00
oo
S
00
o
o
OTTOMAN -TURKISH LANGUAGE
J. W. REDHOUSE
- v_S3w~ ' AJ
r
TRUBNER'S COLLECTION
or
SIMPLIFIED GRAMMARS
OF THE PRINCIPAL
ASIATIC AND EUROPEAN LANGUAGES.
EDITED BT
RELNHOLD ROST, LL.D., PH.D.
IX.
OTTOMAN TUKKISH.
BY J. W. REDHOUSE.
TRUBNER'S COLLECTION OF SIMPLIFIED GRAMMARS OF THE
PRINCIPAL ASIATIC AND EUROPEAN LANGUAGES.
EDITED BY REINHOLD ROST, LL.D., Pn.D.
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AND ARABIC.
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LONDON: TRUBNER & CO., LUDGATE HILL.
A
SIMPLIFIED GRAMMAR
OP THE
OTTOMAN-TUEKISH LANGUAGE.
BY
J. W. REDHOUSE, M.K.A.S.,
HON. MBMBEB OB THB BOYAL BOCIBTT OP LITEBATUBE
LONDON :
TRUBNEK & CO., LUDGATE PULL.
1884.
[All rights reserved.]
SEEN BY
PREi
DATE
JAN 2
LONDON :
GILBEET AND EIVINOTON, LIMITED,
BT. JOHN'S SQUARE, CLEEKENWELL EOAD.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Preface . . . . ix
Note on Identity of Alphabets xii
CHAPTER I.
LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY.
SECTION I. Number, Order, Forms, and Names of
Letters ...... 1
Synopsis of Arabic, Greek, and Latin
Letters 4
II. Phonetic Values of Letters, Vowel-Points,
Orthographic Signs, Transliteration,
Ottoman Euphony . . . . 15
CHAPTER II.
OTTOMAN ACCIDENCE.
SECTION I. Nouns Substantive 51
II. Nouns Adjective . . . . 68
III. Numerals ...... 74
IV. Pronouns 82
vi TABLE OF CONTENTS.
PAGE
SECTION V. Demonstratives
VI. Interrogatives . .
,, VII. Relative Pronouns . .90
VIII. Derivation of Verbs ... 92
(Table) . 94
IX. Conjugation of Verbs ; Moods ; Tenses ;
Participles ; Verbal Nouns ; Gerunds . 99
X. Numbers and Persons . . . . 115
XI. Complex Categories of Verbs . .119
XII. First Complex Category . 120
XIII. Second . 125
XIV. Third 129
XV. Combined (Turkish) Conjugation . . 133
XVI. Negative and Impotential Conjugations . 135
XVII. Dubitative, Potential, and Facile Verbs . 141
XVIII. Verb Substantive 144
XIX. Verbs of Presence and Absence, Existence
and Non-Existence .... 147
XX. Compound Verbs 148
,, XXI. Interrogative Verbs ; Interrogation . 151
XXII. Adverbial Expressions . . . 154
XXIII. Prepositions .... .150
XXIV. Conjunctions . . . 156
XXV. Interjections .... .157
TABLE OF CONTENTS. VU
CHAPTER III.
THE OTTOMAN SYNTAX.
PAGE
SECTION I. Conversational brevity. Precision in
writing .......
158
II.
Syntax of Substantives ....
161
III.
,, Adjectives . . .
168
iv.
Numerals ....
170
v.
Pronouns
173
VI.
Verbs
174
VII.
the Participle . . . .
178
VIII
,, the Verbal Nouns and Infinitive
179
ix.
the Gerunds . . . .
181
x.
the Adverb ....
182
j, XL
the Preposition . . . .
184
XII.
the Conjunction
185
xin
the Interjection . . . .
191
Addendum, on suppressed letter j
193
Index .
.
195
ERRATA.
PAGE
10,
1. 22, for II read
16,
1. 18, after a
o e
24,
1. 15, for v ll
OX
28,
1. 4, r >
29,
1. 2, ^-U
x
n
1. 9, oil
n
1. 9, J&-Z.
}>
1. 10, Sj
3x 3 -
i
1. 16, JlAjj^Uac
30,
W'
i. i, >.
31,
1. 19, (jJ,
35,
1. 2, Ij^l
e
47,
last line,
o j
54,
1. 18, ^
91,
1. 10, VIII.... Verb ,,IX..
124,
last line, tf*^
o o*
127,
first line, ,^1<J
154,
1. 3, add: (See p. 73, 1. 4.)
168,
1. 7, for (j^W rea< ^
In pp.
10-16
&c.
r>
00
u-U
o 2
5 x
p. 100
PREFACE.
THE Ottoman Language, A*.jjLJl2-c osmanlija, is the most
highly polished branch of the great Turkish tongue, which
is spoken, with dialectic variations, across the whole breadth,
nearly, of the middle region of the continent of Asia,
impinging into Europe, even, in the Ottoman provinces, and
also, in Southern Russia, up to the frontiers of the old
kingdom of Poland.
The Ottoman language is, in its grammar and vocabulary,
fundamentally Turkish. It has, however, adopted, and con-
tinues more and more to adopt, as required, a vast number
of Arabic, Persian, and foreign words (Greek, Armenian,
Slavonic, Hungarian, Italian, French, English, &c.), together
with the use of a few of the grammatical rules of the Arabic
and Persian, which are given as Turkish rules in the following
pages, their origin being in each case specified.
x c J
The great Turkish language, AS J turkje, Ottoman and non-
Ottoman, has been classed, by European writers as one of the
" agglutinative " languages ; not inflecting its words, but
X PREFACE.
" glueing on," as it were, particles, " which were once in-
dependent words," to the root- words, and thus forming all
the grammatical and derivative desinences in use.
To my mind, this term "agglutinative" and its definition,
are inapplicable to the Turkish language in general, and to
the Ottoman Turkish in particular. These are, essentially
and most truly, inflexional tongues ; none of their inflexions
ever having been " independent words," but modifying par-
ticles only.
The distinctive character of all the Turkish languages, or
dialects, is that the root of a whole family, however numerous,
of inflexions and derivations, is always recognizable at sight,
seldom suffering any modification whatever, and always stand-
ing at the head of the inflexions or derivations, however
complex in character these may be. When a modification
of a root-word does take place, it is always of the simplest
kind, always the softening of a hard or sharp consonant into
the corresponding more liquid letter, and always of the final
consonant only of the root. Thus, a c^ or L> sometimes
becomes a i, a jj becomes a c, a sharp Arabic e) becomes a
soft Persian t*J, or the Ottoman modification of this latter,
which is then pronounced like our most useful consonant y,
or, in case of a dominant o or u vowel in the root, is pro-
nounced like our consonant w.
PREFACE. XI
The Ottoman Turkish has more vowel-sounds (eleven in
number) than any other tongue known to me. As each of
these may have a short and a long modification, they make
twenty-two possible vowels in all. Every one of these is
distinguished by a special mark in the transliterations of the
present treatise, though it is impossible to attempt any such
differentiation in the Arabic characters to which the Ottoman
language is wedded.
The rules of euphony regulate the pronunciation of every
word in the Ottoman language ; perfectly, in all of Turkish
origin; and as far as is practicable, in what is radically
foreign.
Although a compound word is a thing totally unknown to
the Turkish dialects, and of very rare occurrence in Arabic,
the Ottoman language abounds with such, adopted from the
Aryan, compounding Persian.
Persian grammarians and writers first learnt how to mould
into a harmonious whole the incongruous Aryan Persian and
Semitic Arabic elements. Ottoman ingenuity has gone a
step further, and blended in one noble speech the three
conflicting elements of the Aryan, Semitic and Turanian
classes of vocables.
Fault is found by some with this intermixture of idioms ;
xii
PREFACE.
but an Englishman, of all the world, will know how to appre-
ciate a clever mosaic of diction ; and a real student of the
language will learn to admire many a true beauty, resulting
from a masterly handling of the materials at his command,
by any first-rate Ottoman literary celebrity, whether prose-
writer or poet
NOTE. The manuscript of the present sketch Grammar was completed
before Christmas, 1882, and copies of my table of identic alphabets have been
in the hands of a few friends for the last four or five years. I have just
had the pleasure and privilege of reading the admirable and exhaustive
treatise on " The Alphabet," by the Rev. Isaac Taylor, and am rejoiced to
find that he has come to the same conclusion as to the identity of the
three ; probably at an earlier date than the time, perhaps twenty years ago,
when the idea began to force itself on my mind. I still feel inclined'
however, to hold by the inference that the Phenicians gave the alphabet
to Italy, quite independently of the Greek action which later on doubtlessly
influenced the Italian culture.
LONDON,
September, 1883.
J.W.R.
OTTOMAN TURKISH GEAMMAE.
CHAPTER I.
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY.
SECTION I. The Number, Order, Foi*ms, and Names of the
Letters.
THERE are thirty-one distinct letters used in the Ottoman
language. Some of these have more than one value ; and
four of them are sometimes consonants, sometimes vowels.
There is also a combination of two letters into one character,
^ or V, la, which Arabian piety has agreed to count as a
letter, and which Persian and Turkish conformity has had no
option but to adopt. Thirty-two letters have, therefore, to
be named and enumerated, as follows :
I ellf, v be, v pe, o te, & se, ^ jlm, ^ chlm, c ha, ^khi,
^ dal, i zel, j ri, j ze, j zhe, ^ sin, ^i shin, ^ s&d, ^ dad,
L tl, k zi, c 'ayn, c gayn, _i fe, j qaf, d kaf, J lam, ., mlm,
^ nAn, j w6v, 5 he, V lam-ellf, <j ye.
The foregoing is the ordinary arrangement of the letters of
the Ottoman alphabet, as learnt and repeated by children ;
2 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
excepting that they are not at first taught to mention, or to
know, either of the three Persian letters, uj pe, - chlm, and
j zhe, which are not contained in the Arabic alphabet, their
sounds and values being unknown to, and unpronounceable
by, an Arab. It is called the ellf-be, <u c_aS1 , i.e., the alphabet;
and it might be conveniently styled the alphabet by forms;
letters of the same form being brought together in it, more
or less.
There is another very different order necessary to be learnt
of the twenty-nine Arabic letters. It is called ebjed, jg\,
and is arranged in eight conventional words, as follows :
jjgl ebjed, j^a hevwaz, jit huttl, Jj& keleman, ^^ sa'fas,
<o-^S qarashat, j sakhaz, }liki dazagila.
The letters of the Arabic alphabet, as arranged in this
ebjed series, have each a numerical value. The first nine in
order represent the nine units, 1 to 9 ; the second nine stand
for the tens, also in order, 10 to 90 ; the third nine count as
the hundreds, serially, 100 to 900 ; the twenty-eighth in the
series, c , stands for 1000; and the last, V, though always
enumerated, has no value of its own, but counts as the sum
of the values of its two components, J 30, 1 1; i. e., as 31.
This system appears to have been in use in very early
times indeed. The order of the letters in it is that of the
Hebrew alphabet, as far as this goes ; that is, as far as the
end of the sixth word qarashat, 0^9, with which the Hebrew
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 6
alphabet terminates. The letters of the two last words
(omitting now all consideration of the factitious V) are
Semitic inventions of a comparatively modern date, and are
modifications, by means of dots, of letters, undotted or dotted,
represented in the Hebrew alphabet. Thus, ii> is modified
from o, is from , i from j, ^ from ^0, U from k, and
c from c . This may be called the numeral alphabet.
A circumstance that invests this ebjed arrangement with a
European antiquarian interest of the very highest order, is
the fact that it proves, beyond the remotest shadow of a
doubt, the unity of origin of the Semitic (usually taken to
be Phenician, but I imagine it to be much more ancient than
Moses, or even Abraham), the Greek, and the Latin alphabets.
Not only can the now divergent forms of each separate letter
in the series be traced through successive modifications back
to one ancient Phenician character, but the order of the
whole series from 1 to o is absolutely identical in the
Arabic (Hebrew, Phenician), Greek, and Latin alphabets,
as the following synopsis shows. An additional proof is
furnished by the identity of the numeral values of the letters
in the Arabic and Greek alphabets, a method totally un-
known to the Latins, who must have had a method of their
own, probably Etruscan, before they received their alphabet
direct from the Phenicians, quite independently of the Greeks,
and quite as early.
OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
irabic
Greek.
Num.
Latin.
Arabic. Greek
Num.
Latin.
1
A
1
A
t
70
O
i_>
B
2
B
n
80
p
C
r
3
C
U
-
90
-
A
4
D
1
E
5
E
9
T
6
F
J 1
100
<? 90
Q
j
Z
7
G
J
200
P 100
R
C
H
8
H
U-
300
2 200
S
10
9
-
O
400
T 300
T
^
I
10
I
&
500
Y 400
U
d
K
20
K
t
600
4> 500
V
J
A
30
L
i
700
X 600
X
r
M
40
M
<>
800
^ 700
-
u
N
50
N
k
900
Q, 800
Z
<J"
8
60
-
c
1000
3 900
-
The apparent discrepancies and vacancies occurring on
comparison of the three alphabets and the series of numerals,
are in reality additional proofs of their absolute identity.
The two first letters call for no remark, though it is known
to scholars that the Greek B has been degraded in Rumaic
into a K, and the so-called modern Greek man is unable to
pronounce a b, writing it, when necessary, /ZTT. This com-
bination in Greek words he reads and pronounces as though
it were written u/3.
1 The Hebrew system is identical with the Arabic as far as its alphabet
goes. Thus: p 100, T 200, ][} 300, Jl 400; beyond this the words are
written in full. This incident is a condemnation of the Greek system for
the higher numbers.
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 5
The , r, G, must originally have been a hard g. In
modern Egyptian, as in Hebrew, and in Greek, it is so pro-
nounced, though the rest of Arabia has softened it into the
sound of our English j or soft g, and though the Latins
hardened it, apparently, into a K value.
The first serious remark is called for on our coming to
the change made by both the Greeks and the Latins of the
Semitic soft aspirate consonant s into their vowel E. It
would almost seem as though the old Phenicians used that
letter as a final vowel, exactly as is done by the Persians
and Turks at present. A more remarkable divergency, in-
explicable to me, but parallel to the foregoing conversion,
is the change made by the Greeks of the Semitic hard
aspirate consonant _, into their long vowel H, t], whereas the
Latins preserved the letter as a consonant and as their sole
aspirate, under the same written form as that used by the
Greeks, H, h, and which was in reality the Phenician form
of the letter.
The next remark is as to the Latin F, which the Greeks
long ago discarded from their alphabet, after having in the
first instance adopted it in its Phenician form T, and used it
to represent the numeral 6. After discarding it as a letter,
they continued to use it as a numeral, though with a
corrupted, cursive form, <s-, to which they still, to this day,
O '
give the Phenician name of Bau, j\j waw, vav. The Latin
modification of its sound, from a w or v to an /, is of no
6 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
importance. The Arabs of to-day, having no v letter or
sound in their language, write the name of Her Majesty the
Queen-Empress, Fiktoriya.
As the Greek phonetic value of Z exactly corresponds to
the Semitic power of \ , their numeral value being identical,
and the form of the Latin G being merely a modification,
one is tempted to imagine that originally the Latin power
of this letter was soft g, our j t perhaps even our z. Certain
it is that in some dialects of Italian a z is used in words
where a soft g is found in other dialects.
The Greeks made the Semitic \> into their ; the Latins,
having no such sound, discarded the letter.
The Semitic ^ being both a consonant, like our y, and also
a long vowel, i, it followed, as a matter of course, that both
Greeks and Latins should make it into the vowel i. But the
Latins preserved its consonantal use also as an initial ; though
they forgot, or never realized, that it is a consonant in that
position. We now use a y to express that value ; but the
Germans have adopted the Latin modification j to represent
it. Three western letters, :, j, y, are now used for the one
Semitic (j.
The next four letters require no comment ; but the Semitic
y* of the eastern Arabs is not a good parallel for the Greek
S. The Hebrew letter D, that holds its place in the
alphabet, is the equivalent of the Arabic <_,<?, and the western
Arabs of Morocco transpose the ^ and ^ in their jsfil
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY.
alphabet, making the fifth word (J ^a^>, the letter ^ being
the exact equivalent of the Hebrew i in place and in power.
The ^ is a better representative of S than the (j>, but
the two sounds are still very remote from one another.
I should be inclined to suggest that when the Greek alphabet
was formed, the Semitic ^ held the place afterwards taken
by the ^ and the ( j t >. The Greek & is an attempt to
represent our value sh, as is seen in the name Xerxes, of
which the old Persian was Khsharsha. The Latins dropped
this letter, whichever it really was.
The conversion of Semitic consonantal c into Greek and
Latin vowel o is not unnatural. This letter c is absolutely
unpronounceable by any other than a Semitic. It is a kind
of convulsion in the throat ; and as the two aspirates were
converted into vowels, so was this guttural. This was so
much the more to be expected, as the Semitic letter \ , which
became Greek and Latin a, is also a guttural consonant,
serving likewise as a long vowel on occasions. It is the
soft guttural, of which the c is the hard parallel ; and an o
may well be looked upon as a hard a.
What the Arabians use as f, _ j , is read in Hebrew, as in
Greek and Latin, p. Even the Arabians, when they have
to express a foreign letter, p, which they cannot pronounce,
write and pronounce it as a b, or as f. The next letter, ^
or ijo, is dropped in both Greek and Latin. It appears never
to have been used in Greek, even as a numeral ; differing in
8 OTTOMAN TCBKISH GRAMMAR.
that respect from the T- When this latter was dropped as a
letter, it was retained, modified, as a numeral. But the
omitted letter ^ became the numeral o-a/iTn, ^ representing
900 instead of 90.
From this omission of the ^ from its proper place in the
Greek numerals, a slip of the whole subsequent series became
necessary, so that each letter, from jj , <P, Q, onwards, had a
higher numeral value by one degree in the Semitic than its
representative had in Greek ; jj standing for 100, while <p
has the value of 90 only ; j represents 200, while P stands
for 100 only ; &c. This slip is very remarkable ; it was filled
up further on by ^ 900.
Although the six " additional " letters of the Semitic and
Greek alphabets have no relation to each other as repre-
sentatives of sound, their numerical value goes on exactly
in the same order observed in those of the original series,
and with the same slip up to c, representing 1000, while ^
is only 900. On the other hand, however, the three Greek
additionals, v, 0, %, are evidently the originals in form of the
Latin u, v, x, and the Semitic k is possibly the original of the
Latin Z. This letter is usually attributed, by ancient and
modern authors, to the Greek , which it certainly agrees
with in shape, though not in sound.
The forms of the Arabic and Persian Ottoman letters given
above are those of the isolated characters. They are liable
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 9
to various modifications, according to their being initials,
medials, or finals, in a combination of written letters.
In the first place, they may, in this respect, be conveniently
divided into two classes : those which join on to the following
letters in writing a combination, uL>j u_ sjj*- hurufu 1 vwasllyye,
and those which do not so join, ^Q'.O uJj^ hurufu munfa^ild.
The latter, the less numerous class, are: 1, a, ^>jJ'J>J an d
V ; eight in number ; thus, _>!, L->J, i, i_^, ^J, j\j, jj, ^V.
All the others join, as I
ll -*f , OA>, V.
rt,c--,^,V,^,^*
> U ' ^ V. ^> ~-
lt.J.6.*
^'^.^"^^g
i' u '^-' &c -
All the letters join on in writing to the character that
precedes them (other than to the eight enumerated above)
whether they be themselves finals or medials. As finals their
forms are as follows : G , _*&. , t-** , o&. , e~- , J> , ^> , ^ ,
i>., is)*, .i*', .<*) rv*j j<^) *^>^ J 9 ? ^5 -A.S medials they
are figured thus : >C , L-A-*., ^J, ^-i , jii. , ^ , li, W*
1 It having been found impracticable to mark in type the varying
Ottoman tone-values of the Arabian and Persian long vowels, the student
must learn to supply the numbers 1 and 2 over the long-vowel marks.
For this purpose, he must apply the rules for the short vowels, according
as they follow, or are followed by, a consonant of the soft or hard class.
By practice, the correct habit will be thus acquired ; the case of the short
vowels teaching the tone, which will then be instinctively used when the
vowel is long.
10 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
/' x *" Ox o
yJS, ^*j , o^*. , J^a. , tyj^ . Those which do not join are, as
medials, thus written: _jb, yl, Jjj, l^i, ^, 5^vp v , u^i,jV.
