International Journal Of Literature And Languages
20
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue08 2025
PAGE NO.
20-22
10.37547/ijll/Volume05Issue08-04
Names of Jewelry for The Head
Erejepova Aysuliw Asenbayevna
Doctoral student of the Nukus State Pedagogical Institute named after Ajiniyaz, Uzbekistan
Received:
11 June 2025;
Accepted:
07 July 2025;
Published:
09 August 2025
Abstract:
This article analyzes jewelry items intended for the head. They are divided into two groups and studied.
Information is also provided about how the items are called in Turkic languages, their meanings, what the items
are made of, and when or where they should be worn.
Keywords:
Headwear, jewelry, bibishak, gold jewelry.
Introduction:
Through folk applied art, which is an
important component of national culture, in particular,
jewelry making, the spiritual world, aesthetic views,
and traditions of the people are expressed. Jewelry is
worn on various parts of the human div, among which
headwear occupies a special place. Such objects
performed not only aesthetic, but also symbolic-
spiritual and protective functions. They are worn
mainly in solemn occasions, at wedding ceremonies, by
young girls and brides.
The names of head jewelry can be studied by dividing
them into subgroups:
1. Names of jewelry worn on the head and headwear;
2. Names of jewelry worn on the forehead, temples,
and hair.
1. Names of jewelry worn on the head and headwear.
This group includes jewelry worn on a person's head or
headwear. Their main function is ornamentation, a
festive appearance, a sign of age and status, and
sometimes a protective feature.
Among women's jewelry among the Turkic peoples,
there have long been jewelry worn on the head,
forehead, temples, and hair, each of which has its own
name. In particular, in the Uzbek language - jiga,
osmadózi, tillakosh, bargak, bibishak; in the Karakalpak
language -
jiga, silsine, shıtaq, tóbelik; in the Kazakh
language -
jiga, sáukele, altın shaq; in the Turkmen
language -
jyga, alynşaý, gupba. The tobelik, mentioned
in the Karakalpak language as a women's headdress, is
a national ornament, decorated mainly with precious
stones and beads. Among the people, it is also known
as gùmis taqıya or silsineli taqıya. Toplik is worn mainly
by girls and brides. A row of leaf-shaped sticks or silsilas
are attached to its hem. At the same time, the
surroundings and top of the tobe are completely
decorated with precious stones [1]. According to
Karakalpak linguists, this ornamental item, called
shıtaq, is usually made of silver and has a thin and small
shape. It is also suggested that the shytaks may have
been named so because they produced a resonant
sound "shıtır
-
shıtır" when moving
[2]. Thus, the term
shıtaq in the Karakalpak language can be considered to
have originated from an onomatopoeic word.
In the Uzbek language, this type of jewelry hanging on
some items for decoration is called shokila [3]. In the
explanatory dictionary of the Turkmen language, the
ornament in the form of long leaves, worn on the lower
part of the skullcap of older girls and young brides, is
given as sümsüle. Sümsülele
r jňňyrdaşar[4].
In the explanatory dictionary of the Uzbek language,
the item worn on a headdress, decorated with ukpar[5]
and precious stones, is given as jiga[6]. The name of this
jewelry is found in almost all Turkic languages. In
particular, I.Seytnazarova and K.Zayrova, who studied
the terms of jewelry in the Karakalpak language,
defined the name of the jewelry item jığa as "a type of
jewelry worn for decoration on a headwear. In ancient
times, women adorned their headwear with beads
made of various precious stones for decoration," and
notes that today this jewelry is worn by dancing girls to
distinguish them from other girls, and by girls getting
married, it is worn on their heads as a decoration at
weddings and is used in the meaning of "taj." The study
also notes that the term jiga was borrowed into Turkic
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
21
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
languages from Persian and is also found in other Turkic
languages, in particular, in the Kazakh language jiga -
pheasant or eagle-fairy worn on the headwear of khans
and sultans, the groom, in the Uzbek language jiga - an
ornament worn on the headwear, decorated with
precious stones, in the Kyrgyz language jiga - a long
headwear of the khan, a jewelry worn on the
headwear, in the Turkmen language jyga - a bird-fairy,
in ancient times it was used in the meaning of an
ornament and crown worn on the headwear of the
elderly [7]. Thus, the term jiga has a common semantic
basis in all languages and manifests itself mainly as a
symbol of headwear decoration, prestige, and social
status. This also indicates its ancient cultural and
ethnographic significance. In the Kazakh language, a
gold ornament worn on a headdress or a gold jewelry
with precious stones is called altyn shaq.
Басымда бар алтын шақ,
Көкешим барда көңилим тоқ (қазақ эпосы)
.
