Roj Bash Kurdistan

Turkish Language : Dependent on loanwords!

Emanoel S.


keywords: Turkish, Türkisch, Turks, turco, Türkçe, Turkî, Tirkî, Turkish language, Türkisch Sprache, lingua turco, türk dili, zimanê tirkî, Turkey, Kurdish, Kurdisch, curdo, kurdo, kurdî, kurd, kürtçe, kürd, zimanê kurdî, kürd dili, atatürk, Turkish language reform, Turkish language poverty, loanwords in Turkish, Turkish language borrowing, Turkish loanword, Kurdish loanwords in Turkish, Iranian loanwords in Turkish, republic of Turkey, republic of Crime, Arabic loanwords in Turkish, Greek loanwords in Turkish, Armenian loanwords in Turkish, Kurdish genocide, Greek genocide, Armenian genocide, minorities in Turkey, Turkey policy, oppress in
Turkey, Turkish language purity زبان ترکی، ترک، التورک، ترکی، لغه التورکی، اتراک، ترکیا، ترکیه، جنایات ترکیه، واژگان ایرانی در زبان ترکی، واژه کردی، واژه فارسی، واژه سغدی، واژه پارتی، لغات کردی در ترکی، وام-واژگان ترکی، زمانی تورکی، تورکی.



Turkish language belongs to the Turkic part of a supposed Altaic languages family group. Its native area of speaking is Turkistan region (ancient Iranian Khotan) in southwestern China (principally city of Kashghar). But the language is today mainly spoken in the post-WW I created state of Turkey and is its only official language since its disgraceful and uncouth creation (while around 50% of people spoke Kurdish, Armenian, Greek, Assyrian, Abkhaz, Arabic, etc. as mother tongue by 1920s). Turkish language carried and extended in the present time borders of Turkey after the invasion of Turkic speaking Ottoman tribes originated from thousands miles away-Central Asia since 14th century.

Turkish language itself is filled-up with a vast amount of loan-words from Arabic, Persian, Kurdish, Chinese, Sogdian, Parthian, Greek, Armenian and also other Turkic or Mongolian languages. Since about 60 years ago chauvinist government of Turkey, under leadership of Balkan Ataturk, decided to form an establishment in order to purifying Turkish language and achieving a freshened language of pure. Up to the present time the process has been nothing but a terrible success! You may ask what for? The question is clear: Turkish language is as poor and depended to the words of stranger origin (Arabic, Persian, Kurdish, Chinese, Sogdian, etc.) as it cannot survive without Arabic, Persian, Kurdish, Chinese, etc. loan-words!
Whenever you wanted to purify a language you will respectively have these several choices: choosing the native equivalents that exist along with the loan-words, choosing the archaic words that have been disappeared in the spoken language, choosing the ancient words from Middle X and Old X for our supposed X language, inventing new words by present pure features, and eventually choosing the existed loan-words from the languages of same family group if you couldn’t use the told ways.
If you tested the above ways so couldn’t find any word of so-called original so just get sure the language you have tried is exactly a language of poor. The superior Turkish linguistics in TDK couldn’t reach the success in case of purifying Turkish language after up 70 years of hard scientific work under supports of Turkish authorities. In many cases their act was nothing but a cause of shame-since they are an official found, beside clarifying the fact Turkish language is a fair poor language.

Here are the examples of- replaced loanwords in Turkish with their Turkish counterparts suggested by Turkish Language Association (Türk Dik Kurumu-TDK) which could illustrating the stuff better:

Arabic "edhele" in meaning of "muscle" replaced with Turkish "kas" derived from verbal version "kasmak" ~ "to oppress". As you see they couldn’t find any word of Turkish origin meant "muscle" and eventually got their aid from a verb, "kasmak", they also could use "germek" or other Turkish verbs of same meaning since there isn’t any original Turkish word in meaning "muscle". On the other side we face Kurdish "masûlke" ~ "muscle", of pure Iranian origin.

Arabic "efw" joining Turkish "etmek", an auxiliary verb meant "to do", follows "affetemek" ~ "to forgive" which is replaced with "bağışlamak", supposed to be of Turkish origin. "Bağış-lamak" ~ "to forgive" is widely used among Azerbaijani speakers and is doubted to be of Iranian origin itself: "bexş-" ~ "to forgive", "to donate". In Kurdish we have "bordin", "lê borîn", "paşan", and "bexşîn" all of pure Iranian origin.

Persian "çeşît" ~ "kind", "variety" replaced with "tür" of Turkish origin (?) but is more likely of Arabic origin loaned via Kurdish or Persian: Arabic "tewr" > Kurdish "tor/tûr", Persian "tôr" ~ "kind", "variety", with Iranian "çe" ~ "how" > "çitor", "çitûr", "çêtôr" ~ "how come" in Persian and some Kurdish sub-dialects (main Kurdish equivalents are "çawa", "çilo", "çiman", "çon", all of Indo-European origin).