Longer combinations vary, ad infinitum, as follows : c
-i , Aill^b , &c.
Besides the simple names of the letters hitherto mentioned,
most of the characters have other, more complicated appel-
lations.
xOx
The 1 is usually called hemze, }, when a consonant, in an
Arabic word ; and ellfl memdude, ^,u* u_aJI, prolonged 1,
when it is a long vowel, initial or medial. It can never be
a long final vowel in an Arabic word, being then always
followed by another consonant hemz& ; as, ell sha'a, iV^a. jeza'u,
&c. It is called ellfl maqsure, ^<a uJiJI, shortened 1, wheii
final. It is then more commonly written ^ in classical
Arabic ; but by no means always so. In Persian and Turkish,
or foreign words, the 1 is always a vowel, but is called
indifferently ellf and hemze. It is always long in Persian
words, when medial or final. When initial in a Persian word,
it may be short or long. When a long initial, it is distin-
guished, as in Arabic, by the sign medd, .u (") over it, as :
A. v^sT afet, P. L_>T ab. When a short initial, it is, in Arabic,
generally a consonant, and may take the sound 'a or 'e, of '1,
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 11
or of 'u. When a short initial in Persian, it is a vowel, and
may have any one of the three values a or e, 1, A. The details
of the powers of 1 in Turkish words are given further on.
The uj is distinguished from the other letters of the same
isolated form by being called sj^j* \j (ba'l muvahhade), the
o xo J *
single-dotted L_> ; as the o is named oUl ^ (ta'l musnat),
the double-dotted o, and the i, is designated AilL 6 lj (sa'l mu-
sellese), the triply-dotted c*. The o is further distinguished
from the L, also named ta, LL, by being called i^i^ *U (tii'l
qarashat), the n> of (the word) c>^J ; while L> is named
^^i 6 \i (ta'i hAtti), iAe lo of (the word) jz*. Again, the o
is distinguished, as a medial or initial, from the (j, then iden-
a <-' ,03
tical in form with it, by being called *jy olli* (musnatl fev-
qiyye), superiorly double-dotted ; whereas the ^ is then
A '' '0*
termed A-iU^ cjUi* (mAsniltl tahtanlyye), inferiorly double-
' ' *
dotted. The ij is also called jsl eU (sa'l sakhaz), the ii o/ ji?.
The ^ might be called j^gl sC (ba'l ebjed), ^e LJ> o/ j^J ; but
I do not recollect the expression. It is, however, distin-
guished from the Persian L_> by being designated <u-^c &> (ba'l
'arabiyye), the Arabian c_j, the L_> being called A-^U *G (ba'l
faiislyye), and 44^ V ( bs '^ '4)^ m iyy^)j ^ 6 Persian _>.
The simple name of the , +*s jim, sufficiently distinguishes
the letter from all other Arabic characters. It has, therefore,
no other designation in purely Arabic works. It is, however,
12 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
distinguished from the Persian . by their being styled respec-
tively A-jJc pp* (jiml'areblyye), and A-^ls *- (jiml farlslyye),
or i^+sF- ^a (jiml 'ajamlyye).
The - and ^ are distinguished from one another by the
terms dU^* 6 U (ha'l muhmele) neglected (undotted) _, and
A*^* t\. (kha'i mijeme) distinguished (dotted) , respectively.
In Persian they are often called A*s ; ^ (ha'l bi-niiqta) dotless
, and^bjoij sli. (kha'i nuqtd-dar) dot-possessing (dotted) _^.
These two pairs of Arabic and Persian adjectives go all
through the alphabet, in the cases where a dot is the sole
' ' OJ f
distinction between two letters of the same form ; as, ^ t ^ Jb
(dall mfthmele) j ; A^i" Jli (zall miijeme) i. So also the
distinctions by the words of the " numeral alphabet " as,
ISj Jb (dall ebjed), Jli (zall sdkhaz), i ; ^J ^ (ra'i
qarashat)^ ; jja 6 1^ (zii'i hevvez) j ; &c.; sJU^ \j^> (sinl mfih-
mele), ^ ; S?* ^ (shlnl mu'jeme), <_ ; &c.
When we come to uJ, the written names of the letters are
so distinct of themselves, that no addition is necessary for
U (ft), u_i ; JilS (qaf), j ; ^\T (kyaf, vulgarly kef), CiJ ;
Cx o o ) ox
fV (lam), J ; ^ (mim), ^ ; ^ (nun), d ; ^ (vwaw), j.
With 5 a distinction again comes in, to differentiate the letter
from _ . We, therefore, say j^t> 6 \1 (ha'l hevvez), s ; as the
is then termed Jo* gU. (hil'i hiitti); and (j is termed, as
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 13
mentioned above, A-iliatf ouL *U (ya'i musnatl tahtanlyye);
being also called jU. (ya'l hiittl).
The Persian t_* and _ are distinguished as is described
3
above ; and in like manner the j is called A~-,U s\j (za'l farl-
slyye), and **..V ^ (za'l 'ajamlyye).
There remains now to distinguish, among consonants, the
different sorts of d used in Ottoman Turkish, and to point
out their several names, as follows : The original Arabian
d is named A^C v_jo (kyafl 'areblyye, vulg. kefl 'drebi), the
Arabian d ; its value is that of our L This letter was next
used by the Persians for their hard g ; it was then, and is
still, distinguished by the name of A~-,U uj (kyafl farlslyye,
vulg. kyafl farlsi, kefl farlsi), and A!S? wj^" (kyafl 'ajamlyye,
vulg. kefl 'ajaml). This variety is sometimes distinguished, in
writing, in one or the other of two different methods. The
Persians themselves mark the difference by doubling the
upper dash of the letter in all its written variations isolated,
initial, medial, and final ; thus : ^^,j* , (&- ; whereas the
original Arabian d, when isolated or final, has no dash at all;
as, dy.l, dil ; and a single dash, when initial or medial ; thus:
O" 'OJ O* * sOi
jS$, A^J, also shaped ^j^r=a, a7^=u.
When these two values of the one letter d passed into use
for the Ottoman language, a new mode of distinguishing the
Persian from the Arabian variety was introduced. It con-
14 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
sisted of placing three dots over the Arabian form of the d,
<? J r
together with a single dash in non-final positions ; thus : d, J5i,
^
J>^> , du ; thus marking the Persian hard g value of the
letter.
But this letter, so differentiated in Persian writing, received
in Ottoman Turkish a third value, that of our consonantal y,
as a softened variety of its Persian value of hard g. This
Ottoman value never occurs elsewhere than at the end, or
Ox f. xO"-
in the middle of a word ; as : d? (b&y), d*^o (beyanmek),
o ^ o -oxo
^^0 (ylylrml), duJ/ol (lyranmek). In the middle of a word
it may begin or end a syllable : be-yan-mek, ly-ran-mek.
When this letter follows a u vowel, and is itself followed by
X J
an e vowel, it glides into the value of our w ; as A_$J-*
(suwe), &c.
In Turkish, the d, retaining the same form, received
another value still, the fourth ; being then for distinction's
O J O x O-
sake, called surd ^, ^j ^cL (saghir nun); as in dl (^n),
j^/^g-T (anmaq), di^- (eanln), jj^y (q6nur). This value
is never initial. When medial, it may begin, and may also
end a syllable, as it ends many words. The three dots over
the d, mentioned in the preceding paragraph, are used by
some to designate this Turkish value of surd ^ ; and at other
times a single dot is used for that purpose, leaving the three
dots to mark the Persian value of the letter. These varying
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 15
values of the <*) constitute a serious difficulty in learning to
read Ottoman Turkish. Surd ^ is here transliterated n.
A similar variation in the phonetic value of the Arabic
letter c is to be observed in Ottoman Turkish words.
Originally it is, in an Ottoman mouth, a simple hard g ; as :
cJU (gallb), i&\ (agleb), ^jJLJL (maglub). In Turkish
words it has a softened value, very much like that of our gh, but
ftill more softened, even to the point of practically disappear-
ing from the pronunciation ; as : cl_b (dagh, almost daw),
eUlL (daghln, almost da'in), *& (dagha, da'a), ^IL (daghl,
da'i), 0J&L (da'dan), 8 ^IL (da'da), &c. When preceded by
an o or u vowel, the c , in Turkish words, if followed by a
vowel, glides into the value of our w, even as our own gh
O ,. J
does in the word throughout (pronounced thruwout) ; as : ^Ic^jL
(dowan), J&j* (s6wan), ( ^ t ff^ (qowiish) ; or it nearly dis-
O J JO J
appears in pronunciation, as before ; thus : *iijJjl (olduwum,
or oldu'um), ojJjl (61diiwu, or oldu'u).
SECTION II The Phonetic Values of the Letters and Vowel-
Points, the Uses of the other Orthographic Signs, our System
of Transliteration, and the Doctrine of Ottoman Euphony.
We must divide the thirty-one Ottoman letters (omitting V)
into vowels and consonants. But it must first be premised
that every letter is sometimes a consonant, while only four of
16 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
them are sometimes vowels. These are 1 , j , s , ^ . All the
others, twenty-seven in form, are always consonants. It will
be more convenient to treat of the four vowel letters first,
together with the vowel-poiuts, which are not letters, but
simply marks.
Usually, the vowel-points, three only in number, are not
written ; they are supposed to be known. But, in children's
books, in Qur'ans, in books of devotion, &c., they are written ;
and sometimes in other books and papers also.
The vowel-points are named : 1, ustun, ^j^-jl (over), the
mark of which is a short diagonal from the right downwards
towards the left, placed over any consonant ; as: _> , o, -., &c.;
2, esere, i^ll (no meaning), a similar diagonal, marked under
any consonant ; as: -, -., .>, j>, &c.; 3, uturu, j^yj* (no mean-
> >- * *
ing), a small j-shaped mark, placed over any consonant; as:
jyj>j> J-, &c.
These vowel- points mark, originally, the three Arabic short
vowels, to which the additional Ottoman vowel-sounds, a, a, a
have been added. The ustun has the value of & or e, accord-
ing to the consonant, &c., accompanying it ; the eser& has the
value of 1 or 1 ; and the uturu that of 6, u, u, u, also according
to its accompaniment.
The short vowel-sound indicated by each of these three
marks always follows, in pronunciation, the sound of the con-
sonant to which it is appended ; so that we have the following
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHT. 17
Ottoman syllabary, No. 1 : L> ba, ba, ba, ba, b& ; v bl, b! ;
\^t bo, bu, bu, bii ; and so on through the alphabet.
When it is required to make the vowel long, one of the
o
three Arabic letters of prolongation, * * t^ (harfi medd, pi.
.Xo j^ hurufi medd), has to be added to the consonant, still
marked with its short vowel-point. The letters of prolonga-
tion, true long vowels, are 1, j, ^ ; of which 1 always accom-
panies ustun, ^ always accompanies eser ; and j always
accompanies uturu. We now have Ottoman syllabary No. 2,
j
as follows : l> ba, ba ; ^j bl, bi ; y bo, bu, bu, bii ; &c.
We thus see that there are eleven Ottoman short vowels,
and eight long. Our system of transliterating them is also
made apparent. It is the simple method of using a or e to
represent ustun, i to represent esere, and o or u to represent
uturu. As these vowel-points shade off in phonetic value, we
use a, a, a, a, or 6 for ustun ; 1 or i for esere ; and 6, or u, u,
u, for uturu. After long consideration, we have for some
years past adopted this system, as the simplest, and, on the
whole, the most rational.
The values of these Ottoman vowels are those of the vowels
in the following eleven words. They are all familiar English
words, excepting the French tu, the vowel of which is
unknown in ordinary English, though it exists in the dialects
of some of our counties. These words are: far, war, a-(bove),
C
18 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
pan, pen ; pin, girl ; so ; put, tu, cur. We mark the vowels
of these eleven guide- words to the Ottoman pronunciation, in
the order in which they stand : far, war, above, pan, pen, pin,
girl, s6, put, tu, cur ; and for the eight Ottoman long vowels
we use: far, war, pin, girl, so, put, tu, cur. That is, nineteen
Ottoman vowel-sounds in all, long and short. The student
has but to remember the series of ten English words and one
French, to become possessed of the key to the Ottoman vowel
pronunciation. But he must learn never to swerve from the
values of those guide-vowels. To an Englishman, with our
slouchy method, this unswervingness is the most difficult
point ; but, with a little patience at first, it is to be achieved.
He must practice himself in pronouncing pasha, U.G (not
pasha w), baba, Cb (not bayba), dan, ^p (not den), san, ^
(not sen), ben, ^ (which he will at once pronounce right),
Is-(temek), c^Ulj, fir-(lamaq), j-lj, q61, j^J (not qal),
O J O J O >
q ul Jj 5 ( not q ul ) y uz > jj>. ( not y uz r y uz )> an(i gy uz O->^
(not gyuz or gyuz, though these are also words or syllables).
The English student of Turkish has to exert his utmost
care, in respect of the Ottoman vowels, to break himself of
the home method of pronouncing a short vowel, and the same
vowel when long, in two very different ways. The Ottoman
vowels remain always pure; they never change in phonetic
value with a change in phonetic quantity ; thus, a is always A
LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY.
made long ; I is always 1 long, 6 is always 6 long, u is always
A long, &c., in the same word and its derivatives.
The student will have noticed above the Arabic sign of
quiescence of a consonant. It is named jezrn, +j and is never
placed over a vowel, long or short.
The fourth Ottoman vowel letter, , which, when a con-
sonant, is the soft aspirate h, is also derived from the Arabic,
but has a special history of its own. This letter is never
used as a vowel in Arabic in any other position than that of
a final to a noun, substantive or adjective, usually of the
feminine gender, sometimes singular, and sometimes an
irregular (broken, technically) plural. Such are the words
*Lli. khalife, *!1 sunne, alii hasana, > tayylbe, &c.
In Arabic, these pronunciations (as modified in Ottoman
Turkish, as to the vowels, and as to the consonants) are those
of the words when they close a sentence or clause in classical
reading. They are also the pronunciations of the words in
modern conversational Arabic.
But, originally, and to this day, in classical Arabic, those
and all such words end not in a vowel at all. They .ill end
in a consonant, in a letter t ; which, for certain grammatical
reasons, is never figured o, but always appears in the shape
of a letter 5 surmounted by the two dots of the o, thus *.
Our specimen words are therefore, originally, iLli. khalifet,
t-ZlJ Ox * * C-* yj x
ii, sunnet, A ;...%. hasdnet, A.. T.V> tayylbet. There are other
20 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
vowels and consonants to be added to the termination of these
in classical Arabic, to mark the case-endings or declinations.
Thus iLli., when definite, may be marked iaJi. khallfetu for
the nominative, iLli. khallfetl for the genitive, iLli. khalifetd for
x **x
the accusative. When indefinite, it becomes iLli. khalifetun,
iLlL khalifetln, lllL khalifetan. In all these cases, when final
# "- ~'
in a sentence or clause, the case-endings are dropped from
the pronunciation, though still written in vowel-pointed books,
and the word becomes simply khalife throughout. These
indefinite case-ending marks are called in Turkish jjjj\ ^J
(tki uturu), double uturu, ^J ^\ (Ikl esere), double esere,
and ^Ijl ^->\ (Ikl ustun) double ustun.
A consideration now arose. In classical Arabic, final con-
sonants may be either silent, or vocal with any one of the
O x x "Vx* J O + 'x*-
three short vowels. Thus : & , . - > ketebet, e... : \ ketebtu,
ill^ketebta, ^L^k^btl When such words are final in
a sentence or clause, the final consonant is made silent ; so
that we have ketebet, as before, for the first ; but ketebt for
all three of the remaining words. So ^ , ^aj , ^ , final,
O s O * f Os
becomes nasr, as does ^ai and ^ai, though ^ (always dis-
tinguished by a servile 1 being added \^aj nasran) remains
fully pronounced, or only loses the sound of the final n, and
is read nasra.
When the final i of ia-li. khalife, and similar words, was
dropped from the pronunciation, the letter might have been
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 21
dropped in writing also; for iU would read khallfe just
as well. It could, however, and would, be read < -! khalif,
as Europe has done in making it into Caliph. It was neces-
sary, then, to devise a method which should prevent the
suppression of the vowel belonging to the last consonant of
such words, and yet not be liable to be pronounced as a t
with the case-endings. This convenient method was dis-
covered by the arrangement adopted of suppressing the dots
of the i , and leaving the nude A appended to the word, as
A_p_J_^- khallfe, &c. By this method final A in such words
became virtually a vowel in Arabic, though it is never men-
tioned as such in Arabic grammars or lexicons.
Persian has a very large number of nouns, substantive and
adjective, that end in an ustun vowel. When the Arabic
alphabet became the sole mode of writing Persian, the Arab
teachers would naturally use their quasi-vowel final * to
represent that final Persian sound. Thus, s^ bere, t^k^ su-
gurne, .sU amilde, jj--^ reside, &c., were written. The a
was thus made a vowel in Persian also, when final. It was
even made to follow one of the other two short vowels in
very rare cases, when no other device was available. Thus
we have the numeral A (si), three (in Ottoman Turkish
usually pronounced A- se), & (kl), that, A*. (chl), what, that.
When, by another historical step, Turkish began to be
written in the Arabic characters modified by the special
22 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
Persian letters (Turkish scribes learning the method from
Persian teachers in the land of Persia conquered by Turkish
invaders, who there embraced Islam), the use of 5 as a final
vowel was found so convenient as to be naturally adopted.
So \ ebe, iit ada, &c., were written. Now, a whole class of
Turkish gerunds, optatives, and imperatives of the third
person, end with this vowel ; we, therefore, have jj! Ide,
jup glde, j^jTgyure, *J\S qala, \j$ qira, &c.
A further step was, therefore, possible to be taken in
Ottoman Turkish, from which Persian writers had and have
shrunk. The vowel was used as a medial also, whenever it
was found that its introduction served to distinguish two
words written alike, but pronounced differently. Thus uO;
bllmek, could also be read djb bllemek. If the vowel-points
were always marked, they would suffice for this case ; but
they are generally omitted. The gerund and optative *L or
" c **O x
aLj was already in use. By writing eUb bllmek and dt^AJLj
bllemek, the distinction was made clear. Hence, 5 as a medial
Ottoman vowel, always indicating a preceding ustun short
vowel-point, became fully established. This medial or final
Turkish vowel 5 never joins on to the next letter in writing;
as, eiU^l uremek, jjjLjl 6daya.
From this sketch of the history of final and medial vowel ,
we see plainly how fundamentally erroneous is the common
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 23
European (or rather English) method of transliterating such
words with a final or medial h. The nearest approach to
correctness of which our orthography is capable, since we
possess not the French e or German e, is to write all such
words with a final a, as khalifa, Fatima, Mekka, Medina,
Brusa, &c. These are usual ; but j. Jidda, is usually spelt
Jeddah ; while s^aLs Qdhira (usually Cairo), t^& Tanja
(usually Tangiers), &c., have been made into monstrosities.
The phonetic value of an initial 1 is at first a difficulty
to the European student, inasmuch as there appears to be
nothing like it in Western languages. This, however, is
more apparent than real, when fully explained.
p
We must remember that in Arabic the initial 1 or 1 is a
consonant, not a vowel. Like any other initial consonant,
it takes the three short vowel-points, and is then pronounced:
1 >e, I '1, I >u. When it became a Persian letter, it was
generally named hemze, as it is usually called in Arabic when
a consonant (but never when a vowel of prolongation, or final
and short) ; although, in Persian words, it is always a vowel,
whether initial, medial, or final. With the short vowel-points,
this initial I is always a short vowel in Persian words, and
the Arabian hemze sign is never placed over it ; thus : Jl er,
jl ez, L_~J esb, e*-l est, &c. ; sLJ Ispah, ^UliLl Isfahan, &c. ;
1 ulfig, &c.
24 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
This initial short vowel Persian system was extended (in
practice, not in theory) to all Arabic words used in Persian
f. f.
with I for their initial letter. But the Arabic consonantal \
was then taken (in practice) to be a Persian vowel 1. Thus,
o ,<-.* * o o J 1
uj^jl was read ebvab, \jz>\ Ibtida, J^ol usul ; &c.
