand

Chatagai kütöl = obedient horse

Mongolian kötel- = to lead by the hand

see: gesi-gün = members of the body

Kalmyk gešùn = as above

350. Magyar láb = foot

Sumerian dib = to go

phon.1: to step; d > l

2. nomen verbum

Mongolian dab-dari-= touch the ground with the foot

Kalmuck dabdr- = as above

Mongolian daba- = to come and go over something

Kalmuck daw- = as above

Tunguz dow- =as above

(The Magyar l-sound at the beginning of the word is

secondary. The so called Finno-Ugrian words do not belong here.)

442. Magyar nyak = neck. The K is an affix

Sumerian I.gu = I. as above (phon.:g ny)

II.nag = trinken,. to drink

Magyar nyakal = to drink

Magyar nyakaz = to behead

Uigur jaka = collar

Chatagai jaka = as above

Osman jaka =as above

Lamut-Tunguz ñäkam = neck

477. Magyar orr = nose, tip

Sumerian I. ur =. to smell

II. ir = to smell

Magyar orront = as above

Magyar orr < or-r = smthing that smells

Sumerian III. ur = tip of something

Magyar a. orr = nose

b. orom= mountain top

Mongolian örü-me = tejföl; smthing on top

Chatagai ör = elevation

Kazak ör = as above

Osman ör = hill

Finnish vuori = mountain

Votyak vyr = hill

Ostyak vor = height

539. Magyar száj= mouth

Sumerian I. sag = face, (phon.: g > j)

II. sa = as above

Magyar szá = mouth

Sumerian III. ka =face, mouth, opening

palatalization: szá ...

(None of the so called Finno-Ugrian elements can be admitted into this category because of phonetic reasons. All of the Vogul words are of Mongolian origin.)

Vogul sunt -sut = opening, mouth,

Mongolian suda-ga = furrow

Kalmuck sudä =as above

Khalkha suDä = as above

556. Magyar szem = (-m suffix) eye

Sumerian ši = to see; the onlooker

Akkadian zîmu = face

Vogul säm = eye

Ostyak sem = eye

Turkish sima = face

Osman symar-la- =to select

Votyak šin =eye

Zyrian šin = eye

Cheremiss šindza = eye

lit. Mongolian sinjile- = to find, to examine

Kalmuck šindzl- = to observe

Cumanian synèla- = look at, inspect

Mongolian sübe = ear of the needle

Kalmuck süwe = as above

Mordvine šelme = the eye

Finnish silmä = the eye

Estonian silm = as above

Kalmyk tšilme- = to glance

Mongolian silib-ki- = as above

564. Magyar szív, szívet, = heart

Sumerian I.šag = libbu = I. heart, middle

II.šab = as above

III.ša = as above

Magyar szü, szú = heart

Sumerian to be kind hearted

Magyar szívélyes, szíves, szívesség,

szível = cordial

phon. u > v; b > v

Sumerian ag = lubbu, the inside

Magyar a.szék, szík = tojás sárgája, the yolk of the egg,

inside,-cernel of smthg

see: Sumerian šab = libbu heart, mood, etc.

Old Turkish säw = to love

säwig = love, lovable

Uigur säb- = to love

Osman säw- =as above

Mongolian seb = improvement, rest

Zyrian ševem = heart =

Finnish syväm = as above

A few words of family ties

20. Magyar anya = mother

Old Turkish ana = mother

Oirot änä = as above

Soron äjä = aunt, older sister

Tunguz eñi = as above

(The words ángy, anya are not children’s vocabulary, but they do take us back to the ancient Sumerian roots. )

Sumerian gana, gan = with young (animal)

Old Turkish jängä; (phon.: g > j; n > ng)

Magyar ángyi ; (phon.: g > ø; n > ngy) aunt

see: gana

Turkish ana = mother

Magyar anya, (phon.: g > ø) mother

The meaning of the Sumerian word is birthing-mother.

