Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *ălp ‎(“difficult, hard, brave; warrior”), and according to the controversial Altaic hypothesis, possibly from Proto-Altaic *ălpa ‎(“unable, sick; man-at-arms”) (compare Mongolian алба ‎(alba, “service, work, job”), Japanese 哀れ ‎(aware, “pity”), Korean 아픈 ‎(apeun, “to be ill”)). Cognate to Khakas алып ‎(alıp, “hero”), Kazakh алып ‎(alıp, “giant”), Tatar алып ‎(alıp, “giant”), Turkish alp ‎(“hero”), Yakut алып ‎(alıp, “craftiness, deception, magic”).