"When, in Arabic, the vowel of the initial consonantal I
became long, then, as with any other initial consonant, a vowel
letter of prolongation, a long vowel letter, was appended to
* * I
the 1; thus: \\ t pronounced >a, jl, pronounced >u, ^', pro-
nounced >I.
This system passed also into use in Persian words, the
Arabic hemz& sign being omitted, even in Arabic words
adopted into Persian ; and thus the combinations 11, jl, ^1,
became the initial Persian long vowels ; being pronounced
of. c . J o,
respectively a, u, I. Thus : L-J!! ab, ^1 ubar, ty\ Tzed ; and
with words originally Arabic : 111 aba, Vjl ulii, Cl Ima ; &c.
The Arabians found the use of 11 somewhat cumbersome.
5 " uJ +
They therefore invented a sign, ", called medda, sj- , and j^
medd, to be placed over an initial \, with or without the
hemz& sign, to designate the long vowel. Thus, instead of
b1l| they wrote bl >aba, &c. The Persians adopted this system
also, writing t->l ab instead of *_>!!. The double 1 system,
however, is still to be found in use in native Persian lexicons ;
where the first section of chapter 1 is generally figured with
the two II , not with I .
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 25
It may be useful to mention here, that the Arabian writers
employ this sign of medd to mark a medial or a quasi-final
long vowel I , whenever this is followed in the word by a
heinze, i. e., a consonantal I . Thus they write jjjJslLa yetesa-
>aluna, i\j+>. hamnVu, &c. These medd signs are omitted in
Persian, as well as the final * ; so that \j+*. hamra is written,
as well as pronounced, for *1^. ; &c.
If a medial consonantal hemz& in an Arabic word be fol-
lowed by a long vowel I, the two are united, as in the initial I ,
into one 1 letter with the medd sign over it ; as JU ma'al (for
JIU). This also is adopted in Persian with such Arabic words
as it occurs in ; not being found in any original Persian
words.
The medd sign is also used, in Arabic, sometimes taking
another form, that of a small, perpendicular *, to mark the
traditional omission, in writing (not in pronunciation), of a
long vowel 1 in a few well-known words, such as Jl 'llah (for
j), ^\ >Hahi (for jfcVj), c ^ or ^^^ rahman (for cjC^), &c.
This perpendicular small ellf-shaped medd is also placed,
in Arabic, sometimes over a letter j , to mark that, though
radically a j , it is a long vowel 1 in pronunciation, in the
ol - o -*
two words only, l^>. hay tit (usually written L^, in Persian
and Turkish oC>.) and SjU salat (usually written sX* , in
Persian and Turkish o^U.
26 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
The medd sign is sometimes placed, in Arabic, over a long
vowel j or ^, when they are followed by a hemz& in the same
. word ; as in 2j- suni, t^ jpa. This peculiarity is not used
in Persian or Turkish.
It is also sometimes placed over a long vowel medial \,
when this letter is followed by a reduplicated consonant in
the same word; as: jU miidde; it is not used in Persian or
Turkish.
Such of the foregoing Arabic usages as have been adopted
in Persian for words of Persian or of Arabic origin, are also
employed in Ottoman Turkish for the same words ; though
they are sometimes omitted in ordinary writing.
We now come to a purely Ottoman use of the medd sign,
utterly unknown in Arabic and Persian. Thus : Whenever
an initial vowel \ of an Ottoman word of Turkish or foreign
(European or Indian) origin has the short sound of a or a,
the medd sign is placed over it, as a distinction from the
initial sounds a, a, e ; as: Jl^*T amiral (French), jrjT M,
*Ltada (Turkish); but JjU asalet, jjl'avval (Arabic),^! er
(Turkish; also Persian; but two different words).
Another Ottoman peculiarity connected with the initial 1 ,
when followed in writing by a vowel j or ,j, is that these two
vowels are not necessarily long vowels in words of Turkish
or foreign origin. Thus o^l ot, ^\ ur, yj\ utti, csUJj! ntmek,
^I oflchal, jJ^J Irlanda. They may then be called
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY".
27
directing vowels. In many old or provincial books and
writings, these directing vowels are often or systematically
omitted, the writers, from habit, or system, adhering to the
original Arabic method of spelling by short vowel-points, for
the most part omitted in current writing. This makes such
books and papers immensely difficult to read and understand.
The three Arabic long vowels, 1, j, (j, having thus acquired
a footing as Ottoman short directing-vowels, when following
an initial letter 1 , it was found convenient to extend the
system, and to use them as short directing-vowels, following
initial or medial consonants, thereby departing entirely from
the Arabic and Persian systems. There is no method in use
for distinguishing a long vowel letter from a short one in an
Ottoman word of Turkish or foreign origin. We may almost
venture to say that all such medial vowel-letters in Turkish
and foreign Ottoman words are short vowels ; whereas, in
Arabic and Persian words they are always long. Thus :
o * o o J c x x o > o
jjiU bash, j& qir, \J>f qAsh, <j*}UI aghlamaq, (j^)^ sizlldl,
OxO-J J O* 1 ".* J -OJ ^x" O sOJ *
jjjj? boziilmaq, dJ)^ bfizfllmek, ^jJjjf gyflrfildfl, di^^i
gyurflnmek.
Hitherto we have considered only the open syllables, that
is, those which end with a vowel. We have now to treat
of the closed syllables, those which end with a consonant.
In the original Arabic system, when a word or syllable
ended with a quiescent consonant, a consonant not followed
28 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
by a vowel sound or vowel letter in the same syllable, such
consonant was marked, in pointed writings, by the sign
placed over it, which, as was before remarked, is called jezra,
pa? . Thus : u-o beb, t^G bab, ^y bub, i_*.o bib, &c.
It is a rule in classical Arabic, that two quiescent con-
sonants cannot follow one another in the same syllable,
whether as initials or as finals. Such a word or syllable as
crust, tart, blurt, flirt, &c., is unknown. As far as two such
initial consonants go, this rule prevails in the vernacular
Arabic also, and has passed into the Persian and Turkish.
Foreign words with such combinations of initial consonants
to words or syllables are treated in one of two ways. When
initial in a word, they may be separated into two syllables,
either by a servile vowel 1 , generally with an esere vowel,
being prefixed ; or by a vowel, generally esere, being inter-
calated ; and when the combination is initial to a non-initial
syllable of a word, the latter method alone is used, or the
syllables are so divided as to separate the two consonants.
Thus : K\tjma has become ^&\ iqlim, Tcral has become J^i qiral,
prince has become 2:^ plrlnj, and Svizzera has become j$.y\
isvicher.
In classical Arabic, a final word in a phrase or clause could
terminate in two quiescent consonants ; as : )L, rabt, J& c ilm,
O c*
^j* huzn, &c. This liberty is much used in Persian, Turkish,
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 29
and foreign, as well as in Arabic Ottoman words ; thus :
e>-^o durust, ^1 ard, ^^ piiins, g^ plrlnj {prince) ; &c.
When a letter in an Arabic word ends one syllable, and
begins the next in the same word, it is not written twice,
but one sole letter is made to serve for the two, in pointed
writings, by having a special mark, ", placed over it. This
mark is an abbreviation of the Arabic word j*i shed d, which
means a strengthening, corroboration, reduplication. Thus we
have, oj-l shiddet, w~*lc 'illet, JU> baqqal, J&if. 'attar, j* medd,
oj vldd, J umm, &c. It is a sine qua non in Ottoman reading,
and in correct speaking, to redouble such letters in the pro-
nunciation. We can derive a correct idea of this reduplication
by studying our expressions, mid-day, ill-luck, run next, &c.
But, if such reduplicated Arabic word has passed into ver-
nacular Ottoman use, then the redoubling is excused in
a , a
ordinary conversation ; as in the words JUb baqal, ^Lkc
aqtar ; &c.
This reduplication is really unknown in Persian ; con-
sequently, reduplicated Arabic words are much used in
Persian without reduplication ; thus ki* is generally used in
o -
Persian as \ai. khat, and has thence, as similar words, passed
into Ottoman Turkish. On the other hand, pedantic imitation
has commonly given to a few Persian words the Arabic pecu-
liarity of reduplication, so passing into Ottoman also : thus,
30 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
y y per (a wing), is sometimes pronounced ^ perr ; and jj^
perende, sjj^ perrend& ; &c.
This reduplicating system is not used in correctly writing
Turkish Ottoman words, but it is sometimes met with in
incorrect writings. The two letters should be written in
full in such Turkish words ; thus, jJujfr chulluq, jJJjf b611uq,
o*X**l ernmek, &c.
The Arabic word hemze, }*a, besides being a name for the
letter 1 , as before explained, is also the name of an ortho-
graphic sign, mark, or point, very variously used in Arabic
and Persian. Most of the rules concerning it, which derive
from the two languages, have passed into Ottoman Turkish,
with an addition or two used in the Turkish transliteration
of foreign words. Turkish words never require the sign.
The hemze sign, ", would appear to be a diminutive head of
the letter c, thus indicating to the eye the guttural nature of
the vocal enunciation it represents; which is, in fact, a softened
choke, in an Arab mouth. But in Persian and Turkish pro-
nunciation it is a slight hiatus, at the beginning of a non-
initial syllable, or at the end of any syllable, initial, medial
or final. It is placed over a letter when it bears the ustun
or lituru vowel, or is quiescent ; under it, generally, with the
esere vowel.
The hemze, in a word of Arabic origin, always represents
a consonantal letter I , sometimes radical, sometimes servile.
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 31
In Persian words, the theory of the sign is the same as in
Arabic, but the sign itself is always servile, and either final
or nearly so.
When a hemze, radical or servile, is initial in an Arabic
word, it is never written or pronounced in Persian or Turkish.
The 1 letter is then taken to be a vowel, and is treated accord-
ingly. Tbus, JJ'emel, becomes jll emel ; Jo! >lbll, become*
l 2>
Jjl ibll ; J >umm, becomes J Amm. These are all radicals,
o x, o *** c *
and short. So again, J&\ >ef kyar, becomes J&\ efkyar ; JlJl
0x0 O J I O JJ
nqbal, becomes JU1 Iqbal ; ^jj >umur, becomes^*! ttmur ; &c.
These initials are all servile, and short. The modes and
doctrine of making them into long vowels have already been
described. In Persian, Turkish, and foreign words, an initial
1 is always a vowel, and is made long in the same way as if
the word were of Arabic origin, as has been said before.
When a hemze, radical or servile, in an Arabic word, is
medial or final, a rather numerous body of rules come into
play. Sometimes the letter 1 , then always called hemze, is
written, together with the hemze sign over it, 1 (as in ^^ re's),
and sometimes the hemze sign above is figured, as a letter
now, without the 1 , in the body of the word ; as in ^^Llii
yetesfi>elun. In the former of these two cases, the hemze is
o
usually a final, quiescent consonant in its syllable ; as, oil,
re>-fet, ^C rae>-men, &c. In the latter case, the hemze is the
initial consonant of its medial or final syllable, movent with
32 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
tkttin ; as in \^ juz-^n, \%J* jezfi'dn, &c. But it may also
be both ; that is, a quiescent hemz& may terminate one syllable,
while another, a movent hemze, may begin the next syllable.
In this case, as with any other consonant so occurring, one I
alone is written, with a hemz6 sign over it ; and above this,
the teshdid sign is superadded, with an tistftn sign over it
irf
again ; as in Jli" tefe>->el. This step never occurs in Turkish
phrases ; but the explanation is needed, so as to make clear
what follows.
This reduplicated medial hemze, movent with usttin, is
sometimes followed by a long vowel 1 . In this case, instead
*, '
of writing, for instance, <jjl, ra>->as, the two letters 1 are com-
bined into one, with the signs medd and hemze, and without
the istun vowel ; thus, (jJ. ra>->as, as before. This combina-
tion is of very rare occurrence, happening only in derivative
words, of which the root is triliteral, with hemz for second
radical.
But a movent initial hemz& of a syllable, medial in a word,
may be followed by a long vowel 1, without being reduplicated.
It is then figured by a single written 1 with the hemz& and
medd signs ; as, JU m&>al, &c.
These combinations, when used in Turkish, drop the hemz&
and teshdid signs, but preserve the medd sign. The ustuu
vowel that precedes such medd sign is hardened from & into d,
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 33
on account of the following a, even with a preceding soft con-
sonant.
But, when such medial or final hemze is itself raovent with
esere, it is no longer written in the form of \ ; it then takes
the form of ^5, without dots, and with a hemz& sign over it ;
as, {J jfj rens. If its vowel is uturu, it is written as a ^ letter,
with hemze sign over it ; as, ^ } ru'us. In these two
examples the vowels are long ; but there are words in Arabic
some perchance used in Turkish, in which they are short.
Of course, the long vowel letters do not then follow the
o * o jo*
modified, disguised hemze. Thus, ^^ ra'ls, ^Jjl eb'us.
Moreover, when such medial or final hemze, whether
movent or quiescent, is preceded by a consonant movent with
esere, the hemz& is figured as a letter ^ ; and when movent
with dturu, the hernz& is written as a letter j ; in either case
* o * oJ
surmounted by a hemze sign ; thus, (JU ^> bl>sa, ^g bu^a.
Such disguised medial hemz& may be followed by a long
vowel letter; as, ^ly ffbad, JjJ~- mesnil, U J ; re'Is. If the
hemze be changed into a ^ figure, and be followed by a long
vowel 1 , it becomes changed in Turkish, and sometimes in
Arabic, into a consonant ^ ; as in i^* l^, rlyaset (for o*~U;
rl'aset).
There is a striking peculiarity in certain Turkish Ottoman
derivatives, which causes great embarrassment to students,
and has filled continental Turkish dictionaries and grammar*
D
34 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
with totally misguiding examples and rules of pronunciation,
with regard to the interchangeable vowel-letters j and ^5.
The peculiarity arose, I imagine, when all Ottoman Turkish
was provincial, and was governed by the pronunciation of
Asia Minor, variously modified in its various provinces.
Thus the earliest writers made use, in all such derivative
words, of the vowel-letter j (when they used any at all).
They, therefore, wrote t~>j^ gelub, <^>j^ gldub, t_jj.U qachub,
Vj^ qinib, C-JJL^ qiirub ; and j&U bdshlu, jJUl ellu ; &c.
These derivatives became, in course of time, in Europe, and
in Constantinople, modified in pronunciation into gellb, gldlb,
q&chib, qirib, qurub, bashH, elll, <fcc. The orthography, how-
ever, has remained sacred, excepting in the case of provincials,
who sometimes write, as they pronounce, i_*jf , V-AJ.J^, *-*-^ >
C-AJ^J , vjjy , (^lj , $\ , &c. This subject will be further
developed in the paragraphs on Euphony.
Proceed we now to the phonetic values of the consonants.
The letter t_j , equally used in Ottoman words of Arabic,
Persian, Turkish, and foreign origin, has the value of our b
generally, whether it be initial, medial, or final in a word.
Thus : Jj bed, j blr, j* bar, j-j biz, jy buz, buz, buz, boz ;
l>\jj rlbat, L, rabt, c^j subut ; LjGi kltab, t_jji. jenub, ^J\
erib, L-J/*. barb, t-Ja qalb ; &c. But when medial or final,
ending a syllable or word, it sometimes, anomalously, takes
TITE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHT. 35
the value of our p. Thus it is common to hear, uAjL) kltap,
<L>j top, Ijol iptldii, gk$ kltfipji. Especially is this the cae
with the gerunds in L_JJ ; as, ^j-$> gldlp, cjjlf g&Hp, vjj>^
yazip, ilyji/l oqiiyup, c^S qirip.
Tlie Persian letter L_J is our p in all positions: ^jj peder,
^CT ipar, u_*jj Ip. The Persian word L-A-.) esp, and the Turkish
word L-}jL> top, are usually written with i_>.
The Arabic o is our t in all positions : U taj, taj, JJl etel,
Uis fetva, ol et, oT at, c^l It, o^l 6t. In Turkish grammar
it is sometimes changed into movent .> in derivatives, when it
o oJ JoJej
is originally final and quiescent ; as, o, J durt, ^^ durdunjil,
d^j durdun, 5^^ durde, ^^ durdu, ^^ durdum, &c. ; c^jl
it, ^Sj] Ider, cl^JuJ Idlp, ^X;! Idljl ; ^J git, ^jj glder,
*Lji-? gldlp, ^^ gldljl ; &c.
The Arabic tli is found in Arabic words only, and in a very
few borrowed from the Greek. Its original value is that of
our th in think; so that cjlybl fiya-thulug, for 07^0? #60^.0705,
was not as bad as our bishop for einovcoTro?. But in Turkish
and Persian this value is unknown ; the letter is pronounced
as our s (sharp, never z) ; aya-sulug is therefore the Turkish
O - C^* O -" O
name of Ephesus, i^j\3 is pronounced siiblt,^! eser, ti>lja.l Ihdfis,
&c. In some Arabic-speaking countries this letter has become
a t ; as, d>& tdlata, &c.
The Arabic - in Turkish is our soft g, which we represent
36 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
by a j in all positions of all words, whatever their origin.
Thus, (j-^. jine, (J ^>\ ejuas, -Ul aghaj. In some Arabic-
speaking countries it is pronounced like our hard g ; as, jsr**
raesgld, 6sf segda, &c. Sometimes it takes the sharp sound
of , q.v.
The Persian _ has the value of our ch in church, of our tch
in crutch. We never use the latter orthography in our trans-
literations, always the former ; as, ( ^^\ achmaq, J. cham,
r, x J O J J x O J O r x
Ci^ja. churek, vjjf* chnruk, l^ja. chorba, >\ ich, eU chek,
isisT^" chlchek. In Turkish derivation, this letter, in Turkish
or foreign (not Persian, and there are no Arabic) words,
sometimes becomes Arabic -., but not as a rule.
The Arabic has the harshly aspirated sound of our h in
horse, hurl, her ; not its soft sound, as heard in head, him, half,
&c. It is chiefly used in Arabic words ; as, ,-^A- hisin,
v^wa. huseyn, _& fettah, ^ j^rh. We represent it by h ;
some adopt h, to distinguish it from 5, q.v. Aspirate it always.
The Arabic ^ has no equivalent in our language. It is the
counterpart of the Scotch and German ch in loch, ich, &c. It
is generally transliterated kh, as in the present treatise. Until
the student has learnt its true pronunciation, he should con-
sider it as a variety of A, and never pronounce it as a k,
especially when it is initial. Thus ji^i- khidlv (pronounce
O "-* 00 " - ^
hidiv, not kldiv), ^Lijaj'^i. khdd..vendghyar (pron. hudfi...),
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY.
^.U shfikh, jj+y-\ Ikhlfimur. In Turkish words, this letter is
often used, provincially, for j; , and is itself sometimes pro-
nounced j. Thus, plifi bakh&lim (for ^JUb baqdlim), lill
aqsham (for &khsham).
The Arabic s is our d in all classes of Ottoman words, and
requires no comment, unless it be to repeat that, in the
derivation of Turkish words only, it sometimes takes the
place of o, and is used instead of U in original words also ;
as, dJL^gltmek, Jl^glder ; ilL, lb d&gh.
The Arabic j, in an Ottoman mouth, is a z. It is found in
Arabic words alone. Different Arab communities pronounce
it as our soft th in this, as a d, or as a z. The Turk reads,
o Q s QC>- o j x o x
ji.1 akhz, j i zlkr (v?</^. zlklr), jj.u me^khuz, ^,jj bezr.
The Arabic . is our r in every position, in all classes of
words : thus, e^ re 3 fet, ^b bar, ^,1 ard. There are two
important remarks, however, which it is necessary for the
English student to bear in mind with respect to this, to him,
peculiar letter. Firstly, it must always be pronounced (never
dropped or slurred over, as we pronounce part, pa't) ; and
secondly, the value of the vowel before it in the same syllable
must never be corrupted (as when we pronounce pot, pat \
for, far ; cur, cur ; &c.), but always kept pure, as with any
other consonant ; thus, ^ q6r, ^ qiir, ^ sur, jf gyur, &c. ;
^ pir, j* qlr, JJ qir ; &c.
38 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAM3IAR.
The Arabic j is our z in every word and every position ;
ox o o j oo x O" <i*
i\j z~id, j_>_j zir, jjj z6r, ziir, y^> nezc1 > J ^ z > J ^ z > f ~ lz >
jjl i\z ; &c.