In the Turkmen language, the chain-like silver jewelry
worn on the right side of the skullcap is called gùmis
taqıya or silsineli taqıya, the silver jewelry worn on top
of the girls' skullcap is gupba[8], the triangular silver
jewelry worn on top of the boys' skullcap is dogaçyr[9].
Bibishak (from the words "bibi" and "shoh") is a jewelry
or ornament made from small beads, worn around the
neck or on the head. Bibishak is in the shape of a
crescent with two ends curved upwards, with a
rhombus or rosette placed in the center. The name of
the jewelry "Bibishak" consists of two words: "bibi" - an
expression of respect, "shoh" - a symbol of height, a
crown. Osma-do'zi, bibishak jewelry is included in the
group of terms denoting jewelry worn on the forehead
in I. Pardayeva's research [11].
2. Names of jewelry worn on the forehead, temples,
and hair. Jewelry worn on the forehead and temples -
traditional types of jewelry worn on the forehead for
the purpose of decorating women's headwear or
hairstyles. This type of decoration performs not only an
aesthetic function, but also has a cultural and symbolic
meaning. They are made of various metals (gold, silver)
and precious stones and are attached directly to the
forehead or headwear.
Among the Turkic peoples of Karakalpakstan,
ornaments worn on the forehead and temple have
various forms and names, among which the following
occupy a special place: in the Uzbek language -
tillakosh, bargak, manglaydo'zi, gajak; in the Karakalpak
language - shekelik; in the Kazakh language -
maңdaysha; in the Turkmen language
- akdyrma,
maңlaýlyk, kebelek, kerpiçli, egme, çekelik. In studies
on the names of folk applied arts and jewelry in the
Uzbek language, names denoting jewelry items worn
on the forehead are given, such as peshonagajak,
tillakosh,
butun-tirnoq,
osma
tuzi,
tilla-zulf,
manglaytuzi, shokila, bibishak, qoshduo, bodomoy[12].
Tillaqosh is a decorative item worn on the forehead by
women and girls made of gold or gilded. A jewelry
consisting of a combination of the words "Tilla" and
"qosh," placed on a woman's eyebrow.
I.Kh.Pardaeva, who studied the lexicon of jewelry in the
Uzbek language, specifically focused on the name of
the ornamental item "bargak" and analyzed the
meaning and areas of application of this term based on
various sources as follows: "Among the names of such
items, there is another one, we think we need to dwell
on this separately. We are talking about the term
bargak. In the "Explanatory Dictionary of the Uzbek
Language," it is defined as follows: bargak - a decorative
item made of gold or silver coins, worn on the forehead
by women, and in the "Uzbek Soviet Encyclopedia"
bargak is defined as follows: a decorative item worn on
the forehead and hair by Eastern, in particular, Uzbek
women. There are such types of bargak as tilla bargak
and kumush bargak. (see. Tillaqosh). Now let's turn our
attention to the "Uzbek-Russian Dictionary" (M.,1959).
It states that bargak is an ornamental item worn on hair
or forehead (a woman's jewelry on silver and gold
plates attached to hair or worn on forehead). In S.
Ibragimov's work, it is emphasized that this item is
worn on the forehead of women. From the cited
sources, it is known that bargak (originally Persian-
Tajik: barg+ak) represents an item worn on the
forehead or attached to the hair of women. In our
literature, for some reason, the leaf is made as a
decorative item worn on the chest. For example, in P.
Kadyrov's work "Babur," "Babur, not daring to look at
his face, noticed the golden leaves on his chest." Or in
M.Ismoili's
work
"Fergana
until
dawn,"
we
encountered such an example: On his head is a pearl
necklace... on his neck is a necklace, on his chest is a
leaf, on his shoulders is a beqasam jacket, under the
jacket is an atlas dress, on his hands are bracelets, on
his feet are amirkon socks..." In the works of P.Kadyrov
and M.Ismai, the bargak is mentioned as an ornament
worn on the chest. This could be the result of literary
style or cultural change. Probably, writers attached
more importance to imagery and aesthetics than to
historical reality. However, in the explanatory
dictionary of the Uzbek language published in recent
years, it is stated: "Bargak (a Persian word meaning a
leaf) is an ornamental item made of gold or silver coins
worn by women on their foreheads and chests" [13].
Gajak - this word is derived from Persian and means
bent, curved. The explanatory dictionary of the Uzbek
language indicates two meanings of this word: 1. Hair
in the form of a semicircle, dropped for beauty on both
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
22
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
sides of the face or forehead; locks; 2. A decorative
item made of gold, silver, etc., curved and worn on the
temple. Akdyrma - a decorative item worn on the
forehead by older girls and young brides. It consists of
long and short silver pendants.
Kebelek - a silver ornament worn by elderly women.
This jewelry is decorated with turquoise and mirrored
eyebrows and is a butterfly-shaped head ornament.
Kebelek is a name based on a semantic image [14].
