Turkish Village  
Paul Stirling

Copyright 1965, 1994 Paul Stirling. All rights reserved

GLOSSARY OF TURKISH WORDS

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Notes:
Turkish forms the plural by adding -ler or -lar.
When two nouns are joined (as in field watchman ), the second takes a possessive suffix, e.g. tarla bekci-si , field watchman köy katib-i , village scribe.
A full list of kinship) terms used in the villages will be found on pp l52-3 .
Purely local and village meanings are indicated by vlg.

aile family; vlg.wife
a©a title of respect for men ( pp.105 , 228 )
akraba, akrabal¥k kin; kinship
almak take
amca father’s brother
amele unskilled labourer
anne mother
ayip shameful
baba father
bacanak wife’s sister’s husband
bald¥z wife’s sister
baßl¥k bride price
bayram feast; holy day
bekci watchman
büyük great
cahil ignorant
ce©iz meadow
çayir trousseau
çirak apprentice; resident servant
damat bridgeroom; son-in-law
day¥ mother’s brother
delikanl¥ young man
dönüm decare (p.52)
dünür own child’s parents-in-law
gü©ün wedding
düzen wedding gift
efendi title of respect for men
elti husband’s brother’s wife
emir command; Allahin emri,the Will of God
enißte sister’s husband; aunt’s husband
ev house

evlad children
gavur unbeliever
gelin bride
genç youth (p.223)
görümce husband’s sister
günah sin
güvey (vlg. guvah) bridegroom; son-in-law
haci pilgrim to mecca
hala father’s sister; vlg. mother’s sister
hane house
harman harvest
hebe saddle bag
hecelik part of the bride price (p.179)
helva sweet made of nuts and honey
henna yellow dye (with religious significance for Muslims)
hoca religious leader; teacher
horanta (vlg.) wife
iç-güvey a man living with his wife’s kin
iddet period of three menstrual months (or more) which a widdow or divorcée must wait before remarriage under the Íerat
(Vesey-Fitzgerald (1931)p. 52)
ihtyar old man
ihtyar heyeti council of elders
iyi good
kaba vulgar
kabile tribe; lineage
kanun law
katib scribe
karako l gendarme post
kay¥n brother-in-law; vlg. spouse’s kin
kaza administrative division of a province
kilim a kind of rug
kimsesiz without anyone
k¥z girl
k¥z kaç¥rma elopement
kol arm; branch
komßuluk neighbourliness
konußmak talk; talk with
köy; köylü village; villager
kuma second wife
kurban bayram¥ Muslim festival
kuruß a cent, one-hundredth of a lira
küs sulking
mahalle quarter (of a town or village)
medeni; medeniyet civilised; civilisation
memür official
misafir odas¥ guest room
müdür director; officer

muhtar headman
nahiye rural administrative sub-division of a kaza
namus honour
namuslu honourable
namussuz dishonourable
nikah marriage ceremony
nißan betrothal
nohut chick-pea
ocak hearth
oda room
ofis office
o©ul son
pekmez syrup made from boiled grapes
Ramzan annual Muslim month of fasting
salma tax (in köy salmas¥, village tax)
sand¥k chest; fund
satmak sell
seyit Muslim saint
sedir divan
sevap religiously meritorious
s¥hhat memürü health officer
sura chapter of the Koran
Íeker Bayram¥ Muslim festival at the end of Ramazan
Íeriat Holy law of Islam
ßeyh vlg. member of a religious fraternity, dervish (compare sheikh)
ßeyhlik office of activities of a dervish
ßöför driver
ßube branch
tand¥r fireplace (p.21)
tapu deed of title to land
tarla field
teyze mother’s sister; aunt
türbeh tomb
usta skilled craftsman
vakßi wild
vali; vilayet provincial governor; province
vermek give
yakmak kindle; burn
yenge bridal attendant; brother’s wife; vlg. uncle’s wife

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