The Persian J is only found in Persian and French words ;
it is of the value of our s in treasure, pleasure, and is trans-
literated zh ; as, j\j zhazh, 8-^i pezhmurde, ^jjLLJl eta-
mazh6r, &c. It is of very rare occurrence.
The Arabic <j is a soft s, always followed by a soft vowel
in all words. It must never be pronounced as z ; thus, ill asii,
O Ox O
jS qavs, jj- suz, sdz.
The Arabic yi is our sh, always ; as, ill shad, ^\ ish,
i neshr.
The Arabic ^ja, in Turkish, is a hard 5, used in Turkish,
and foreign words also, to designate a hard vowel ; thus, J2>\
i\ss, ,j*^l asmaq, j^-sj^ susmaq, j.n.^ qismaq. Never read it z.
The Arabic ^ is very peculiar, being used in Arabic words
only. It is generally pronounced as a hard z in Turkish, but
sometimes as a hard d ; thus, J>\j razi, Us qaza, ^llil enqilz ;
x C "O^ O-O^ x O ^^ O ^
^U qadf, jClj! ^U qazl-'l-'asker (vulg.^CLc ^ qaz'-'a^ker),
&c. Its Arabic sound is inimitable to a European without
long practice.
The Arabic t>, besides being an element of Arabic words,
always as a hard t, is used in Turkish and foreign words,
sometimes with that value, sometimes as a very hard d, when
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 39
Thus, c> tiilQ', qiitr, i.khatt; jik tatll, il&
Oxx OxOxOx
diigh, jjo tuz, ^IAJ? tiqdmdq, j;+iKjli> davranmaq.
The Arabic k is used in Arabic words only, as a very hard
J o
z. Thus, Jt zallm, Jk ziilm, JLU zifr, jLb zdfer, LI hazz,
kjks? mahzuz.
The Arabic c is. as a general rule, used in Arabic words
only. It is a strong guttural convulsion in an Arab throat,
softened in Turkish to a hiatus, and often disappearing entirely.
"We represent it by a Greek spiritus asper. Thus, ^ac 'asr,
^L ta'n, ^jJL melun, ik5 qat', cjW maqtu 1 . The Turkish
word AJ^C 'anlbd (for ^1) is, however, with its derivatives,
always written with this letter, of course corruptly.
The Arabic c is, originally, a peculiar Arabian kind of
hard g, with a sound vergeiug on that of the French r grasseye,
which English dandies sometimes imitate. But in Turkish
pronunciation it is either a simple hard g, when initial ; as,
uji gallb, dilfi gaflet, sill gay da, &c.; and either that when
medial or final in Arabic words only, or like our softened gh
in Turkish words ; often disappearing, or nearly so, and
changing, like it, into a w sound after or before an iltilrn
hard vowel. Thus, JlLil Igfal, c.^, sadg, ^yi* magfur ; ^^\
aghlamaq, clt dilgh, ^^ oldAw^i, ^Ic^* sowau, J^-Jo diwan,
O J O J x s J
s6wuq ; jjcUo tawAq, ^o^ IfiwAti ; &c.
The Arabic ^J is our / in all words and all positions.
40 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
There is no reason whatever to write the senseless, false
Latin-French ph instead of f t as in caliph, a corruption of
khalife, alll. Thus, JT farz, klf lafz, J^ sof.
The Arabic j; is our g- in all words and all positions. It
is erroneous and regrettable to represent it by k t as is generally
done. The words ^J^J qur>fm, jjl aq, o5j wqt, are thus cor-
rectly rendered, leaving the k to represent its legitimate
ancestor, d.
The Arabic d, in all words and all positions, is our k.
When initial in a word or syllable before a long 1 or j vowel,
and also before a short utAru vowel, it borrows, in an Ottoman
mouth, the sound of a y after itself before the vowel ; but not
so before the short ustur, the short esere, or the long I vowel.
Thus, iLitf'kyazib, ^^\ 6kyul, ab^9 kyilpek ; ^^= kcdl,
J^s kli-Jim, J^^sj vekil. Its name, in Arabic, requires no
addition; but in Persian and Turkish it has to be distin-
guished from the Persian letter of the same form, but widely
different phonetic value. It is then termed A-J-J^C ^_J$ kyafl
'areblyye. In Arabic and Persian Ottoman words it remains
unchangeable by grammatical inflexion ; but in Turkish
words, when final, it undergoes phonetic degradation on
becoming movent, and is pronounced as a Persian d, and
even as a y ; or sometimes as a w after an uturu vowel.
Thus, dLjl lp&, c&SLjJ Ipeylfi, &L>\ Ipeye, jCj Ipeyl ; e)^l
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 41
sftluk, dL^jJj-j suluyuii, i.=^ suluye, ^>^ suluyu;
Itmek, ^ ^"*--*\ Itmeyln.
The Persian v, called A _-^Ls ( _ jo kyiifl filrlslyye, and
^^U i _ 90 kyzifl farlsi, or ,j^ * _ j^kyafl 'ajarai (vulg. ^J ^sF
'ajam kafl), is the Persian ^ard ^. It is unknown in Arabic,
is unchangeable in Persian words, and is never final in
O * Ox
Turkish words or syllables. Thus, u*L seg, (*i^- segln,
A^=^-* sege, ^^1, segl ; J^ gal. In ordinary writing and print
it is undistinguished from its Arabic original ; but the Persians
O */ V ^'
mark it with a double dash : JS gjulj &-* s ^g- I n some
^ *'
Turkish books it is marked with three dots: J5, du.
The Ottoman d, ignored by all previous writers, eastern
and western, consequently nameless, but which we venture
to term jJlJ-ff t_^S kyafl 'osmanlyye, the Ottoman ts), is
found in Turkish words only, as a medial or a final, never
as an initial to a word, though it is used as an initial letter in
a non-initial syllable. Its phonetic value is that of our y in
all cases, though it has no mark to distinguish it. It is both
radical, as in dJ bey, J^S dlyll, ^^. ylylrml ; or it is gram-
matical, declensional, servile, representing a softened Arabic
radical or servile d, become movent, as in *b^^ kyupek,
e&Cp kyupeyln, iJl^kyupeye, ^^ kydpeyl ; ctLJ^l
surmek, ^cCJ^j--* surmeyln ; d^ savdlk, jCj^j_-. savdlyim,
. savdlyln, o^j- sivdlyl. Most European writers
42 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
represent this value by gh ; but the practice is insufficiently
considered, and altogether misleading.
The Ottoman nasal d, distinguished by the name of surd n,
^jiyiU saghir nun, is a second special Turkish phonetic value
of the letter <<*), or nasal letter, which we transliterate with the
Spanish nasal n. It has the phonetic value of our English ng
nasal, as in sing, thing, &c. In ordinary writing and print, it
has no mark by which a student may recognize it ; but some-
times three dots distinguish it, and one recent writer has
marked it with one dot, <<*) (as with him the three dots, t<*) ,
serve to point out the Persian letter or sound). This value
is never initial to a word. As a medial, it sometimes ends,
sometimes begins a syllable ; as, ( j+\ s ,\ aiilamaq (vulg. anna-
maq), ^^ lanil (vulg. till) ; J>j<L* gyuiiul, j^I denlz,
JLf==T ailiz, s^jfp s6iir& (vulg. sAra). When final to a word,
it is usually sounded as a simple n ; as, i*L bei! (ben), c*L-
sanlii (sanln), ti^galln (gdlln), oJlL daii (dan), ^ s6n (sin).
When medially final it is usually softened in like manner, or
is elided in pronunciation. In jpM<^l and its derivates (itself
derived from e)Taii), the following J is exceptionally incor-
porated with it in pronunciation, as though by a kind of
inversion of the Arabic rule of conversion for the J of the
definite article J! before certain letters called solar (for which
see next paragraph on letter J).
The Arabic J is our letter I in all words and all positions ;
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 43
as, r j luzum, J aUn, Jb dal. The Turkish word
mentioned above, is, with its derivatives, a modern Ottoman
exception of the capital ; and the Arabic rule for the con-
version of the J of the definite article Jl , in pronunciation,
when followed by a noun or pronoun beginning with a solar
letter, ur *^ J/* harfl shemsi, into that solar letter redupli-
cated by a teshdid, is a classical exception, peculiar to Arabic
compounds. The solar letters are fourteen in number (exactly
the half of the alphabet) ; viz., o, cl>, ^, ^>j>j> u** u* > \j>
\j, 1 , k t J > u Tnus we have B^Jl et-tln, ^^Jf es-semen,
es-s^mn, tjTf ed-dA 'ii, Ji=jJi ez-zlkr, JUTi es-semek,
esh-shems (whence the name of { j^>) t l^Jl es-safa,
ed-dnh^, ez-zuhd, jJlkJl et-tall', ( jljl ez-zilm, ^1 el-
O '&'' yj '
lazlm, ^^Jl en-nur. In the pronoun ^JJI , and its derivatives,
the written J of the article disappears also. The sign * placed
over the J , so omitted in pronunciation, is named vwasl, J-y
junction ; and is the letter ^ of that word, specially modified.
The Arabic letters + and ^ are our 772 and n respectively, in
all words and positions: JU mal, JJ ernel, ~j beulm,ykU nazlr,
^j*. hAzn.
The Arabic letter ^ is sometimes a consonant, sometimes a
vowel. When a consonant, it has the phonetic value of our v,
of our w, or of these two combined, the v beginning, and the
w ending the sound of the letter. Thus, J(j var, ^\j>- jewab,
44 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
j-j vwasf, 3lj vwaqf. The ear alone can decide these
differences. But when the consonant j is reduplicated in an
Arabic word, it has always the v value; as, Jjl avval, Jlja
qavval. Ottoman corruption even then may sound it, in hard
lettered words, as a reduplicated w qawwul. The word uJlji
qawwaf (or u_s^i qawaf) is an Ottoman corruption of Arabic
\ iUi. khaflfaf.
When the letter j is a vowel in an Arabic or Persian word,
it always has the value of u; excepting a few Persian words,
become Ottoman vernaculars, in which it takes the sound of 6.
Thus, ^j^5 lurum, ^j^** memnun ; .j shiir ; c^-^-i do.-t (dust),
,j^ khosh (khush). In Turkish and foreign words it is
generally, if not always, short, and may have either the value
of 6, or of u, u, u, which there is no means of distinguishing,
save that of accompanying hard or soft consonants. With a
hard consonant, in a Turkish or foreign word, the vowel-letter
j (often omitted) must have the sound of either o or u, unless
it be considered long, when it becomes 6 or u ; thus, j^i
qomaq, J^,ji> qurmaq. With a soft consonant, it must be read
either u or u, u or u ; as, d^ji yuzmek, j-)j^-* suzlu. If
the accompanying consonant or consonants be neutral, all
guidance is lost ; as, \y b6z, buz, buz, jj-. suz, suz. In
derivatives there is, however, frequently a servile vowel or
o ^ J J J J
consonant, hard or soft, that helps. Thus, ^jy t bozan, J^^J
buzlulAq, &*jj> buzmek, Cil^j-* suzmek ; but y^* suz has no
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 45
such helping derivative. As to the long and short value, each
individual ear must decide for itself in words of these two
classes Turkish and foreign. Vowel j is never initial ; it
must be preceded by 1 to represent an initial uturu sound ;
O'OJ O * r J
as, jjjjl olrnaq, aLjjl ulmek, &c.
The Arabic letter 5 has already been fully discussed.
The Arabic letter ,j, like the j, is either a consonant or a
vowel.
When a consonant, it has the value of our consonant y,
whether it be initial, medial, or fiual, simple or reduplicated.
Especially must this be understood when the letter is con-
sonantally fiual in an Arabic word. As a consonant, and only
as a consonant, we transliterate it by a y. Therefore, when
we use a y as the final of a transliterated Arabic word, it must
be read and sounded as such, never as an i vowel ; an obser-
vation that continental scholars do not generally understand,
unless they may be Germans. Thus we have: j>_ yer, djj
c - o J oox OjJ o>. c^
yedek, jt, yaz, j^_ yuz, ^ beyn, ^^ boyun ; ^ pey, ^
og, ox OX Ccix 00- 0,x
shey, ^\j re<y, ^ mey, ^ hayy, ^ qayyum, ^ vely, ^
remy, JjJ veshy, ^1* meshy. This is a difficulty to a student
at first, as we have nothing like it in English.
When the ^ is a vowel, it is never initial. If a vowel t
or i sound be initial in any Ottoman word (Arabic, Persian,
Turkish, or foreign), the ^, if written, is always preceded by
46 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
an 1 ; as, ^jjl Idl, j-oV/J irlainaq. When medial, it is always.
long in Arabic and Persian words ; as, j+*\ emTr, ^cj bin.
In Turkish and foreign words, medial vowel (j is generally, if
not always short; as, i^U^j vlrinek, j^J qirmaq. "When final
in an Arabic word, it is also always short; as, ^U qiizi, ^^
razi, cb dfi'i, <^,U jaii, ^l- sari, &c. But there are hosts
of Arabic words ending in reduplicated consonantal ^, which,
iu Persian and Turkish, are used as Arabic words, generally
adjectives, terminating in a long vowel 1 or ! ; as, ^^_ yevmi,
<jj^* senevi, ^^i shehri, .^c 'arebi, ^jt faiisi, jJas qat'i,
Li\ Afiiqi, (JiAa. hlfzi, &c. When these become feminine, the
reduplicated nature of their final consonantal <_$ becomes
apparent; as, &*> yevmlyye, &~*h.9 qat'iyye, &c.
There are many Persian derivative words, adjectives or
substantives (besides others not used in Turkish), which
really end in long vowel ^. The adjectives are precisely
similar to the Arabic adjectives just described, as modified in
Persian and Turkish ; but they have no feminine. Thus,
x " O J
jbU. shahi, 'royal;' (jjj***. khiisrevl, 'imperial;' \^'}j^ shirfizT,
'of Shiraz;' &c. The substantives indicate abstract qualities;
a?, (^^ shilhi, ' royalty ;' \j>\) veziii, ' vezirial office or func-
tions ;' &c.
Turkish and foreign final ^, radical or servile, is always a
short vowel ; as, ^jo kedl, ^1 ari, fec. ; ^j\ evl, ^**CC baba-
sin!, >/\ 6dayl, ^} terejl, &c.
TUB LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 47
The vowels 1 arid > are sometimes interchangeable in
Turkish words and derivations, and are sometimes omitted,
without any inflexible rule being assignable. Thus, dul^jl ,
eL,u^J , e*C*2.1 , Itmemek, are all admissible. The true rule
is : " Never introduce a vowel letter into a Turkish or foreign
word without removing a possible doubt as to pronunciation ;
never leave out a vowel in such word, if by the omission a
doubt is created as to pronunciation." The orthography of
Arabic and Persian words is fixed, and admits of no such
variation. Persian words admit, however, of abbreviation by
the omission of a vowel ; as, sU. shah, ^ sheh sUob padshah
(vulg. padlsh!ih), iuiolj padsheh ; &Jtl shahlnshah, jJLiaU,
shahlnsheh, sll^i shehinshah, <LJ^ shehlusheh ; &c.
In many Turkish words the vowels j and <_$ are used for
one another by different writers, at different times, in different
places ; even at one place and time ; even by one writer at
different times, or in the selfsame document ; but this last as
a license or an inadvertency. Consistency in this matter is
advisable. Thus we have: jU>b, b&shln, Jib bashli, $ gelAr,
JO^gellr ; jj\ aru, ^l dri ; &c.; words differently written, but
the selfsame in reality.
The Ottoman alphabet is divided into three classes of con-
sonants, hard, soft, and neutral. The hard letters are nine in
number : , . , ^ , ^ , L, k , c, c, ( j. The soft letters
are only six : I , o , j , (j- , d , 5 . The remaining letters,
48 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
sixteen in the whole, are neutral : LJ , i> , i> ,-.,, A, i,j ,
As the orthography of every Arabic and Persian Ottoman
word is fixed and unchangeable, it is only in Turkish and
foreign Ottoman words, and in the declensions and conjuga-
tions of all Ottoman words, that the rules relating to hard
and soft letters are carried out. This is the first and chief
part of the beautiful system of Ottoman euphony.
If any one of the hard or soft consonants is used in a
Turkish Ottoman word, all the other radical and servile
letters of the word, of its derivations, and of its declension
or conjugation, must be of the same class, or of the neuters.
Thus we have: j^lS qazmaq, <!*Lp gezmek ; ^jo*J6 qazdigM,
J^J gizdlyl ; jj^fii qarliq, ^Jj/gydzluk ; &c.
The Ottoman vowels are also of these three classes. The
hard vowels are : a, a, !, T, 6, 5, li, u ; eight in all. The soft
vowels also eight : a, e, 1, i, u, u, u, u. The neutral vowels
are a, a, a. These vowels always accompany their own class
of consonants, or the neutrals. The neutral vowels can
accompany any class of consonant. Thus we have : bb bukl,
Cl ana, lib pasha, ^ &an, ^ ben, j^,J qirmaq, duJ-T glrmek,
j^ojii qomdq, J^js qArmaq, i^UJ^gyuzetmek, isl^jTgy \irmek.
When in a Turkish Ottoman word a vowel is the dominant
letter, its consonant or consonants being neutrals, the decleu-
THE LETTERS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 49
sion, conjugation, and derivation from that word follow the
class to which the dominant vowel belongs ; thus, ^J\ atmaq,
O O ^s Ox xo O^ O J O-- xG J
Jjjjfrl aghirliq, j*V^l irlamaq, <j^jl umrnaq, jJ/jl 6ghramaq ;
dll Jl elemek, (sJuJjl inmek, csLjji yuzmek, (Jl^l urmek.
When an Arabic or Persian word is declined or derived
from, in Ottoman Turkish, its last dominant letter or vowel
decides whether the declension or derivation shall be made
with hard or soft letters and vowels ; thus, Ljj^* merbut,
rJO Jcx Ox o o > o "*" oo x^
j^l?^* merbutluq ; jj*l emir, dJ^J emirllk ; ^Ll asan, j^liU
asanliq ; &c.
When the sole dominant vowel of a Turkish Ottoman word,
or the last dominant letter or vowel of a Turkish, Arabic,
Persian, or foreign Ottoman word, is of the o or u class, hard
or soft, all possible consonants, and all vowels in the declension,
conjugation, or derivation therefrom, not only conform to the
class of such dominant, but furthermore, all consecutive servile
vowels in the derivatives that would otherwise be esere,
become liturti, of the class of the dominant ; that is, become
A when the dominant is 6 or li, and become u when the
dominant is ft or ti ; thus, {^>j\ olgnn, <jILi)j! olgAnhiq, ^jJjl
61dA ; u<*j> tutgnn, jL2jL titgiinliiq, ^jl^> tutdii ; dl
surukdurulmek ; (sC,*, surush-
ek, dij^j^j.,*, surAs
J
gydrushmek, ttlJJy^ gyurushdurmek,
mek, eilj^*, surAshdurmek, dijjj.,*, surAshdurAlmek ;
E
50 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
gyurushdurulmek. But if, in such words, an ustun vowel
come in by the ordinary course of derivation or conjugation,
and be followed by a syllable or syllables with an esere
vowel, the influence of the radical dominant uturu is destroyed
by such intervention ; as, <j^i)jj bozAshmaq, j>lJUi^> bozAsh-
o - o 1 t O'ojj^ ooxoJJ
maqliq, jyuUi)^ b6zushmaghin ; 1*1^^ gyurushmek,
gyurdshmekllk, ^^Cl
CHAPTER II.
THE OTTOMAN ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY.
SECTION t The Noun Substantive.
THERE is no gender. If the female of an animal has not a
special name, as, jjjlk (tawiiq), a hen, jjl^J (qisraq), a mare,
isJcjl (mek), a cow, jpsite (qanjiq), a bitch, the female is named,
O xO Cx
as with us, a she..., Jb .> (dlshi) ; as, ^^Lj,! .Jjo (dlshl arslan),
a lioness ; &c. If the female be a girl or woman, she is never
named dlshl, but is mentioned as j (qiz), maiden, or ^J (qarf),
matron, accordingly; as, ^s?*Ji^J (qiz khizmetjl), or^J ^^* j*.
(khizmetjl qiz), a servant maid, a maidservant ; ( js^\ ^Ja (qaii
ashji), or ^15 .c?^' (ashji qari), a woman cook, a cook woman.