Arabic "ebedî" in meaning of "forever" is replaced with Turkish "sonsuz". The Turkish counterpart is composed of Turkish "son" ~ "end" and the suffix "-suz" ~ "less" which exactly means "endless". So in Turkish we have only "sonsuz" for both "endless" and "forever" meanings. Where Kurdish stands in contrast with Turkish: "bêdiwayî", "bêpaşan", "bêpeyîn" ~ "endless" and "bo hemîşe", "hemîşe", "hetahetayî" ~ "forever", all of pure Iranian origin.

Arabic "ecdad" ~ "ancestry", "ancestors" is replaced with Turkish "ata". Really funny that Turkish "ata" originally means "father" so in Turkish we have only "ata" for all "father", "daddy", "ancestry", "ancestor" definitions!!

Arabic "ecnebî" is replaced with Turkish (?) "el" and "yabancı" < from "yaban" of Iranian origin!!

Arabic "ewraq" (plural of "wereq", Turkish spelling "evrak") is replaced with Turkish (?!) "belge". This counterpart is the most interesting one for me since it's obviously a Kurdish loan-word: Kurdish "belge" ~ "paper", "paper document".

Arabic "ĝeyr" (Turkish spelling "gayr-i" joining a Persian izafe "-i") ~ "non-" is replaced with Turkish "olmayan", "başka", "dışı". The first equivalent "olmayan" exactly means "what doesn’t become", "what doesn’t want to be". The second one "başka" is mainly used in meaning of "other" and the third one "dışı" is doubted to be of Iranian (Parthian) origin: Parthian "dûş", "diş", "dûj", "dû" ~ "bad", "devilish". It's still used in Kurdish as "dij", "diş" ~ "anti-" in "dij-men" ~ "enemy", "dij-ber" ~ "contrary", "dij-nêm" ~ "insult", "dij-Îslam" ~ "anti-Islam", etc.).

Arabic "heqq" (Turkish spelling "hakk") is replaced with Turkish "pay" in meaning of "portion" though Arabic "heqq" mainly means "right" (e.g. "human rights"). For this we have Kurdish "beş" ~ "portion" and "maf" ~ "right" of Iranian origin.

Arabic "hal" and "veziyet" (Turkish spelling "vaziyet") are replaced with Turkish "durum" in meaning of "situation". The suggested Turkish equivalent is derived from the verb "durmak" ~ "to stop", "to stand" and could meant "tate of stopping" rather than "situation". But in Kurdish we have "rewş" ~ "situation", of pure Iranian origin.

Arabic "ĥeythiyyet" (Turkish spelling "haysiyet") ~ "respectability" is replaced with Turkish (?!) "saygınlık" from the verb "say-mak" ~ "to count", "to enumerate", which itself is believed to be derived from Parthian "sag-" ~ "to count", "to enumerate"! In Kurdish we face "awrû", "hiritî", etc. all of pure Iranian origin.

Another funny Turkish (?!!) counterpart was "armağan" ~ "gift", a Persian loanword (Persian "ermeĝan", which is replaced with Arabic "hediye"!! Though Kurdish "diyarî" is of pure Iranian origin.

Arabic "ĥûrmet" (Turkish spelling "hürmet") ~ "respect" is replaced with Turkish (?!) "saygı" < from "say-mak" which is originally of Iranian origin. On the other side we face Kurdish "gramitî", "hêjatî", "rêz", "rêzdarî", etc. all of pure Iranian origin.

Arabic "îmla", "îmtîĥan", and "kader" ~ "spelling", "examination" and "destiny" are replaced with Turkish "yazım", "yazılı" and "yazgı" respectively. All of suggested Turkish equivalents are derived from "yazmak" ~ "to write" and no original Turkish speaker could realize the difference if TDK placed "yazım"/"yazgım in meaning of "examination" or "yazılı"/"yazgı" in meaning of "spelling" or "yazım"/"yazılı" in meaning of "destiny"! In Kurdish we have "ranûsîn" ~ "spelling" and "ezmûn" ~ "examination" and "çarenûs" ~ "destiny" besides some other verbs all of pure Iranian origin.

Arabic "me'aş" (Turkish spelling "maaş") is replaced with Turkish "aylık" ~ "salary". The suggested Turkish counterpart exactly means "monthly", "the wage paid monthly" (Turkish "ay-" ~ "month/moon" + "-lık") and is equal to Kurdish "mangane", Persian "mahanê" and Arabic "şehr-iye" ~ "monthly", "the wage paid monthly". In Kurdish we have "mûçe" ~ "salary", "wage" of pure Iranian origin. I don’t what will they say if someone asked the Turks whom are paid daily, weekly, etc (any period except month). about their "salary"!

