Learned borrowing from Old Turkic 𐰋𐰃𐰠𐰏𐰀 (b²il²ga /bilge/, “wise”), from 𐰋𐰃𐰠 (b²il² /bil-/, “to know”) + 𐰏𐰀 (ga /-ge/). Compare bil- (“to know”). Fallen into disuse since the 15th century, but revived in 1935 in the campaign by the Türk Dil Kurumu to replace many loanwords by words with native Turkic roots.