There is, really, no declension of nouns in Turkish; but
the prepositions, perhaps eight in number, by some termed
postpositions, are subjoined to the noun, singular or plural,
the plural being always formed by adding the syllable^! (lar,
ler) to the singular ; thus :
O J O x O J
Nom. jjjl 6q (arrow?), j-^-*j\ 6qlar (arrows).
-9 J -"O J
Gen. (^5jl 6qun {of ), e^lsjl oqlarin.
52 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
Dat.
A9jl 6qa (to ),
j
Loc.
sjijl 6qdd (in ),
Ace.
\ 6qn (the ),
Abl.
^Jjjjl 6qdau (from ),
Inst.
i_Lj,l oqla (with ),
o J o J
Caus.
cyf^Jj 1 i( l lchun (/ or )> '
Norn.
jf ev (house), ^
Gen.
d,f evln, ^
Dat.
8 Jl eve,
Loc.
^1 evde, s:
Ace.
U?ji Avi, ,5
Abl.
^]l evden,
Inst.
Jjl evle, 4
Caus.
J i 1 l 1 u l J >
^jasl jl ev ichun, ^^\
oqlara.
oqlarda.
oqlail
oqlardan.
IchAn.
&vl&r (houses).
Avliii.
evler lchun.
Most Turkish singulars (not all) ending in o soften this
letter into ^ before a junctional vowel preposition ; thus, o ,ji
O JO * <# O J J O J
(qnrt), wolf, esJ^js qurdiiii, 5.^,^9 qiirda, <j*j^ qiirdii ; not so
before a consonant or separate word ; as, sjJ^S, (jJJ^jS, AJJ^S,
\jg\ c^,j5 ; but dol atin, ^J,\ otu, &c.
Most, if not all, Turkish singulars, of more than one
syllable, ending in jj , soften it into c before junctional
vowels ; as, jl^L* (chardaq), trellis, a)uil^,l. chardaghin,
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY.
A-frb chardagha, i*b, chardaghi. Those in Arabic d
soften it into Turkish d (y value); eS^I (ip6k), si7&, dCCljl
(Ipeyln), jLll (Ip6y6), Jv- 1 (*PW- Those in Persian d (0
value), do not change it; as, diL- seng, sfontf, dx_i* (sengln),
L; (senge), jCL (sengl).
These rules do not apply to Arabic and Persian substan-
tives ; these retain their final j or d unchanged ; unless the
borrowed word has passed into the mouth of the vulgar as an
everyday expression ; as, ,jp~9 fistiq, dil-J flstighin, &c.
Singulars ending in a vowel, take ^ in the genitive, and
consonant ^ in the dative and accusative, to support the
vowel taken by a final consonant ; as, UL (baba), father, dliUlj
(babauin), M> (babayd), ^lAT (babayi); jJ (qapA), door, gate,
dJjJ (qapAnAn), A ^J (qapuya), ^jJ (qapAyu, where uturu
dominates) ; ^J\ (ari), bee t dc^jT (ariniia), <u^T (arlya, written
* * s *
separately on account of two letters ^), ^^ (ariyi) ; (^^.3
(kedl), cat, db.jT(k6dinlfi), ^^(kedlye), ^.^jS^kedlyl), &c.
Singulars ending in vowel 5 do not join this letter to the
sign of the plural, in writing ; as, sj-j (pide), JJ^J (pideler).
The word y> (sii), water , irregularly forms its genitive as
dij- (suyun, almost the only exception or irregularity in the
language). <jj*> (s6y),sor, ends in a consonant, and is regular;
>J* (s6yun), 4ji (soya), J^, (s6yii).
54 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
Arabic and Persian substantives never change their final
consonants for declension ; { j^> (tabaq), plate, &iL> tabaqin ;
elllj (Imsak), refraining, iS\L*\ (Imsake) ; oi (slat),
worship, (jXe (salati). Their final vowels follow the same
rules with those in Turkish words; Icj (du'a), prayer,
du'anln); s^Cj (piyiide), foot-man, *J6.Lj (plyadeye);
charsu), market, ^j-^s* (eharsuyu) ; J& (sulasi), triliteral
root, ^ti (sulasiyl).
They form their plurals as Turkish words ; but Persian
names of men and their kinds use the Persian plural also,
if judged proper. This is formed by adding an ustun vowel,
o
followed by ^\ , to the final consonant of the singular ; as,
OOx O * Ox
^* (merd), man, ^1^* (merdan). If the singular ends in s
vowel, it is changed into consonant c*J (Persian), with ustun
vowel, before the ^1 of the plural ; as, A*!^ (kh'iije), master,
^Ka.lji. (kh'ajegyan). Singulars ending in vowel j take con-
J o J
sonant ^ instead of e) ; as, j^vj^ (khub-ru), a beauty in face,
o ** o j
,jl>^t.jji. (khub-ruyan). Those ending in vowel <j change it
into consonant ^ in like manner ; as, ^C- (slpahi), man-at-
arms, ^UbL- (slpahlyan). [Persian writers explain this by
saying: " The final long vowel is in reality two letters <j
rolled into one. One of these is now used as a consonant."]
Other Persian substantives form the plural by adding the
syllable U hii ; as, l^iU (nfin-ha), loaves, breads, \$~*\ (esb-hii),
hones.
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 55
Arabic plurals, of the regular forms for men and women,
and of the various irregular forms for these and other things,
and also the Arabic duals, are used in Turkish. The dual is
formed by adding ustun followed by J (an) in the nominative,
which becomes ^ (eyn) in the oblique case. The latter is
frequently used in Turkish as a nominative ; as, vliaS (qutb),
O ^o J o 0T> 1
pole, ^LWS (qiitban), u ^ r Ji9 (qiitbeyn), the two poles.
The regular plural masculine nominative for men is formed
by adding nturu followed by ^ (un) to the singular. This
becomes eser& followed by ^ (In) in the oblique case, also
used as a nominative in Turkish ; the plural feminine is with
o o o J
ftstun followed by ol (at) in all cases ; thus, .LM> (musllm),
O J O J OOJ O - O J
a Muslim, <jjjl~o (musllmun), c j..L > (musllmin), oUL* (mt\s-
llmat), Muslims.
The irregular Arabic plurals commonly used in Turkish
are of rather numerous forms, and there are many more plural
forms used occasionally. These irregular plural Arabic forms
are not obtained by adding a letter or letters, vowel or con-
sonant, to the end of the singular, but by varying the vowel
or vowels of the word, and by adding letters, consonant or
vowel, as the case may be, before, between, or after, the
letters of the singular. To enable the student to obtain
a fair insight into this very intricate but beautiful system,
I have to say, first of all, that a paradigm has been adopted
by Arabian grammarians, according to which all such modi-
56 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
fications may be effected. They have taken the triliteral ji
(fa'ala) as the representative of any and every triliteral root-
word, and they have modified this root into every shape that
can, under any circumstances, be taken by any derivative of
any triliteral root in the language. All those modifications,
when not made on the vowels alone of the triliteral, are
effected by adding servile letters, or a servile letter, here and
there, before, after, and in the midst of, the three radical
consonants, with appropriate mutations, in each case, of the
vowels, long or short, in the new word. Thus, to speak only
of Arabic nouns, substantive or adjective, used in Turkish, we
have, in the first place, to learn the forms of their singulars
(for they all have definite forms), and then the forms of the
plurals special to each of these singulars.
To facilitate and systematize this knowledge, the Arabian
grammarians have divided the whole language into sections
of biliteral, triliteral, quadriliteral, quinqueliteral, &c., roots,
X J ' )
which they term, respectively, ^LJ (suna>l), ^j^U (sulasl),
^cbj (ruba'i), ^Ct (khumasl), ^-lil (sudad), &c. These
are the Turkish pronunciations of the terms. I do not re-
member ever to have seen or heard the expression ^^l>.i
(uhadi), which would be the analogous name for uniliteral
root ; but it may perhaps be found. Of these, the triliterals
form by very far the most important and numerous class,
the quadriliterals coming next. These are represented,
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 57
respectively, by the supposititious paradigmatic words
(fa'ala) and JU (fa'lele).
Every triliteral root is theoretically capable of giving rise
Ox O * Of
to fifteen chapters of derivation, called cjLj (bab, pi. <->\j->\
ebvab). These chapters are respectively termed : 1, ^-AS J*9
(fa'ald babi), the chapter of the triliteral 2, ^ jjj (tef 'il
babi), the chapter of (the verbal noun) J^si-J ; 3, ^C JblL
(mufa 'ale babi); 4, ^C Jl2l (If al babi) ; 5,^1?' jltf (tefa"ul );
6, ^UjiUJ (tefa'ul ); 7, ^'j^J (Inffal ); 8, ^jlT juJl
(f ftial ) ; 9, ^ J^ (If Hal ) ; 10, ^b JUil^ (Istlf al ) ;
11, ^C jlJl (If Hal); 12, ^ JUJl (tfl al ); 13, ^C Jljjl
(Iflvval ); 14, ^C j5lUl (Ifinlal ); 15, ^ jLJl (Iflnla ).
The use of words from the last four chapters is next to
unknown in Turkish, if not quite so ; and the use of chapters
9 and 11, J^Usl , J^Lsi , is confined to the expression of
colours, the second expressing an intensity of degree. All the
other nine chapters of derivation are constantly met with in
Turkish, as nouns, substantive and adjective. Occasionally,
even a verb is used ; but as a kind of invocatory interjection.
All but the first of these names (which is the form of three
out of the six varieties of its verb) is the form of one of the
verbal nouns, or of the sole verbal noun, connected with the
verb of the chapter; and each chapter has two adjectives
'
58 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
deriving from it, the active and passive participles of the verb
of the chapter. The first, or triliteral, chapter possesses,
furthermore, several other special forms of nouns deriving
from its verb other than its verbal nouns (which are a kind
of infinitive, or noun of action or being, corresponding with
our English substantive form in -ing, as, walking, singing, cutting,
suffering, lasting, &c., as acts or states). Of these, I give here
merely those frequently met with in Turkish ; and it must be
understood, that in this simple triliteral chapter, the various
forms of verbal nouns are never all found deriving from one
verb ; but certain forms belong to one or more kinds of tri-
literal verbs, others to other kinds. These kinds of verbs,
again, are of two sorts ; there are verbs transitive or active,
and there are verbs intransitive or neuter ; and certain verbal
nouns are more used than others with each of these two kinds.
Again, there are the six conjugations of this simple triliteral
chapter ; and each conjugation has its preferential form or
forms of verbal noun. The Turkish Qamus dictionary dilates
on this subject more than other works, and much information
can be obtained from it, in addition to what should be studied
in the " Grammar of the Arabic Language," by Dr. Wm. Wright,
vol. i., p. 109, par. 196, where 36 forms of " nomina verbi "
are given for this triliteral chapter alone, and several others
may be found in De Sacy's " Grammaire Arabe," 2nd edition,
1831, vol. i., p. 283, par. 628. Those that are principally
ACCIDENCE OK ETYMOLOGY. 59
used in Turkish are the following: 1, J (fa'l); 2, J
3, jij (fl'l) ; 4, jlj (fii'l) ; their feminines : 5, a-CJ (fa'le) ;
6, & (fa'ale) ; 7, A& (fl'le) ; 8, & (fii'le) ; the same forms,
with an insititious or servile long vowel \ : 9, JliJ (fd'fil) ;
10, JUs (flal); 11, JU (fu'al); and their feminines : 12, Jl2
(fa'ale) ; 13, JU, (fl ale) ; 14, JUi (fiiale) ; some of the same,
with long vowel j or <j ; and their feminines : 15, J^xs (f&'ul) ;
16, J^j (fuul); 17, J^J (flll); 18, ^ (mule); 19, jjS
(fu'ule); 20, *LJ (fd'ile); the same, with final servile ^1 added :
21, ^ (fa 'Ian) ; 22, ^ (fl'lan) ; 23, ^ (fA'lan) ; the
special feminine form: 24, oJUs (fd'alljet) ; and the special
forms in initial servile ^ , with their feminines : 25, jial
(mef'al); 26, J^l (mef'll); 27, (mef'dle); 28, W (mefile);
with the two special forms in initial servile o, with long
vowel 1 intercalated: 29, jQ (tef al); 30, JUJ (tlfal). Many
original substantives and adjectives are of one or other of the
forms here given ; and in frequent cases it is disputed whether
such words are substantives or verbal nouns. The active par-
ticiple, nomen agentis, of this chapter is: 31, Jcli (fa'il) ; 32,
feminine, a-l cl_a (fa'lle) ; and the passive participle, nomen
patientis, is: 33, JyJu (mef ul); 34, feminine, Jjail (mefule);
derivative adjectives are met with, branches of this chapter,
as: 35, J^ (fa'l); 36, [> (fd'il) ; 37, J^i (fd'ul ; oftsn feminine) ;
38, J-J (fdll) ; and the feminine of this last . 39, *L (fa'lle) ;
60 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
the diminutive, substantive or adjective: 40, jxs (f&'ayl); the
noun of unity: 41, alas (fa'le) ; the noun of kind or manner :
42, A& (fl'le) ; the noun of place and time : 43, jiL mef 'al ;
sometimes mef'll and iLdu mef 'ale) ; the noun of the place of
abundance : 44, ilxL (mef 'ale) ; the noun of instrument and
receptacle : 45, JaL> (mlfal j sometimes JUa* mlfal, and jJL
mlf al& ; rarely J*o* muf lil and &du muf Ale) ; and others still
which need not be classified here, though a knowledge of their
special forms and meanings, when acquired, assists greatly to
an accurate appreciation of Arabic diction, as occasionally met
with in Turkish.
The irregular plurals of these forms mostly met with, when
the words are substantives and masculine, are : 1, JUsl (ef al) ;
2, j (fu ul) ; 3, J\i (fl'al) ; 4, jS (ef 'ul) ; 5, & (efile) ;
6, Jllj (fu"al) and 7, A-LU (falU ; both for the form JcU) ;
8, *&> (full a) and 9, 3JUif (efila ; both for the form J^ fall) ;
10, Vli (fa*ala ; for the form & fa'la); when they are feminine
in form, either; 11, J^s (fTal ; for the form JJU fl'le), or 12, J^
(full ; for the form & fu'le), or 13, jQ (ef al ; as for mas-
culines) ; 14, JSU (fa'a^ll ; for the forms JUi fa ale, J^ fa'ule
A 1 _. , 1 E'ile); 15, Jcly (fevall ; for the form Jl_clJ) ; besides
16, JcUl (mefall ; for the forms mefal, mefll, mlfal, and
their variants) ; 17, J-fitiu (mef ail ; for the forms JldU,
and others more rarely used.
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 61
Adjectives masculine derived from this triliteral chapter,
much used in Turkish, are of the two forms J-xs (fall) and
J^i (ef'al) ; feminines, respectively, *LJ (fa'ile) and ^ (fa'la,
for Arabic i^ ; of jisl when not comparative) or iis (fu'la,
for Arabic <J*9 ; of the same Jxsl when comparative). The
plurals of these are : }U (fn'ala) or d\ (eflle), for J.^, as in
the substantive ; and Jxs (fi'l), for Jxsl and its feminines.
We now come to the derived chapters.
o o*
The verbal nouns of the second chapter are : J-jtaJ (tefil),
JUAJ (tefal ; sometimes tifal), and WJ (teflle) ; the plurals
O *s
of the whole of which are of the form J^lw (tefa'il) ; though
the first makes also a quasi-regular plural, ol^" (tef'i'at).
Its active participle is jidl (mufa"il, fern. aLL mufa'lle) ; and
its passive participle is Jxa* (mufa"al, fern, dliio mufa"ale), of
which the masculine is also used as a noun of time and
place.
The verbal nouns of the third chapter are : aLcll. (mufa'ale)
and JU (fl'al ; this latter only occasionally used) ; the active
participle is Jc> (mufa'il, fern. JcU* mufa'lle) ; the passive
participle, jilll (mufaal, fern. &L mufa'ale, exactly like the
first verbal noun).
The verbal noun of the fourth chapter is JUsI (If 'al) ; a. p.
(muf '11, fern. ,*ul); p. p. jiH (mufal, fern.
62
OTTOMAN TUEKISH GRAMMAR.
O, C.J
The fifth chapter has : v. n., J*aJ (tefa"iil); a. p. J.L. (mute-
'll, fern. *); j9. p. J^ (mAtefral, fern. A U:.l).
The sixth : v. n. jllij (tefa'iil) ; Jcllju (mAteffill,
Uu (mAtefaal, dk).
The seventh : JU1 (Infi al), J*j>H (mAnfall,
(mAnfa'al, ^uH).
The eighth : jQ (Iftial), J&L (mAfta'il,
The ninth: j5Ul (Ifllal), a.
(m4f4H f U mfifalle);
no ^?. ^?.
The tenth: JuJsJ (Istlfal), jxIiH (mfistefil, itoll),
(mdstef'al, *UilI).
The eleventh: J^M 1 ( lni aO> J 1 ^ (mufftll,
no i?. ^7.
As to the significations of these chapters, it may be shortly
said that when the first is transitive, the second is causative
or intensitive ; and when the first is intransitive, the second
causative still in the same sense, but not intensitive is tran-
sitive. Sometimes the second has the sense, not of making
(a thing) do or be (so or so), but of making (it) out to be
(so and so), of deeming, judging, pronouncing, or calling (it
so and so) ; rarely, it unmakes also.
The third chapter denotes reciprocity of the action between
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 63
two, or among several or many agents, or an expected
reciprocity when one agent only is shown. Thus, A.J&* a
mutually writing letters (to one another), a writing in expecta-
tion of a reply ; JLS a mutually striving to kill one another,
O O J
fighting. When the triliteral is expressive of a state, as ^^a.
(husn), a being beautiful or good, the third form expresses an
..- - j
action corresponding with that state in the agent ; thus, A^(S?
(muhasene), a doing good, and acting well, kindly to (the
other).
The fourth form is causative, generally, but sometimes
intransitive ; thus, Jll^l (Irsal), a sending (some person or
O *>O
thing) ; JLsl (Iqbal), an advancing.
The fifth form has the sense of acquiring a state, sometimes
by one's own act, sometimes through the act of another ; as,
j. ^rv (tekessAr), a becoming broken. This may be transitive at
times ; as, ^.uJ (ta'allum), a becoming knowing in (a science,
art, &c.) ; i. e., a learning (it).
The sixth form has the idea of reciprocity, something like
the third, but more decided, more certain in fact ; thus, JJUJ
(taqatftl), a mutually killing one another. Sometimes it has the
sense of feigning a state ; as, jl(J (tejahul), a feigning to be
ignorant. Sometimes, again, it expresses a repeated act ; thu.,
UlLJf (taqaza), a dunning, repeatedly demanding the fulfilment
and discharge (of some incumbent act or debt).
64 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
The seventh and eighth forms, like the fifth, imply the
acquisition of a state, either by one's own act, or as the result
of the act of another ; thus, JUnil (InfTal), a being acted upon,
a/ected, hurt, wounded, vexed (by another's act) ; Jk&\ (Intlzar)
a (becoming) looking forward (for the occurrence of an event).
Sometimes the eighth form is transitive in the sense of
acquiring ; thus, ^l^isl (iftlras), an acquiring (game) ly hunt-
O x O
ing ; or, a seeking to acquire; as, ^UJI (lltlmiis), a seeking to
obtain (a favour) by (morally) feeling one's way (by touching,
groping, requesting) ; a requesting.
The ninth and eleventh express two degrees of state as to
colour, and sometimes as to defects; the eleventh denoting
intensity of that state ; thus, ;\>&\ (Ihmlrar), a being red ; red-
ness ; }s**\ (Ihmirar), a being very red ; x^jp-\ (1'vljaj, a being
crooked; crookedness; -.Lasj-cl (fvijaj), a being very crooked ;
anfractuosity .
The tenth usually expresses a trying to get (the act or state
signified by the first form) ; as, ^LJLj (Istlfsar), an asking for
an explanation of (a matter). Sometimes it has, like the
second, the sense of deeming or judging (a thing) to be (what
the first form signifies) ; as, JliLj (Istlsqal), a deeming (a per-
son or thing) heavy, disagreeable, tedious. And sometimes it
means an acquiring a state, expressed by the first form ; thus,
(Istlshfa), a becoming restored to health. And again, it
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 65
occasionally has the sense of the first form ; as,
(tstl'dad), a being or becoming ready prepared ; readiness
(external or mental); mental capacity and quickness in acquiring
dexterity or knowledge.