Arabic (loaned via Persian) "meqsed", "ĝaye" and "hedef" (Turkish spelling "maksat", "gaye", "hedef") ~ "goal", are replaced with Turkish (?!) "amaç" and "erek". The word "amaç" is obviously a Persian loan-word: "amac" which itself is borrowed from Kurdish "armanc"/"amanc"/"amac" ~ "goal", "target", of pure Iranian origin.

Arabic "mesref" (Turkish spelling "masraf") ~ "cost" is replaced with Turkish (?!) "gider" and "harcama". The first equivalent, "gider", exactly means "what that will go" derived from "gitmek" ~ "to go" which any nothing to do with "cost", and the second one "harcama" is more likely invented from Arabic "xerc-" ~ "to cost" (Turkish spelling "harc-"/"harç")! in Kurdish we have "bayî" and "kirîjok" ~ "cost", of pure Iranian origin.

Arabic "mecbûr"~ "obligation" is replaced with Turkish "zorunlu" which is composed of "zor" plus two suffixes "-un" and "-lu". The word "zor" itself means "difficult", "hard" which could be loaned from Kurdish or Persian. Also Kurdish "zor" ~ "power", "force" is used as "zor kirdin" ~ "to force someone, to make someone" equal to Arabic "îcbar" < "mecbûr" is derived from.

Arbic "mûsamîĥe" (Turkish spelling "müsamaha") ~ "tolerance", "broad-mindedness" is replaced with Turkish (?!) "hoşgörü". But this word is composed of a Persian loanword "hoş" (< Persian "xoş") and Turkish "görü"!! In Kurdish we have many words in same meaning "pasa kirdin", "lêgûzerîn", etc. all of pure Kurdish origin.

Another funny counterpart suggested by Turkish Language Association is "nem" instead of Arabic "rutubet" ~ "moisture". The word "nem" is obviously a Persian loanword akin to Kurdish "nim".

Arabic "seyyare" ~ "car" is replaced with Turkish (?!) "araba" which as far as I know is loaned from Arabic "erebe" ~ "little vehicle".

Arabic "tesewwûr" (Turkish spelling "tasavvur") ~ "imagine" is replaced with Turkish "canlandırman" and "tasarı". The first Turkish (?!) counterpart is based on a Persian loanword "can" ~ "soul", "spirit" (Kurdish "giyan").

Arabic "wîlayet" (Turkish spelling "vilayet") ~ "province" is replaced with Turkish "il". The Turkish counterpart exactly means "tribe", "clan" rather than "province" or "county". We have "nawçe" of pure Iranian origin in Kurdish.

"Restoran" and "lokanta" ~ "restaurant", of French and Italian origin respectively are replaced with Turkish (?!) "aşevi" which is composed of Iranian (borrowed via Kurdish or Persian) "aş" ~ "eating" + Turkish "ev-i" ~ "house"!


You can see the terrible results of up 70 years work of Turkish Language Association! Superior Turkish linguistics could find any certain Turkish equivalent for above loanwords so just replaced them with the loanwords of other origin! It just illustrates the fact that Turkish language is so poor and couldn’t survive without loanwords. I just added Kurdish equivalents in order to show the contrast between Kurdish, the language which 30 million Kurds in Turkey must speak it as mother tongue but ignominious Turkish government used to deny and prohibit it, with Turkish language.
The poverty and deficiency of Turkish language is as obvious as someone could say Turkish is the poorest language humankind ever spoken! Some other examples: Kurdish "cocik" ~ "chick" of pure Iranian origin > Turkish "çocuk" ~ "child"; Persian "xoş", of pure Iranian origin > Turkish "hoş" ~ "good", "fine"; Arabic "cehennem" > Turkish "cehennem" ~ "hell", Sogdian "tum", of pure Iranian origin > Old Turkish "tum" ~ "hell", etc. I will add more examples in my further posts. For more information on Turkish language and its poverty and the terrible results of Turkish Language Association (TDK) you may read the Prof. G. Lewis interesting lecture on Turkish language: The Turkish Language Reform: A Catastrophic Success: http://www.turkishlanguage.co.uk/jarring.htm

Hi, thank you for your great article. Its true, the turkish language is one of the poorest language of the world.

You say Turkish is so poor and yet you had to give the reason for it as well. Look at any other former empires language and tell me how much of it remains exactly the same. How many people in England or America can read an original Shekspeare whitout a problem. Turkish effected even more because after islam Arabic infuluance grow so much over it. It is not because of language it is bacause of choice.

