Introduction
The Turkish language, belonging to the Oghuz language group of the Turkic language family, is spoken by approximately 77 million people worldwide. With its close relation to Gagaus and Azeri, it is mutually intelligible with these languages. In this article, we will explore the key features and characteristics of the
language, its syntax, writing system, loanwords, and more. Whether you are interested in learning the language or need translation services, understanding the most common Turkish words is essential.
The Features of the Turkish Language
Turkish, like other Turkic languages, shares several common features. These features include agglutination, vowel harmony, and the absence of gender categories. Agglutination refers to the process of adding affixes to the root of a word to express various grammatical meanings. Vowel harmony is the phenomenon where the vowels in a word or phrase are influenced by the vowels in neighboring syllables. Unlike many other languages, Turkish does not have grammatical genders.
Click here for the official Turkish Dictionary.
Turkish Language Distribution
The majority of Turkish speakers, approximately 77 million people, reside in Turkey. However, Turkish-speaking communities can also be found in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Iraq, and Greece. The Turkish language has official status in Turkey, Cyprus, and certain regions of Kosovo and Macedonia.
Syntax and Word Order in Turkish
The syntax of the this language follows the subject-object-verb (SOV) word order. This means that the subject of a sentence is followed by the object and then the verb. For example, “Ali (subject) kitabı (object) okur (verb)” translates to “Ali reads the book” in English.
Writing System
The Turkish language historically used the Ottoman script as its writing system. However, it has since been replaced by a modified version of the Latin alphabet. The Turkish alphabet includes additional special characters to represent specific sounds in the language. This transition to the Latin alphabet has significantly increased literacy rates among Turkish speakers.
Loanwords and Language Purity
Turkish has borrowed numerous words from Arabic and Persian over time. However, the Turkish Language Association strives to maintain language purity and reduce the use of loanwords. They create new words using Turkish roots or revive words from Old Turkish to replace borrowed words. These changes can sometimes lead to difficulties in understanding between speakers. Modern Turkish also avoids borrowing words and instead constructs new words using existing morphemes when needed.
Agglutinative Nature and Grammar
Turkish belongs to the group of agglutinative languages, which means it uses affixes to create new words or grammatical forms. The Turkish system of nouns includes categories such as case and number, while gender is absent. Adjectives in Turkish do not decline, and verbs indicate tense and aspect.