Quadriliteral roots have but four forms ; of which only two
are perceptibly used in Turkish, the first and second. The
first has two verbal nouns, figured paradigmatically by Ju/
(fa'lele), and j5u (fi'lal); the second, but one, figured by
JW (tefa'lul); iLlUl (saltanat) may serve as an instance of
a verbal noun of the first form, and ^WuJ (tesaltun) as an
example of the second.
It would occupy too much space to detail here the modifica-
tions of these results arising in the case of roots where the
second and third radicals are identical, or of those in which
one, two, or all three of the radicals belong to the trio I, ^ (j,
out of which the long vowels, the letters of prolongation,
spring. These details should be studied in Wright's, or in
De Sacy's Arabic Grammar. But it is necessary to remark
that these Arabic verbal nouns belong equally to the active
and passive voice of their verbs; so that, as in English, the
same word, :* fet-h for instance, will sometimes mean a con-
quering, at others a being conquered, just as our word conquest
does. This last rule holds good with Persian verbal nouns,
not much used in Turkish. It is not so, however, with
Turkish verbal nouns, excepting, to a slight extent, with the
F
66 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
present, as in A* ma, me ; and this for the simple reason that
every passive Turkish verb has its own special verbal nouns
complete, present, past, and future.
Every Turkish, Persian, and Arabic substantive has its
diminutive, the two latter seldom used in Ottoman phrases.
The Turkish diminutive substantive is formed usually by
o o
suffixing the syllable do- (jlk) or j>>. (jiq) to the word, of
whatever origin, whether it end in a consonant or vowel.
Thus, (*Ly (eiikjlk) a little plum, dJii (Itjlk) a little dog,
d^liT (kltabjlk or J^llf kltabjlq) a little book, ^^(kyatlb-
jlk) a little clerk,' gsLtjd (devejlk) a little camel, sUj^l (utujuk),
a little flat-iron, dlssjT(kedljlk) a little cat, JAjf (elmajlq)
a little apple, j^Ailj (pashajiq) a little pasha, (jsf'Uolj (padl-
O J J +
shahjlq) a little monarch, (Jfrj? (qipAjiq) a little door or gate,
jfeJjfr (khojajiq) a little professor, &$J* (qarijlq) a little
ivoman.
In words ending with cs) or j, after a movent consonant, it
would form a cacophony to repeat these letters for the
diminutive. The less important is therefore sacrificed to
euphony, and omitted in the diminutive, a vowel letter usually
taking its place: e^jT (kyurek), etLs^r^yurejlk), little
shovel or oar ; j^y*. (chojuq), <Jjj- (chojujuq), a little child.
This form of the diminutive is sometimes modified into that
of JKJL (j&ytz), j*l ( jaghlz) ; thus, j^]f (^vjeylz) a /zf^ AOMM,
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 67
^JL^-J (qizjaghiz), a little girl. As is seen, the former esere
vowel of the -. in the diminutive has now become an ustun,
as the esere has been passed on to the <*) or j , modified into
Turkish d (y value) or c. (soft gh value). Euphony requires it.
These diminutives are used as terms of endearment also,
exactly as in German, and as our nursery vocabulary says,
daddy, mammy, granny, aunty, doggy, horsey, &c. ; only, in
Turkish, the method is of universal application, by all classes,
not by children only.
The Persian diminutive always ends in *>. (che) ; as,
U (pa), AAJ (pache), or in d preceded by an ustun vowel ; as,
j^(kenlz), c^Jr(kenizek).
The Arabic diminutive also makes its first vowel uturA, and
the next vowel ustun, followed by a quiescent consonantal <_$,
whatever may be the vowels or quiescences of the original
word ; as, ^L^* (hasan), ^cl* (huseyn) ; ^^a* (hlsn), ^.^a.
(hiisayn); &c.
The Persian and Arabic diminutive applies equally to
substantives and adjectives. The Arabic rule has many modi-
fications in details. But as these Persian and Arabic diminu-
tives are taken into Ottoman use as original words, enough
has been said on their subject for the present purpose.
G8 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
SECTION II. The Noun Adjective.
As a general rule, the adjective, in Turkish, is invariable,
having no gender, number, case, or degrees of comparison ;
and this, whether the word be of Turkish, Arabic, or Persian
origin. It always precedes the substantive qualified ; as,
OX** O J OxO^^OJ
+*\ dj~j (bljuk adam), a great man, JLo! dj-j (blyuk adamlar),
great men; Jijjl dj-j (blyuk Inekler), big cows.
But the Persian form of phrase is also much used (especially
in writing), by which an adjective of Persian or Arabic origin
follows the substantive qualified ; such adjective remaining in
the singular after a Persian substantive plural, the substantive
qualified always taking an esere of subjection to join it to the
C O 1 J -O f
adjective ; thus, d^}-? ^i^* (merdanl b&zurg), great men
du j^l^Uc ('amelhay! nlk), good works.
If, in this Persian construction, both words are Arabic, and
the substantive is a feminine singular, or an irregular plural of
any kind, the adjective must be put in the feminine singular,
or in an irregular plural form ; as, aVtV J> L^ ('dsaklrl mun-
tazime), regular troops, llJLe ..^-L^L- (selatlnl c izam), great
\ " X X
Sultans.
Persian adjectives have three degrees of comparison, more
or less in use in Turkish composition. The comparative is
formed by adding the syllable^ (ter) to the end of the posi-
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 69
tive ; and the superlative, by adding the syllables ^J? (terin);
but these never qualify preceding substantives, being only
used as substantive members of phrases, or to qualify a
following substantive ; thus, olai JjLj ^.^ (blhterint vesa-
>ill nejat), the best of the means of salvation; (blhterin vesfi'lli
nejat), the lest means of salvation.
Arabic adjectives have but two degrees of comparison.
Whatever the form of the positive, the comparative is of the
form J3 (efal). This is used, in Persian construction, more
as an exaggeration than as a degree of comparison, more as a
substantive than an adjective. If followed by a substantive
singular, it is a superlative with the sense of very, extremely,
exceedingly, and the like ; thus, oU t&~j (J ^\ (ahsanl vesile'i
nejat), a very good means of salvation. If the following sub-
stantive be in the plural, the adjective is a superlative, with
the sense of the most ; as, ol?i J5Lj cr ->l (ahsant vesa'lll
nejiit), the best of the means of salvation.
If an adjective be used as a substantive, it admits the
Ox j .
plural and the prepositions, as substantives; thus, Jij)\ (iyuler),
o * J
the good; i^)j>l (lyulerln), of the good, &c., &c.
Every Turkish adjective, besides its positive signification,
betokens, on occasions, the comparative, the superlative, and
an excess of the quality it expresses, which we explain by
employing the adverb too before the word. Thus, dj^ (blyuk),
70 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
large, larger, largest, too large; jVg^ ( s P<l)> hot ) hotter, hottest,
too hot ; Jtjj*> (soghiiq), cold, colder, coldest, too cold; &c.
The Persian compound adjective, much used in Turkish, in
the positive degree only, is of many kinds. Some are com-
pounded of two substantives, one or both of which may be
Arabic or Persian, never Turkish ; as, ejlla. +> (jem-jenab),
majestic as Jemshid ; ^jJ <^Ju>\ (asaf-tedbir), Asaph in counsel ;
Jj^ai (sheker-leb), sugar-lipped; KlLlI tU'Ic ('adalet-
destgyah), a very loom of justice (i. e., just) ; others of an
adjective followed by a substantive ; as, ^L^a^ (seb&k-pay),
light of foot, light-footed ; or a substantive followed by an
adjective ; as, alllj.* (dll-tlshne), thirsty-hearted (i. e., ardently
desirous} ; or a substantive preceded by **> (hem); as, JuLl +&
o o ox
(hem-ashyane), of the same nest; ^J^** (hem-jlns), of the same
genus; ^j^Jui (hem-shehri), of the same town or country, a
fellow-countryman ; of a substantive followed by ^j (vesh),
like; as, (Jy(,-i (peri-vesh), fairy-like; of a substantive
followed by d (rang), U (fam), or f (gyun), all signifying
colour; as, ijll (sebz-rang), green-coloured ; ^j (zumurrAd-
fam), emerald-coloured; fr^sS (gendum-gyun), wheat-coloured
(i. e., dark-complexioned, brown) ; of a substantive followed by
J\T(kyar, gyar), jT(ger), ^U (ban), or jS (dar) ; as, ;*&
fshirm-kyar), sweet-mannered; J* >_j\ (aferid-gyar), creative
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 71
0x0. X O ^ O x
e., creator) ; j^\ (zer-ger), goldworker, goldsmith ; ^Lcb
(bag-ban), garden-keeper (i.e., gardener) ;j\^^ (muhr-dar), seal-
keeper; or followed by ^b (dan), jj (zar), ^L. (sar), or ^LJ
(Istan), all names of special places ; as, ^1 .xjs (qalem-dan), a
pen-case ; J)JL^= (gy&l-zar), a flower-garden, a flowery mead ;
jLjtjj (kyuh-sdr), mountainous district; ^LL^c ('arablstan),
Arabia; or a substantive repeated; as, eftjrC (chak-cbak),
imitative of the sound of repeated blows with axe or sword ;
the same, or two different substantives, with 1 placed between
them ; as, CiJUXU. (chakya-chak), same signification, Cj^ (ser-
a-pa), from head to foot; or with \J or o in place of the I ; as,
x xO x Ox xox
IjlJr- (ser-ta-pa), same sense; ^^J^, (ser-te-ser), from end to end,
from beginning to end; or with ^\ in jj^iLl (sheban-ruz), night
and day (which is unique), JJ^AJ Li (shebane-ruz), meaning:
a whole night and day, all night and all day, twenty-four hours,
or several nights and days in one succession; or with some
other Persian preposition between the two; as, ^^ j-j pey-der-
pey), step by step, gradatim ; o-^^ws*.*.^ (dest-ber-dest), hand
on hand, hands crossed; &^~m~ (sme-be-sine), breast to breast;
O J X J O 1 x'-i '
jjij^Uyj (dush-a-dush), shoulder to shoulder^ back to back; ^v^**
(ser-be-rauhr), t^z^A <Ae head (or mouth of a bag, bottle, &c.)
sealed up ; or with a substantive and compound adjective ; as,
c (bakht-ber-geshte), whose luck is reversed; or even
72 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
four words combined; as, j^ii dta^** (ser-be-felek-keshlde),
w^ostf foad s Zi/tedf up to the very spheres ; besides many other
varieties ; especially the two privatives in ^ (bi), without,
and l> (na), not ; as, c_o1 _> (bl-edeb), without education or
manners, unmannerly, impolite ; \^*j\j (na-biina), not seeing, sight-
less, blind.
Some Arabic expressions may be regarded as compound
epithets in Turkish and Persian ; as, ^J^a-a-U (sahlb-qiran),
lord of the conjunction (i. e., the master of the age) ; e^jtifJj
(veli-nl'met), associate of benefits (i. e., a benefactor) ; expres-
sions formed of ji (zu), oli (zat), JA\ (ehl), and LLJ\ (erbab),
* * f j
all of which imply possession ; as, u\j i ji (zu-zu^abe), possessed
of a forelock or topknot, and AjUijj (zu-zunabe), possessed of
" if J '
a following (i.e., comet)-, -*is)' oli (zatu-'l-jenb, VM/^. satllj.au),
f^e possessor of the side (i. e., pleurisy) ; or in Persian con-
struction; as, jj^cjjtl (ehll-'irz), possessed of honour or virtue,
honorable, honest, virtuous ; j'...^^^! (erbabl-mesned), those
who possess the chief seat (i. e., high dignitaries)-, or an adjective
qualified with^c (g^yi')> other; as, jj.xs^-.fr (gayrl-mahdud),
of her than circumscribed (i. e., unlimited, undejined) ; or an
Arabic verb in the aorist made negative with V (la), not; as,
\M*I$ (la-yiihsa), not to be counted, innumerable ; jjoV (la-yu'add),
untold, innumerable ; Oj^V (la-yemut), who dies not, immortal ;
z," *
(la-yetejezza), not to be subdivided, indivisible; or an
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 73
ibic adjective followed by a definite article and substantive ;
o*A*>ii ,' o ,QlViO it *
as, JjjJl^jjl (ebedlyyu-'d-devam), eternal in duration ; ^LiJl ^
(qavlyyu-'l-bunyan), strong in build ; &c., &c., &c.
Every Turkish adjective is also an adverb ; that is to say,
that, without any modification of form, the Turkish adjective
o ^ o j^
qualifies verbs as well as substantives ; thus, oT JjjT(gyuzel at),
a beautiful stallion; 1^3 .^j Jj j> (gyuzel yurumek), to walk
gracefully. The same is the case with Persian adjectives,
whether used in Turkish or in Persian phrases. Arabic
adjectives, as Arabic substantives, require to be put in their
own accusative case indefinite when used as adverbs ; as, ^Ui
(fi'lan), by act ; Ll. (hasanan), beautifully. Arabic substan-
tives are also sometimes used as Turkish adverbs by being put
in their own genitive, indefinite or definite, as may be, and
preceded by an Arabic preposition ; as, & ^ ('an gafletln),
by inadvertence ; -l\j ? 11 ^c ( 'ale-' t-te vail), in continued suc-
cession, successively; *o . 5 y)' i (fl-'l-haq!qa), in reality, really,
truly ; oU-ijJlj (bl-'d-defd'at), on several occasions, repeatedly ;
L-.>;ml (11-sebebln), for a reason ; &c.
^ ' -
As with substantives, so also every Turkish adjective has
its diminutive, formed by the addition of the suffix <so. (je, ja),
-ish, to the word, whether this end in a consonant or vowel ;
^as, J-lj (yeshll), green, A-sfe (yeshllje), greenish, somewhat
o <> o J
green; Jj_i (qizil) red, Aa^-i (qiziljd) reddish; c*J^-> (blyuk)
74 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
x->X * o *t
large, **)-*-> (blyukje) largish; jLs^ (Afaq) small,
(ufaqja) smallish; ^>\ (irl) /ar<7<?, AS^J! (liiji) largish; ^
(qara) >/ac, Aa.s^ (qardja) blackish; ^5 (qAri\) dr?/, A-&-JJJ*
(qiiruja) dryish. A modification of this form, dictated by the
O J O J JX O x J
principle of euphony, is used for the words e)j-j , csJ^, (J^jl
00 X
by substituting a final c*J or ^j for the s, and suppressing those
letters at the end of the radical word, as for substantives ; thus,
csUjo (blyujek), largish. A further conformity with the sense
O J O J
of euphony, avoiding two ^ji-yl vowels in succession, makes
, O J J>/
jja-Ujl (ufajiq) smallish, and va?jx (kuchujuk) smallish ; this
last being doubly euphonic.
These diminutive adjectives, as in every language, often
express in Turkish the reverse of diminution in the quality
they represent, being in fact exaggeratives in sense, and mean-
ing very, exceedingly, extremely, &c. ; as, ^ +*\ *>-jj~>> (jesurja
adam dir), he is a bravish man (i. e., a very brave man).
SECTION III. The Numerals.
Turkish, Arabic, and Persian numerals, cardinal and ordinal,
are used in Ottoman. Arabic fractions are also used as far as
one-tenth. In this sketch, however, the five sorts of Turkish
numerals alone are explained. These are the cardinal, ordinal,
distributive, fractional, and indefinite numbers.
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 75
The simple Turkish cardinal numbers are : yj (blr) one,
JoJ (Ikt) two, -^\ (uch) three, oy (durt)/owr, _J (besh) Jive,
J\\ (altl) six, t^i (yedl) seven, JXl (eeklz) <%/^, j^L (doqAz)
nine, ^/l (6n) ten, ^Jfj: (ylylrml) fu;<mfy, jj-jjl (otiiz), thirty,
& (^^ forty, JJI (elll)//ty, JU3T (altmlsh) aiarfy, ^'(yet-
mlsh) seventy, ^CC, (seksan) e^Afy, ^CiL (d6q^an) ninety,
01 O
Jj-i (y^ z ) a hundred, duj (bin) a thousand. The two substan-
C J O JO
lives, djj (yfik), a hundred thousand, and ^j^lL (rallyin), a
million, are also used ; but they are not true numerals. They
are names of aggregates, and require the numerals before
o J o o * o
them; as, &jij> (blr y&k), one hundred thousand, ^j^j (blr
mllyon) one million ; and so on for higher numbers,
U>L ^jl, &c. The French numerals ^jlb (bllyin), ^jl
y6n), &c., are sometimes used.
The compound Turkish cardinal numerals are uniformly
built up by putting the units after the tens up to 99, and by
O J
placing the word jj> before the simple or compound expression
o J
up to 199; then by adding the units from 2 to 9 before jy_
up to 999 ; next by using dLj before these simples or com-
pounds up to 1999; and finally, by again using the simples
or compounds before dl > up to 999,999 ; thus, ^Jjl (6n-blr)
^*~ **S" o J o J j o J
eleven, J^l ^yo (ylylrmllkl) twenty-two, rj\jjj\jjl (yuz 6tiiz
C* CO O J O .^ + O
ftch) one hundred and thirty-three, ^ j^ ^_X_* dLj (blii
76 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR .
seklz yuz q!rq besh) one thousand eight hundred and forty-five,
oOJojoj o o ^x x ^ * x
0;Joj!j^i duj^_A-i ^j'l- lljjii ^i, (beshyAz altmishseklz blnyuz
6n dart) 568,1 14, JjT^JLJI j^jl dLj J^l ^Cii t^ ^J* ^L ^,1
(uch mllyon, yedl yuk, d6qsdn Ikl bin, fich y^z, 4111 Alt!)
3,792,356. It will be noticed thatjao conjunction enters these
o J o
combinations. When the foreign expression ^. \' , or the
o t
treasury word djj is not used, the native method of expressing
O O J
multiples of <*L_)jj3 is to state the simple or compound
number of such multiple, and then to intercalate the word
*^ o 9 J o o J 3 *s *
*fS (kerre) times, before the word dujj^j ; as, c*Lj j^j ^_> ^jj
(yedt kerr4 yfiz bin) seven times one hundred thousand, 700,000 ;
dL->3ji lXj->\^\j oy (durt yuz elll Ikl kerr^ ynz bin)
45,200,000.
The Turkish interrogative cardinal numeral is ^U (qach)
how many ?
The cardinal numerals are adjectives ; but, like all adjec-
tives, may be used as substantives, and declined. Even the
interrogative III is used as a substantive when enquiring
" what number ? " or " what is it o'clock ? " or " at what price ? "
or " what is the day of the month ? " Thus : j->^ (qach
dldlnlz) " how many did you say?" \$& *& ^
galdl) " to how many (hours) has the clock come ? " ui-
(qich4 verlyirsun) " at how much art thou selling (it, them) ? '
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 77
)* ^^ Cikl (ayiii qachl dir) " the how-manyeth of the month
18 it?"
The Persian compound cardinals place the higher elements
first, as in Turkish and English ; but the conjunction j is in-
troduced between each two members ; as, c^flaj o~o^j c>~jj ->j jVj
x
(hezar li duwist u shast n heft), a thousand, two hundred, and
sixty-seven.
The Arabic compound cardinals take the conjunction j be-
tween each pair also ; but the lower elements stand first ; as,
oo^ J o, o* Jo x *
^IjtyJUj ^-^.j -*J 'Ai- (seae-i tls e A khamsin A ml'eteyn u
elf) the year one thousand two hundred and fifty -nine, expressed
in Turkish, .^LjJL $jjL>\ dLj (bin Iklyuz elll dAqiiz
The Turkish ordinal numbers are formed by adding an esere
to the last quiescent consonant of the cardinal, simple or com-
?
pound, followed by the termination ^^jc ; as, ^-j> (bliinjl)
first, .&jyj\ (otiizunju) thirtieth, ^jy. (yuzunjA) hundredth,
^K^ (blnlnjl) thousandth, ^^L Jfi\, ^$> &>}&. ^.