TDK did not failed to do its task. Actually they accomplished it very well. But people in Turkey does not make a great deal of this. We are more worried about English infuluance over commonly spoken todays Turkish. Many young peple in country is using some English sounds in Turkish. Like Turkche instead of Türkçe. This is not a proper language. They just think it is cool.

So please beofre judging something think it will make sence at the end.

This article is nonsense.. Young Kurds should concentrate on improving theirselves rather than bashing the others..

Savy wrote:This article is nonsense.. Young Kurds should concentrate on improving theirselves rather than bashing the others..

Welcome to RBK!
Yea I agree, but We all should concentrate on improving ourselves, rather than bashing, hating, judging others...

Thanks, Baris. I didn't think that I would see Turkish participants in a Kurdish forum.

Though Kurd myself, I am astonished to see the amount chauvanism and disdain they have against Turks. Yeah, I understand Turkey treating Kurds badly causes frustration; but bringing it up to an extent of employing an insultive language, this is not something tolerable. I hope this attitude gets fixed in time.

Savy wrote:Thanks, Baris. I didn't think that I would see Turkish participants in a Kurdish forum.

Though Kurd myself, I am astonished to see the amount chauvanism and disdain they have against Turks. Yeah, I understand Turkey treating Kurds badly causes frustration; but bringing it up to an extent of employing an insultive language, this is not something tolerable. I hope this attitude gets fixed in time.

Although I personally believe that "two wrongs don't make a right" (and thus do not condone bashing other nations) - I am surprised at your take on this issue...

What you're calling "Turkey treating Kurds badly" is more than just "treating badly"... It seems you choose to ignore the ethnic-erradication (ethnocide) policies of the Turkish government...

Attitudes don't "fix" - they change... And the only way for them to change is that there be a change on the part of the issue at hand... So if Turks and Turkey start changing - then the Kurdish mindset may change with time too...

I can't believe you actually point a finger at Kurds with words like "bringing it up to an extent of employing an insultive language" - do you mind? We're being ethnocided here... OF COURSE we will react...

No offense but: do you speak Kurdish? And where did you grow up? In Istanbul?

Excuse me, Savy, but what do you mean saying: "treating badly"? You mean destroying civil people's houses, you mean killing civilians, you mean calling "terrorists" the PKK members, who are fighting for Kurdish rights?
Explain to me, please. Thank you.
And one more thing: people from Kurdistan are the last people who need to improve themselves. They don't attack anyone, they don't do bad things to others. Think about it.

@Diri

My message is clear enough and should be interpreted in the context of the thread: language. How would proving Turkish as primitive contribute to Kurdish cause? It's waste of time, besides so-called proof is nonsense.

And I don't deny or belittle what Turkey has done to Kurds. It is irrelevant.

Kulka wrote:Excuse me, Savy, but what do you mean saying: "treating badly"? You mean destroying civil people's houses, you mean killing civilians, you mean calling "terrorists" the PKK members, who are fighting for Kurdish rights?
Explain to me, please. Thank you.
And one more thing: people from Kurdistan are the last people who need to improve themselves. They don't attack anyone, they don't do bad things to others. Think about it.

This can go on in circles forever. If you look at PKK their targets not so far then that you calim we had. Republic of Turkey is a democrathic country it could not simply do what you have said. Othervise which union would have except us. Would not UN do something about it as they did Kosova problem.

What you say is also wrong because everybody should improve themself. I can not remmeber whom but some famous phlosopher said "You can not swim in same lake." so everybody Turk, Kurd, American, British, French, Arab, Laz everybody has to improve themself. So please step out of lies you stuck in.

Savy wrote:@Diri

My message is clear enough and should be interpreted in the context of the thread: language. How would proving Turkish as primitive contribute to Kurdish cause? It's waste of time, besides so-called proof is nonsense.

And I don't deny or belittle what Turkey has done to Kurds. It is irrelevant.

I don't think you understood my point: I agree with what you say. BUT: you can't sweep under the carpet the genocides of Dersîm, Şirnex - or silence the truth of Susurluk, Şemzînan or ignore that even many TURKISH journalists etc. have been imprisoned and are still in prison for "breaking the law" - like speaking of human rights: the Armenian genocide, the mistreatment of the Kurds and other issues, which, however sensitive, need to be addressed...

Yes it may be irrelevant to this topic - BUT you could have made your point without scorning the sufferings of the Kurds... Don't you think?

I am not ruling out those, Diri and not certainly scorning at Kurds. I say "Don't waste your time with this nonsense"

Did someone delte some of my posts here? And why?

No, it hasn't been deleted. Diri displaced it to to the following URL

http://www.northerniraq.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2914