Kerpiçli is a two-part ornament worn on the forehead:
the lower part is a covering cover, and the upper part is
a brick-shaped ornament. These elements serve to
ensure the solid holding of the ornament in general
[16].
Egme - a decorative item worn on the front part of a
Turkmen women's skullcap. It is flat, semi-circular,
made of silver, and usually decorated with a red finish.
Mańlaýlyk
- a silver front decoration covered with red
cloth. It is often three-browed, five-browed, or seven-
browed and worn on the forehead of Turkmen women.
Manlaýlyk is formed by adding the suffix -lyk to the
word manlaý, which means "forehead." In the Kazakh
language, a decorative item made of precious stones
and silver, worn on the front of the traditional
headwear (sәұkele) of Kazakh brides, is also called
maңdaysha. The word "maңdaysha" is formed by
mea
ns of the suffix "maңday" (forehead) and the suffix
-sha, which means "items intended for the forehead,"
"forehead ornament." Maңdaysha and maңlaýlyk
jewelry are named on a functional and morphological
basis: peshona + ziynat. This shows that there are
commonalities in the process of naming in Turkic
languages. Among the Turkic peoples, in particular,
Uzbeks, Karakalpaks, Kazakhs, and Turkmens, there are
various types of hair ornaments, which were often
chosen depending on the age of the woman, her
marital status (whether she was married or not), her
participation in ceremonies, such as holidays or
weddings. In particular, such as sochpopuk, zarkokil,
tilla-zulf, naychatumor in the Uzbek language,
shashbaw, giltshalg'ish, sholpı in the Karakalpak
language, shashbau in the Kazakh language, asyk, goza,
aragerbi, saçýüzi, saçujy, saçmonjuk, saçlyk, jugur, işme
in the Turkmen language. Another item worn on hair is
the jemelek. This term has been given meanings such
as "thread, ribbon that strengthens the ends of braided
hair," "shashbaw, a braid worn on women's hair." In
ancient times, the Kazakhs of Mangystau, according to
their custom, wrapped women's hair with black camel
wool. Hair braided in this way was called jemelek
(jebelek).
The word "Jemelek" is mainly encountered in the
speech of residents of Kyzylorda, Atrau, Mangistau, and
South Kazakhstan regions. It is incorrect to consider this
word only as a dialect, since all the above-mentioned
terms - sholpi, shashbau, and jemelek - are reinforcing
items that are tied to the ends of braided hair so that it
does not scatter. The difference is that ornaments such
as sholpi and shashbau are decorated with gold and
silver coins, while the jemelek does not have such
precious ornaments, consisting of a simple thread or
bundle. However, in the Turkmen language, jelemek
means a silver ornament worn on hair. In the language
of Kazakhs in Uzbekistan, jelemek means a decorative
shashbau, woven from thread, which is tied so that the
ends of braided hair do not scatter.
The name of this jewelry item is also used in Uzbek
dialects as jamalak and refers to an ornamental item
worn for hair, a hair ornament. In the Turkmen
language, the names of various jewelry worn on hair
are encountered. In particular, asyk is a large and flat
ornament that connects two braids of women's and
brides' hair. Depending on the number of asyks, there
are such types as жалғыз асык, гоша асык, жубут
асык, учгошма асык, тўртгошма асык. At the same
time, goza [go:zo] is a silver ornament worn by women
in their hair. Aragerbi [a:rağervi]
- The name of a silver
jewelry with a red surface that connects two braids so
that women's hair doesn't fall on the front. Jugur - a
long-shaped silver jewelry worn on hair with hanging
edges o
r knots. Işme is an ornament worn on the end
of a hair strap (i.e., a strap wrapped or tied around a
hair), usually made of silver or gold. Hairbag's work is
like wire (Maxtumquli).
It is widespread as a traditional jewelry, especially
among the peoples of Turkmenistan. These ornaments
are often decorated with ethnic patterns, gilded
ornaments, or coin-shaped elements.
REFERENCES
Сейтназарова И., Зайрова Қ. Қарақалпақ тилиндеги
тағыншақ атамалары. Оқыў қолланба. –
Нөкис:
Қарақалпақстан, 2020.
Oʻzbеk tilining izоhli lugʻati. Toʻrtinchi jild, T
-Sh.
–
Tоshkеnt: «Oʻzbеk milliy entsiklоpеdiyasi» Davlat ilmiy
nashriyoti, 2008.
Türkmen diliniň düşündirişli sözlügi. II tom. K
-Z.
–
Aşgabat: Ylym, 2015.
Қазақ әдеби тілінің сөздігі. Он бес томдық. I том, А
-
А. –
Aлматы: Арыс, 2006.
Пардаева
И.Х.
Ўзбек
тилининг
заргарлик
терминологияси: Филология фанлари номзоди ...
дис. –
Тошкент, 1994