But, in the numbers that end in vowel ^, this is suppressed
before the same termination ; as, L5 >^ si ;. (Iklnjl) second, ^^^
(altinji) sixth, ^f*l (jedlnjl) seventh, ^^Xj (ylylrmlnjl)
O Of
twentieth, ^.^ (elllnjl) fiftieth. The cardinal oji changes
JOJOJ O J
its final into ^ before the ordinal termination; as, ^
(6n-diirdunju) fourteenth.
78 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
The Arabic and Persian ordinals are frequently used, and
may be found in the lexicons, &c.
The Turkish distributive numbers are formed from the car-
dinals by making their last quiescent consonant movent with
Astun, and then adding a quiescent . to the word ; as, >j>
(blrer), J*J (besher), Jj^ (6tAzer); *& (ynzer), ^ (blfier).
Their sense is expressed in English, which has no such
numerals, by the words each and apiece ; the foregoing
examples will thus be rendered : one each, five apiece, thirty
o o
each, a hundred each, a thousand each. The cardinal o,->
Q*> c J
becomes j*j* (ddrder) four apiece.
When the cardinal ends with a vowel, the syllable^ (sher)
is suffixed to form the distributive ; as, ^iLjol (Iklsher) two
o ** o* o '* -
apiece, j~l\ (Sltisher) six each, j~ Q-> (yedlsher) seven apiece,
JIJ^ (ylylrmlsher) twenty each, ^ijUl (elllsher) fifty each.
In the case of more than one hundred or thousand, it is the
cardinal that designates their number that receives the clis-
o J o + jX x"
tributive suffix ; as, j^j jZ*\ (Iklsher yuz) two hundred each,
c*Lj jZ> (besher bin) five thousand apiece. And in compound
numbers the distributive suffixes are added to the numbers of
thousands, of hundreds, and of final units or tens, to indicate
o - G ^S' ^ * *
one distribution ; thus, jj ^J^i Jji j~^~ (besher yftz ylylrml
blrer) five hundred and twenty-one each,j2jf*\ J^j^^^csLj^jC..
(seklzer bin, yedlsher yuz, qlrq Iklsher), 8,742 apiece ; ^LBl -^
(yAz elllsher), 150 each.
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 79
The Turkish fractional numbers are very simple. The number
of the denominator in the locative, and followed by the number
of the numerator is the form ; as, j> .x^ (iklde blr) in two
(parts), one; i.e. J, the half; ^\ siL (beshde iki) in five, two;
o *
i.e. f, two-fifths. Sometimes one of the synonyms ^U (pay),
^_a. (juz>), ^J (q^m), *^ (hlssa) part, is added after each
numeral of the fraction; as, ^CJ^ sjjib J^l (ikl payda, blr pay)
in two parts, one part.
The Arabic fractional numbers are also used up to ten.
Excepting the word uJLi (nisf) a half, the half, they are all
O OJ O O-J O OJ
of the form Jxi ; thus, eJC (suls, vulg. sulus) a third, AJ^ (rub*)
OO-J OOJ OOJ
a fourth, ^^ (khums) a //i!A, ^j-, (suds) a szxi/j, *^, (sub*)
a seventh, ^ (sAmn) an eighth, -J (tus') a ninth, ^lc ('ushr,
vw?^r. 'ushiir) a fcwM, a <zYA. The dual of ilj is used, JjlLU
(sulsan) two-thirds ; but for all the others a Turkish numerator
is used ; as, ^,1 (i\ch rub') three quarters, JJi ^^C;! (Ikt
khums) two-fifths, *L" ^> (besh tus 4 ) five-ninths, &c.
There are two special Turkish adjectives and one Turkish
substantive to express half. One of the adjectives, ^,l> (yarim),
and the sub.-tantive, ^li (yaii), signify <^e AaZ/ (of one sole
thing ; as, UJI ^G (yarim elma) half an apple, a half apple ;
lf*Jl fcUlji (elmanin yarfsl), Me Aa?/ o/ an (or of the) apple.
The other adjective, Ji^J (biichiiq), is used after some whole
80 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
number, never alone ; as, Ql Ji^> ^ (blr buchuq elma) an
apple and a half, I*cL, J^ ^>\ (Ikl biichnq sa'at) two hours
and a half.
When a complex fractional number consisting of an integer
and a fraction other than one-half has to be expressed, the
Turkish or Arabic fractions are used, the conjunction J or the
preposition aLl being introduced between the integer and the
fraction ; as, a_^ j> j ^o! or *jj j> AA ^-^ two and one-
fourth. When the Turkish fraction is used, the numeral j>
in the genitive is also introduced before the fraction ; as,
1^ *Ll ,jj five, and three-eighths of one.
The indefinite numerals are : j* (her) every ; ^ js (her blr)
every one, each; & (hlch) no, none; j -* (hlch blr), no ;
&"' - ti~ -
o^ u + o * o * o
U a3a (ba'zi) some ; j^=\ (ekser) the most part ; ~&J. (blr qach)
C* O J O^ O
som, a few; j\ (az) /ew ; jj_. (choq) many; jl^-j (blr az)
o > o
a few, a little ; jj-^ (blr ch6q) a great many, a great quantity;
&c. Of these, jit> is always an adjective; the rest are adjectives
and substantives.
There is a small series of Turkish numerals of a peculiar
nature, from j~-jj (iktz), twin, twins, through ^-^jl (uchuz)
triple, a trine, J^ (diirduz) fourfold, to J-jJ (beshlz) five-fold,
and perhaps on to \J.I (6niiz) ten-fold. Adjectives are formed
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 81
from these in j) ; as, jJj^jl (Iklzll), possessed of twins, oj twin
J O 1 J
(branches, &c.) ; j^-jl (Achuzlu) ivith three (lambs, branches,
&c.); &c.
The written digits are : I 1, r 2, r 3, i 4, o 5, i 6, v 7, A 8,
1 9, . 0. With these, compound numbers are written as in
English, from left to right; as, ro 25, n. 160, n.i 3409,
VA..T.H 78003046, &c.
lu dates, the thousand, and generally the hundreds, of the
year of the Hijra are omitted, as also the dots of the letters ;
thus, A_ stands for * _ _.* (sene bin Iklyuz d6qsan aid)
in the year (of the Hijra) 1296 ; 4uL, b r i ^ (fi ylylrml blr
za, sene 97) on the 2\st Zt-'l-Qada, '97 (A.H.).
O i- ->
The signs for the months, in dates, are : +, for ^^ ; jj^, for
> ; !,, for-J^f^J ; Jf for J^f^ ; U, for ^ST^iUL ;
-., for ^i VI t^iUa- ; -j, for i_^ ; ^^^j, for ^L*^. ; j, for ^U^ ;
o 2 -* * o o^ *3 \ I
J, for Jlj-i. ; b, for 5Xx_kJl ^i ; ^, for As? 1 ^i . The day
always precedes the sign of the month ; and the first day is
termed i^e. (gurre), while the thirtieth is named 11 (selkh) ;
as, A + 8/c ^j , <u- \jo L> ^ ; all dots being omitted in
these shortened numeral dates. Not so, however, when the
O ** o J o J -x" n Jo
date is written out in full words ; as, ^Lji-L \jS^\ (*L-j *--_i'
Jji^LJii ^^ y ii.^ fttl ^l^ ^ }$> (Ishbu bin
Iklyuz d6qsan diqiiz sene'l hljrlyyesl mah-i muharremlnln 6n
G
82 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
beshinji penjsbenblh gyfinfi) This day of Thursday, the 15th of
the month of Muharrem, of the Hijra year 1299.
SECTION IV. The Pronoun.
The Turkish personal pronoun has no distinction of gender :
o -. o ^ J
^ (ben) /, ( ^ t (san, not sen) thou, j\ (6 ; in writing, generally,
o J o o
jy 61) he, she, it ; and their plurals : j* (biz) we, j~* (slz) you,
j\ (anlar, onlar) they. *
In politeness, j-> and j_- are used instead of ^j and c ^_-,.
They then have their own plurals : Jljt (bizler), J^ (slzler),
which cannot be expressed in English. These are even used
as singulars, by the over-polite. The third person plural is
used, in the same way, out of politeness, for the singular, as
is practised in Italian ; but it has not its plural. The word
^5x3 (kendl) self, is a kind of common pronoun, of all the
persons, singular and plural. It is specialized by the posses-
sives.
The personal pronouns, singular and plural, are declined in
the same way as the nouns substantive, excepting that some of
them have a special genitive, all but those of the second
person, singular and plural. These genitives are: ^ (benlm)
of me, my; esU-, (sanlii) of thee, thy ; talil (aniii, 6nu.fi) of him,
her, it; his, her, its; ^ (blzlm) of us, our; c^*, (slzln) of you,
your ; e)j2l (anlar'iii, onlarin) of them, their. But, to take either
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 83
o J ^
of the prepositions ^^1 , A)\ , after their singulars, they must
be put in the genitive, all but the third person plural ; as,
^j^\ ^) forme, *Ll ^J>- with you, ^jg] diil for him, her, it, tigl JLil
with them.
These genitives are used, when required, to emphasize and
corroborate the possessive pronoun of the same number and
person. They are never used alone, without their possessives
to corroborate ; thus, Job (babam) my father (not my mother,
&c.), Jj'j ~j (benlm babam) my father (not your father, or his
father).
The possessive pronouns, too, have no distinction of gender,
either on the English or French principle. They are 1 (1m,
im) my ; d (In, in) thy ; ^ (1, i), or, after a vowel, ^ (st, s!)
o o ^ *-
his, her, its ; j* (Imlz, imiz) our, jS (liilz, Inlz) your; ^ (leri,
lari), their.
These possessives are suffixed to the substantives they
qualify, and form one word with them. That compound
o *
word is then declined like a simple substantive ; thus, vjl
(evlm) my house, c*Ujjl (evlmln) of my house, t+)J\ (evlme) to
my house, .Uijl (evimde) in my house-, &c. (The <_$ added
here before the bare possessive, is thought by some to be
needed in the case of a preceding consonant that does not
join on in writing to its next letter in the same word. Others
do not consider it necessary, and write: +j , is)jl, ^1, &c.; but
84 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
when the compound, in declension, &c., takes another vowel
after it, it is more usual to add this preceding vowel also ; as,
Ox - <** O -X*" *
CiUjjl (evlmln) of my house, A*JJ! (evlme) to my house ; ^-V^l
(evlnlz) your house ; &c.
The vowel that precedes the bare possessive is an e^ere, soft
or hard, given grammatically to the final consonant of the
qualified substantive, when it ends in a consonant. Thus,
ol (&t) a horse, Jl (atim) my horse, isijt (atln) thy horse, J[l
(at!), his, her, its horse, J^-ft (atlmiz) our horse, j_5T_j1 (atinlz)
your horse, ^$jL^\ (atlari) their horse. After an uturu vowel
dominant, this eser& becomes uturu also; thus, Jcjl (6ghAl)
a son, jicjl (oghiilum) my son; o^j (but) a thigh, Jj (buti\m)
or +*j) (budiim) my thigh; j (yuz) ~a face, +jji_ (yuzum) my
face; J^(gy^ z ) an e V e > \j$ (gyuzum) my eye.
When the substantive ends with a vowel, the bare possessive
is added to form a syllable with that vowel, whatever it may
be; thus, JCC (babam) my father; djiib (yanqon) thy echo ;
^j* (qapusu) his, her, its door or gate ; jx^jXJj-, (suugyumuz)
O J J " > , i i
our bayonet; j-$jf (gyurgyuiiuz) your experience; \j}jjj
(surulerl) their JlocL The example here given, with the
possessive singular of the third person, shows clearly that
when the substantive ends with a vowel, ^ is the possessive,
in lieu of ^5 after a consonant.
If the final vowel of the substantive is B , it is never joined
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 85
on to the possessive in writing. Thus, f*)-^ (teyzem) my
(maternal) aunt, d^J (teyzen), thy aunt, ^-^-J (teyzesl) his or
Tier aunt ; j+ijl (teyzemlz) our aunt, J->J (teyzeniz) your aunt,
(jJ*)+> (teyzelerl) their aunt.
When the final vowel is ^, the possessives of the first and
second persons singular do not join on to it in writing. In
the third person singular, and in all the possessive plurals,
Ox O O **
they join on. Thus, ^^J (terzl) a tailor, -(^/-J (terzlm) my
tailor, d(jjj (terzlii) thy tailor, ^Jj^ (terzlsl) his or her tailor,
j**-jj (terzlmlz) our tailor, j*.jj> (terzlnlz) your tailor, (j)jjj>
(terzlleii) their tailor. There is no valid reason for this rule ;
custom alone has it so. Thus are formed: ^j!_T'(kendlm)
myself, issbli (kendln) thyself, ^JO-i (kendlsl) his, her, itself;
J*jjjj(keadlmlz) ourselves, j_5Cx5(kendliilz) yourselves, ^i^
(kendllerl) theirselves.
A final ^ , in a polysyllable, as in declension, changes into
c before the possessives, singular or plural, excepting that of
the third person plural ; so also, an Arabic cs) changes into
Turkish d (y value) in like cases. Thus, jljy (q6naq), a
mansion, ^cl_jj_3 (qinaghim) my mansion ; CiLjl (^P^k) silk,
c5O (tp^ytn) thy silk ; Jjli (tawiiq) a fowl, ^lL (tawughA)
his or her fowl ; ^cljj9 (qonaghimiz) our mansion, ^_x_x_j_jl
(Ipeyliilz) your silk; ^JLJJLi (tawiiqlari) their fowl. The
86 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
reason of the exception is evident, the final consonant takes
no vowel before ,jj.
These possessives equally qualify plural substantives, and
follow the sign of the plural. Thus, +j^ (evlerlm), my houses;
f * ' * J ^* o .>
CiJ^JLJl (itlAiln) thy horses ; u^jjX-jj- (M\ugyulerl) his, her, its
bayonet* ; j*jjjf (sAHUerlmlz) our flocks; Jx^J (tejzeleii-
iilz) your aunts ; jjJijLjji (qonaqlail) their mansions.
By a consideration of the examples above given with the
possessives of the third persons, singular and plural, as
attached to singular and plural substantives, two peculiarities
become evident, namely: 1, the plural sign is not repeated for
the possessive when the substantive is itself plural ; 2, con-
sequently, the combination of a substantive and a possessive
of the third person, when it has the plural syllable J> between
the two, leaves it altogether doubtful whether this plural sign
belongs to the substantive or to the possessive. Even if the
^o - o * J
combination ^JJtLijJ (qonaqlarlerl) had been in use, which
is not the case, it would have been impossible to decide
whether <jja\jj3 (qonaqlari) was intended to betoken the sense
of his or her mansions, on the one hand, or their mansion, on
the other. Add to this difficulty the third sense of their man-
sions, and the puzzle becomes still more complicated. In
conversation, the doubt of the hearer may be removed, if
necessary, by proper enquiries. But, in a written document,
ACCIDENCE OK ETYMOLOGY. 87
intended to be understood by an absent reader, possibly after
the death of the writer, a method was seen, especially by
judges and legists, to be necessary for distinguishing between
the three cases.
That distinction is effected, in writing, somewhat at the
expense of plain grammar, as follows. To distinguish the
single possessor of the plural possessions, the singular cor-
roborative genitive of the personal pronoun is placed before
- ' I Of
the combination containing the plural sign ; thus, ^Jj\jjp dul
(anin qinaqlari) his or Tier mansions. To distinguish the
plural joint possessors of a single possession, the genitive of
the plural personal pronoun is prefixed, and grammar is
violated by omitting the plural sign from the combination
of substantive and possessive ; as, ^'^ (sJJLjl (anlariii qonaghi)
their mansion. In the third case, the sign of the plural is
used in the corroborative and in the combination ; thus,
(jj&\jp ctJ^Lil (anlarin q6naqlari) their mansions. A doubt may
still be felt, and these distinctions are not always used.
The declension of the combination with the possessive of
the third person, singular or plural, takes a special form, a ^
being introduced before the prepositions, and the final vowel-
letter of the original combination suppressed before this jj,
when the latter is joined in writing to the combination sin-
gular, or does not itself possess a vowel in the combination
88 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
plural. This rule, applied to possessives joined to substan-
tives ending respectively in consonants or vowels, acts thus :
When ^j-i-i is an adjective, it remains unchanged, and
means own; thus, .J-jLj ,jj_i_S (kendl bdbdm) my own father,
\ s-
' ' ' ".^
JjJl^ (j-'S (kendt viilldelerlnlz) your own mothers, &c.
SECTION V. The Demonstratives.
These are, y (bA) this, ji (shii) that or this, j\ (6) or jy
o J o o j
(61, as in the personal) that,j->j\ (6-blr) or ^Jjl (ol-blr) the
other. They are used as substantives and as adjectives ; being
declined or invariable, accordingly, like other substantives and
O^^J C,O' jX*' J
adjectives. Thus, L_jLi_5 y this book, ^>\^S j> these books;
O O^ C i OxOx** O J
*dj>j\ that other man, JU^l^j! ^Aos 0^7- mn ; &c.
j j
As substantives, jj and ji are thus declined, something like
j j J Q J J s-} x O ^
the personal j\ or J^l : j> (bA), dj^ (biinAn), \^> (bAiia), sjj^
(bunda), J# (l)Anii), ^iljJ (biinddn) ; jii^J (biinlar), fl3^
(bAnldrin), $}> (biinlM), 8 '^/ (biinUrdd), ^gJ^J (bAnlarl),
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 89
' 4j4 (bAnlardan) ; ^_i (shA, sometimes written Jj_i , pro-
nounced shAl), dii^i (shAnAfi), tf^ (shAna), sjjji (shAnda),
jjZ* (shAnA), jjJJj^ (shAndan) ; Jiijl (shAnlar), isJ^Liji (shAn-
larln), sjly, (shAnHra) ; tlJijL (shAnlarda), i^ij (shAnlari),
JjV^ji (shAnldrddn). With Jyjal and *Ll their singulars are
OJ CJJ XOJJ
put in the genitive ; as, ijjg\ <sli^J for this, dJbl i&jZt with that.
But ^jjl , to be used as a substantive, must have the posses-
sive suffix of the third person appended to it ; i^j' (o-blii)
its other one, the other one (of the two). It is then declined
O J J xOJ J
like all similar combinations :
Or it may take either of the two possessive suffixes of the first
and second persons plural ; as, ^)*i^ji (6-blrtmlz), the other one
O J '^- f
of us, CiJ)*^jl of the other one of us ; )>o/j^ to ^ e other one of
you ; 8-^i^jl in the other ones of us tjjf>.jj>j\ the other ones
of you; &c.
SECTION VL The Interrogates.
^p (klm) who ? is always a substantive, and declined as
such, singular and plural: du-T^ of whom ? whose? ^jfto ivhom?
* O ^>" ^ O X O ^X*
*+5 in whom ? ,5-*^ whom ? ^.U-P of or from ivhom ?
who, ivhat or which persons ? &c.
90 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
AJ (ne) what ? is generally a substantive, and declined ; but
it is also used as an adjective, and is then invariable : eJoAi
(nenln) of wliat ? <ui (for A>>, neye) to what ? *** (uede) in
what? ^AJ (neyl) what (accus.) ? u ij (for JpJ, nedan) from
what ? '^ (forJJ, neler) what (things)? d^i (nelerln) of what
(things); &c.
Ox
jjus (qangi, vulg. hang!) which ? is both substantive and
adjective, declined or invariable accordingly.
These three words, as substantives, take the possessive
suffixes. Thus, *P (klmlm) my who ? ^AJ (nem) my what ?
aJU-^(klmlS) thy who ? dH (nen) thy what ? ^--^ (q^Qg^l)
its which, wliicli (one) of it ? ^.+^-S (klmlerlm) my what per*
sons? jyjjj (nelerlm) my what things? J-iiJ (qangfmlz) which
(one) of us ? jCJLiJ (qangilerlnlz) which (ones) oj you ?
(qangileii) i^AzcA (one, or, which ones) of them ?
i J or Jiij (vuZ^r. Dilqadar) Ao^ mwc7^ ? are both sub-
JrJ > stau tives and
j* AJ (vulg. ne turlu) w/iaf sort ? \ adjectives.
SECTION VII. The Relative Pronoun.
THERE is NO RELATIVE PRONOUN IN TURKISH, though
attempts are made to use the Persian relative and conjunction,
A-3 (kl), as such, in literary composition. The Turkish con-
junction *_) is a very different thing. Its use by Europeans
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 91
pcans and others, as a relative pronoun, is greatly to be
avoided. This avoidance of all use of the relative pronoun
is the prime distinction of Turkish from all Aryan and Semitic
tongues. It is the perfection of language.