1. Magyar apa, apja = father

Sumerian ab, abba = father, grandfather

cattle, cow

Vogul âpa = randfather, bear

Middle Turkish aba = father, bear

Osman aba = father

Mongolian aba = as above

Korean aba = as above

246. Magyar hím =man, male

Sumerian hum = sexual maturity

Vogul xum = human, man

vö. kum = as above

Kalmyk küm = human

see: Kümüdzi- = to beeome human

to improve one’s mind

Mongolian kümün = man, human

Samoyed kum, kumo = as above

441. Magyar nô, neje = woman, wife

Sumerian I. nig = lionesse

II. nu-gig = Kultdirne*

III. nin = sister

Ostyak ning = wife

Mongolian naji-ji-nar = feminine, womanly

Kalmyk nâdzinr = as above

Sumerian IV. na = sleep together

Magyar nôszik, nász = wedding

Objects and phenomena of nature

57. Magyar csillog, csillag = to twinkle, star

Sumerian zil = zalag = to twinkle

Mordvin tšildor- = to shine, to glitter

Cheremiss tšelgez- = as above

Mongolian èilger = light, bright

see:jilgir- = to radiate

Ostyak èil = radiant

see:šulpa- = to radiate, to shine,

Kirgiz èolpan = morning star

Mongolian èolban = as above

Uigur èolpan = as above

120. Magyar fa = tree, woood

Sumerian pa = issu =as above

see: mu = as above

Vogul - pä = as above, after the names of trees

Cheremiss pü = wood, tree

Samoyed fe = as above

Gold-Tungus pe = willow-tree

Uigur y = woods, thicket

see:y-gaè = tree

a-gaè = as above

(The beginning p-sound was lost in the Turkish languages.)

Manschurian faka = Gabelholz*

famha = wood-bobbin

fungku = blook of wood

211. Magyar hal = fish

Kalmyk xala = Fischadler fishing eagle

lit. Mongolian qalu = as above

Gold-Tungus xol-ton =as above.; -ton affix

Finnish ku = nùnu = fish

kua = as above

384. Magyar mag /cernel

Sumerian I. mu = zìru = seed

II. magzat = child, infant

magló...

Uigur mäng = birdfood

Middle Turkish mäng = seed, birdfood

Tarantchan bäng = hallucinogen of hemp- seed

Mongolian bugu-dai = certain seeds

orig.: mago-t, mag, (phon.: b= m)

207. Magyar hajnal = dawn

Turkish kujaš= sun

Sumerian I. kug = light, clean, clear

Vogul khuj, stb. dawn

Sumerian II. huš= huššu = red, reddish shine

Ostyak xuši = red sky

659. Magyar villám, villámlik, v-added= lightning

vö. illog, villog= flickers

Sumerian I. illu = to shine

II. il = to flare up

világít, velágít= to shine

világ = light

világos = bright, light

III. ul-šar-ra = world

Magyar velág, világ = v-added, world

297. Magyar jég, jege-t, = ice

Sumerian šeg = šurîpu = as above

Vogul jangG = as above

Mordvin jej, eng = as above

Finnish jää = as above

see: jägi, jähi = as above

Manschurian juhe = as above

Uzbek jax = as above

Mongolian söng = spring ice

Kirgiz seng = table of ice

Mongolian jekere- = it will be cold

Basic actions

11. Magyar al, alj, alatt, alá,etc. = base,

bottom, below

Uigur al = underside

see: altyn = down below

Magyar alant=below

Vogul ial = down

Ostyak ilen = below

Finnish ali- = something below

Estonian ala = the lower...

Samoyed iro = ground

Sumerian ur = išdu = ground

Votyak ul = base

Mongolian ala = male repr.org.

albatan = subordinates

50. Magyar 1. csap, csapkod =to slap

Lit. Mongolian èab-èi- = to hit

Kalmuck tšaptši- = as above

Turkish èap- = as above

Chuvash šup- = slap in the face

Cheremiss šoB-, saB- = as above

Sumerian sag = to hit

(phon.: sag > saB > èab = csap; B = béta)

Magyar 2. csap = to throw

Sumerian šub = to throw

Magyar 3. csapodár = fickle

Sumerian šub = neglect

Magyar 4. csappan = to lessen

Sumerian šub = fallen, to fall

Magyar 5. csapat= troop

Sumerian sabu = mankind

67. Magyar csuk = to close

Sumerian I. šu = pahù = as above

II. sag = as above

ad: I. šu >èu-k > csuk; -k affix

ad II. sag > èak = csuk to close

Lit. Mongolian èuqu-ra- = spread out

see:èogu-ji-la- = to close

and èoguji = Hängeschloss*

Selkup èagajap- = to close

290. Magyar iszik, iszom, ivó= to drink, -er

analyzed: i-sz-ik, i-v-ó

base: i

Vogul äi-sä-m = I drank

Sumerian a. mù = water

e. mù = water

Old Turkish iè- =- è verbal affix/to drink, -é

Kazak iš- = as above

Kojbál is- =as above

Finnish juo- = as above

307. Magyar kel

Sumerian I. gal = to lift, to lift up, to pull up

II. gal = to be secure

III. gal = to fit, to sit secure Magyar kel, felkel, kel, el-kel, =to rise, to get up, sold out

keltez, kelet, napkelte, = to date, east, sunrise

útra-kel = to rise, start a journey

Mongolian kel-ki- =to build a family

egybe kel = to be united

Old Turkish käl- = to come, to arrive

Osman gel- = see: :g, as above

Uigur käl- = as above

Middle Turkish käl- = as above

Vogul-Ostyak: kal- , kul- = to get or step up

315. Magyar kerül, kering, etc.= to circle