The numerous active and passive participles of the Turkish
verb obviate the necessity of a relative. The active par-
ticiples take the place of our relative when it is nominative
to a verb ; and the passive participles do so when our relative
is the accusative, or any indirect object of a verb. (See this
explained in the paragraphs on the Participles, in Section VIII.,
on the Verb.)
There is a peculiar Turkish relative, however, to which we
have no parallel in English, the suffix ^ (kl). It is attached
to nouns and pronouns substantive in two ways. If the sub-
stantive be in the genitive, the combination is a substantive,
and indicates that which belongs to (the substantive) ; thus,
CC , <sUC\j , ,^32CV (babantnkl) the one which belongs to a (or
the) father, JC5CCC (babamiilkt) the one which belongs to my
father, ( J^SL i \i\i (bab&siuinkl) the one belonging to his (or her)
father, his father's one ; &c. If the substantive be in the
locative case, the combination is sometimes a substantive,
sometimes an adjective. The substantive combination then
indicates that which exists in (the simple substantive) ; the
adjective combination expresses the (substantive) which exists
92 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
in (the first substantive). Thus, ^-SsjJo (babarndekl) the
thing, the one that exists, that is in (the possession or keeping
of) my father, which my father has or holds; Jc ^_$8.XJ~,\jl)
(babasindekl 'Him) the science possessed by his father, that is in
his father. The substantive combinations form the plural, and
are declined ; the adjective combination is invariable.
With a noun of place or of time the same particle, ^j, forms
a relative combination, substantive or adjective, having rela-
tion to the place or time named. In the case of the noun of
place, the locative preposition may also be employed. Thus,
plil the foot, or lower part, CcU) and sj^cU.! that which
is at the foot; -i the evening, ^ol that which was or
will be (present) in the evening.
SECTION VIII. The Derivation of the Verb.
As a general rule, each primary Turkish verb forms, itself
included, a system of twelve affirmative, twelve negative, and
twelve impotential verbs, by regular derivation ; thirty-six in
all ; one half being verbs active, the other half verbs passive;
the active verbs being transitive or intransitive ; the passives
having for their nominative the direct or the indirect object
of the transitive, the indirect object only of the intransitive
primitive.
In another mode of subdivision, on the other hand, these
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 93
thirty-six verbs divide into two equal classes, in pairs, one of
each pair being simple, and the other causative (which is also
permissive, as the sense may show).
Each simple and causative pair of verbs is either determinate,
indeterminate, or reciprocal ; so that, by a special division of
the same thirty-six, there are twelve determinate, twelve in-
determinate, and twelve reciprocal verbs ; thus (giving the
imperatives of each, for economy of space) :
94
OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
5
"
JMI
s ^^
" "c j;
"a, -S ^
^ s s>
5
::>
j ^
a -
S
i. 1
O
r-i ^
O
^"8
#
^ I
B
1 5,
I II
a ^
a, -^
n
J J^^ "a J
^ ^ "^ : t 'q- -^
2 8 .; S-
s
R "
Ul
W
cc
O
ii .~
'^J ^
?i -^
I S
aATXV93NJ
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY.
95
CC
cc
o
,
=>>
^*s>
-2 ^ '
CL o o
& 1
a -a
o<
2 -2
-0)
a
-S <W .52
~
"l>\
S "*** "S
-o ^> o
S 'i S
zj
unable to
ually kick
^N
1
96 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
Remarks on the foregoing Table.
The imperative singular is the root, or simplest form in the
conjugation, primitive or derivative, of the Turkish verb.
This conjugation unique for all the thirty-six forms, as will
be seen further on consists in adding certain vowels and con-
sonants to the end of this conjugational root.
When the conjugational root of the simple affirmative form
ends in J , or in a vowel, it forms its passive by adding ^
instead of J . Thus : Jy (bul) find, JJ> (biilun, the uturu
dominating) be found; %\i (qapla) cover, ^^LlS (qaplan) be
covered; jij\ (6qii) read, ^j\ (6qun) be read. In the fore-
going case of the vowel-ending, the passive sometimes takes
O xo
both the ^ and the J , the u always preceding ; thus, Ji^lS
o s r - ' nJ J j o - J
(qaplanil, as i^blS), be covered, JijSjl (oqunul, as ^jijl) be read.
When the root of the simple affirmative has more than one
syllable, and ends in J , ^ , or a vowel, its causative is formed
by adding a letter o in lieu of the syllable j* . Thus, Jlli
(ql^al) become shorter, c-JUi (ql-alt) make or let (it) become
O J O J O O J O J
shorter; shorten (it) ; ^^=>jl (uksur) cough, c^j... ^-*j\ (uks\\rt)
make or let (him) cough ; 4ijj- (suweyle) speak, say, e-Juij-*.
(sAweylat) make or let (him) speak or say, make or let (it) be
J J o J J
spoken or said (by him) ; ^Jjl (oqu) read, recite, OjJjl (6qAt)
make or let (it) be read or recited (by him), make (him) read.
\.
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 97
Many simple affirmative verbs ending in consonants also
form their causatives in J , preceded by a servile esere, some-
times written J> , and even j , with uturu ; not in ^ . No
rule appears to exist on this subject, and the dictionary alone,
or experience, can help the student in it. Thus, g\ (Ich)
O O J '
drink (it), j^\ (Ichlr) or jjg] (Ichur) make or let (it) be drunk
(by him); oU (b&t)sm& (thou), j\* (batir) make or let (it) sink,
sink (it) ; -.Is (qdch) flee, escape, j*\i (qdchir) make or let (him)
^e or escape.
When the simple verb, affirmative, negative, or impotential,
is transitive, its causative governs the same accusative ; and
the nominative to the simple then becomes a dative to the
causative. Thus, +*j\-i ^ ^ (ben ani yazdim) / wrote it,
000*** > O x
eJ-j^li ^1 ^ (sau anl bana yazdirdin) thou madest it to be
written by me (thou causedst to me the writing it), thou madest
or lettest me write it.
When the simple verb is neuter, its nominative becomes
oJ t J
the accusative of its causative ; as, p-^ijl (uyidum) / slept,
o Jo -9 J s Ox
djjgjl ^j ^ (san benl Ayiitdun) thou madest or lettest me
sleep.
An indefinite series of causatives of every verb may be
formed by repeating the causative suffixes, o after ^, and j*
after o. They are sometimes useful, but are generally used
QXO *
in irony ; each augment adds an agent to the chain ; as, j^G ,
H
98 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
^ C ' ; *kis * ast means io cause (a
thing) to be caused (by a second) to be caused (by a third) to
be written (by a fourth agent).
The indeterminate is also called the Reflexive form. It has
two uses. More generally it has the same intransitive sig-
nification with the simple form, as to the action, but betokens
that this action is then performed without any determinate
exterior object. Thus duLl is, to kick one's feet or heels about
as one lies or stands (like a dancer, a man in a passion, a dying
animal, &c.); jjt-'J^ (baqlumaq) is, to look about, here and
there, in a perplexed or inquisitive manner; &c. But, at other
times, this form is transitive, and then indicates that the
agent is either the direct or indirect object, also, of the
action, that the act is done to or for the agent's self. Thus,
O xC * JO
j^jlijs JLS (qilij qushanmaq) to gird a sword on to one's self;
isUijjJ j\ (ev edhimek) to acquire a house for one's self; j -*!
(qashlnmaq) to scratch one's self (with one's nails) ; CiUlp
(glylnmek) to put on one's clothes, CiUi-v **)*>> (chlzmd glylnmek)
to put on boots, ^ilS^^^i^^ (chlzmalerlml glylueylm) let me
put on my boots ; &c.
Passive verbs of neuters are defective ; they are conjugated
in the third person singular only, and in inflexions over which
person and number exercise no influence. They signify, to be
such that the neutral action takes place in, to, for, by, on account
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 99
of, &c. (as expressed), something named, as the act of some or
any indeterminate agent. Thus, jjLJ <si-jjj (buyle teplnllmaz)
QS.O + + + J
the act of kicking about z's not thus performed, jJuJ *i\jj> (burada
teplnllmaz) the act of kicking about is not allowed here; &c.
We have such passive verbs in English ; as, to be slept in, to
be fought for ; &c.
The Turkish passive verb always has, inherent in it, the
sense of to be able. Thus, ^_L.T(ke=lllr) it is cut (often),
it will be cut (then), it is cuttable (always); j^j (yenmaz) it is
not eaten (as a rule), it will not be eaten (then), it is not eatable
(either now, or by nature).
SECTION IX. The Turkish Conjugation.
All Turkish affirmative verbs, active or passive, transitive
or intransitive, are conjugated in one and the same invariable
manner, modified, as to their servile vowels and consonants,
by the laws of class and euphony alone. The negative and
impotential verbs differ from the affirmative, as to conjugation,
merely in the form of the aorist active participle, and of the
analogous aorist tense indicative. So that only one sole con-
jugation exists, in reality, in the Turkish language.
The conjugation consists of one simple and three complex
categories of moods, tenses, numbers, persons, participles,
verbal nouns, and gerunds ; ajl four categories, simple and
100 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
complex, being fundamentally alike, but each modified in a
certain special manner, to express a modified variation of the
action.
Each category has six moods : the imperative, indicative,
necessitative, optative (also subjunctive), conditional, and
infinitive.
The imperative mood has one tense, the future.
The indicative has eight tenses, in four pairs ; the present
and imperfect ; the aorist and past ; the perfect and plu-
perfect ; the future and past future.
The necessitative, optative, and conditional, have one pair
each, the aorist and past. The infinitive has but one tense,
the present.
Each category has five active participles; the present (which
is the general active participle, applicable, in one sense, to
any time, past, present, or future), the aorist, the past, the
perfect, and the future. In Turkish, the present or active,
the perfect or passive, are not confused together as in
European languages ; each is distinct in form and in sense,
and is different from the gerund in form, as it IP, in grammar
and in sense, different from the verbal noun.
The active participles of the passive verbs denote the direct
recipients of the action of verbs transitive ; the passive par-
ticiples of the same apply to the indirect objects thereof. The
active participles of the passives of iutransitives denote the
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 101
indirect objects of the intransitive action ; the passive par-
ticiples of such passives are not in use.
Between the five active and two passive participles of each
category, a Turkish conjugation thus furnishes twenty-eight
participles for every verb, primitive or derivative. By the
use of these numerous participles, it entirely avoids all
necessity for a relative pronoun.
The present active participle adds an ustun and the letters
jjl , or only the letter ^ , to the root that ends in a consonant ;
the aorist adds a vowel and the letters .1 , or only the letter^, ,
o o o
with an ustun, ^ with an uturu, and^ only (or sometimes^)
with an esere, for which no rule can be given ; the past adds
( J^ (mlsb, mish) to all roots, whatever their ending ; as the
perfect adds e*b (dik) or jp (diq). The future adds an ustun
and the letters dki (ejek) or jL (&j&q) to consonantal roots,
and (&!>*} or J^AJ , with ustun, to vowel roots, including the
negatives and impotentials. Thus, ^ (tepan), ^j^-S (qiran)
are present active participles ; as, ^ (teplnan), ( ^J (tepl-
shan), Ife (tepllan), ^,1J (teplnllan), and J,llJ (teplshilan),
are those of the simple affirmative derivatives. The causatives
in Ji and in ^ add the ustun and ^1 ; while those in o change
it into 1 before the letters ^1 ; thus, ^J-J (tepdlran), a \*jjj\
(6turdan), ^,\,JJ (tepdlrllan), &c. ; JLJj (tepmish) ;
(tepdlk) ; eU^" (t^j^k), diil*? (tepmeyejek), fi
102 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
(tepemeyejek), the final i of the negative particle <u being
elided as useless.
When the root ends with a vowel, as is the case with all
the negatives and impotentials, the syllable ^G (yan, yan) is
added in the present participle, the final or ^ of the root
being suppressed, and by some even the 1 ; but the j is kept
intact. Thus, ^G^Lli or (jCLU (qaplayan), ^L^J (tepmeyan),
Ox'-'X O-JJ O - J *
u L*ajJ (teplnemeyan), J*jj (yuruyan), ^Ij^jl (6qiiyan).
The Turkish present active participle, in colloquial lan-
guage, as a remanet from eastern Turkish, takes after it the
preposition ,> de, da, to form an adverb of past or future time ;
as, sjjxi (gldaude) when (I, thou, &c.) went, or shall go.
The aorist active participle, of the same form as the third
person singular of the aorist tense of the indicative, always
ends in a letter^, in affirmatives, and in the syllable^* (maz)
in negatives and impotentials. Thus, ^J (teper), j+*> (tepmdz),
UA-J (tepemez).
In the simple affirmative, the vowel added to the last con-
sonant of the root, to which the final ^ is then appended,
cannot be defined by rule. Of course, it must be hard or soft
according to the dominant in the root ; but different verbs
have ustun, others esere, others again uturu, for their vowel ;
and with the ustun, all hard verbs add 1 , as do some soft
verbs ; while other soft verbs dispense with this letter. Thus
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 103
we have: J(^ (qirdr), j (glder), j^U (s&nur, vulg. sauir),
j^(gelur, vulg. gellr), ^ (slyirlr).
The simple reflexive forms its aorist in uturu and jj (gene-
rally pronounced as eser& and^). The simple reciprocal does
the same. We have, therefore, j^ (teplnur, vulg. teplnlr),
O 1 '
j^ (teplshur, vulg. teplshlr). All the simple and causative
passives follow this rule ; thus, jj-LJi (tepllur, teplllr), j^^>
(teplntlur, tepldllr), ]& (tAplshllAr, teplshlllr) ; J^ (tep-
dlrlllr), Jj^j-J (teplndlrlllr^^jij (teplshdlrlllr). It will
be observed that a vowel ^ is intercalated before the J in
these words. This is a mechanical rule. The preceding j is
a letter that does not join on to its follower ; this is the sole
reason for the addition of that ^, when the following J has a
vowel. The same rule is applied by many to the j of the
o
causative .j , in like cases ; that is, when it has its vowel, as
it always has in the aorist. The words above given may
therefore be written, j^^ , j$*j>^ ., jjl^J^l*) ; but this has
no effect on the pronunciation.
The aorist passive participle has the same form as the active
perfect, and the future passive is identical in form with the
future active: e)jJ (tepdik) ; d^AJ (tepejek).
There are three verbal nouns ; the present or general,
formed by adding <u (me, ma) to the root, exactly like the
negative imperative ; the perfect, identical in form with the
104 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
perfect active and aorist passive participles ; and the future,
identical with the two future participles. Thus, A^J (tepme);
djj (tepdlk) ; d.*2 (^P^ k )- The form *^J (tepme) of the
present verbal noun is also that of a verbal adjective passive,
signifying done, made, effected as the result of (the action of
the verb); thus, A*J, as such adjective, means caused by a
kick or kicks.
This derivative of the transitive verb active simple and
causative can also take the passive sense ; thus, A+J (kesme),
which naturally means an act of cutting, often means also an
O x 3 x o *V ( X'
act of being cut; as, <jVjS ^ ^S (kesmesl qolay) it is easily
cut. It is also much used as a passive adjective when the
O -t 1 x O <x- O '
verb is transitive ; as, ^y *> *s?\ (inje kesme tutun) finely
cut tobacco ; and as an active adjective when the verb is in-
transitive ; as, JU jJU ^\i\i (babadan qalma mal) property
remaining from (one's) father.
Leaving the gerunds for the present, we may now inquire
into the mode of formation of the tenses of each mood. But
before doing so, we must indicate the differences that serve
clearly to distinguish the active participles, the passive par-
O O
ticiples, and the verbal nouns, of the two forms in eb or jp ,
and in (*L. or j..
In the first place, the participles are adjectives, while the
verbal nouns are substantives. Therefore, whenever a deriva-
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 105
tive in either of those forms qualifies a substantive, it must be
a participle; it cannot be a verbal noun.
Secondly, the active participle qualifies the name of its
actor only. It is therefore always a simple and invariable
word, like the other active participles ; as, ^jj **\ tfj0 4^1
o c * o - x ^
is there any man who has gone there? <yy* ^^ tiiJb-*J-3 art thou
he who is to go ?
Thirdly, the passive participle always qualifies the name of
the direct object, or of the indirect object, of the action, and is
always accompanied by a possessive pronoun indicating the
actor of that action. The first of these two facts distinguishes
the passive participle from the verbal noun ; the second dis-
tinguishes it from the active participle of the same form.
Thus, ujlLj +so_*y3j\ (oqudughum kltiib) the book which I read
O * ^ O x *" J J
(now or formerly) ; i_jbj Juujpj\ (6quyajaghim kltab) the
book which I am going to read. These are instances of the
O x x O J J J J
direct object qualified. So, ^Lj ^Ljojsjl (oqudughiim zemfin)
the time in which (i. e. when) I read ; and (jJis? ^^i j*j\ ^^
(klt^bi 6quyajaghim mejlls) the meeting in which I am going to
read the book, are instances of indirect objects ; as is also
*Ljjl *ia.jjj)jl (uyuyajaghim 6da) the room in which I am going
to sleep.
As instances of the substantival nature of the verbal noun=,
O ^ J * f
let us take, ^^ m **i**&j\ <Jj\l (y^ yazdighimi gyurd&nuz-
106 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
mu) have you seen my past action of writing writing? i. e., have
you ever seen me write ? ^^Lj- -J ^^jCa.Js (galejeylml klm
suweyledl) who mentioned my future action of coming ? i. e., who
told (you, him, &c.) that I was about to come ?
Proceed we now to discuss the formation of the tenses.
The third person singular is the root of each tense, except
in the imperative. Leaving the numbers and persons for
future consideration, we may say, in the first place, that, as
the second tense in each pair, of every mood (excluding the
imperative and the infinitive), is formed from the first tense
of the pair by the addition of the auxiliary ^^\ (Idl) was, after
it, we may leave these second tenses also for future con
sideration.
By these means we arrive at the conclusion that there are
four tenses in the indicative, and one each in the necessitative,
optative, conditional, and infinitive, the forms of which have
to be defined.
The four indicative tenses are the present, the aorist
(present habitual and future promissive), the perfect, and the
future ; the single tense of the other three moods is their
aorist (present or future); and that of the infinitive is its
present.
c *
The present indicative adds an esere and the syllable ^y_
(yor) to the consonantal root ; thus, ^J (teplyor). It indi-
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 107
cates a present action (actual or habitual) ; he is kicking (now) ;
he now habitually kicks. Add the auxiliary ^jj) to this,
3
\3>\jj~j (teply6r Icll), and it forms the imperfect, he was kick'
ing (then). A final o more frequently changes to ^ ; as,
d^X ^j/(gldlyAr); es&J , j^J (AdlyAr); Ac.
The aorist indicative varies in form of the servile syllable,
but always ends in . in the affirmatives, and in \* (rnez, maz)
in the negatives and impotentials, being identical with the
active aorist participle. It indicates a present habit (not a
present action), or a future assurance, a future promise, as the
context or circumstances may require. Thus, ^J (teper) he
kicks ; he shall or will kick ; J^J (qirar) he breaks ; he shall or
will break ; jjj$. (yurur) lie walks ; he will walk ; jjSjl (oqur)
he reads; he will read; jjo\ (isiiir) he bites; he will bite;
j+J (tepmaz) he does not kick ; he will not kick ; j*aJ (tepemez)
he cannot kick. The auxiliary ^Jjl , added to this, forms the
past tense (showing a past habit, or an unfulfilled condition) ;
^jjJ^J (teper idl) he used to kick ; he would kick (if he could);
he would have kicked (had he been able); in which two last
senses, the expression is a virtual negative : he kicks not, be-
cause he is not able ; he did not kick, because he was not able ;
0^ Cf
l^Jjl)*J (tepmaz Idl) he used not to kick; he would not kick (if
he could); he would not have kicked (had he been able);
(tepemez Idl) he used not to be able to kick ; he would
108 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
not be able to kick (if so and so) ; he would not have been able
to kick (had not so and so); &c.
The perfect indicative is formed by adding the syllable ^i
(dl, di), in all cases, to the root. It is used in a determinate,
and also in an indeterminate past sense, referring the action to
a given past time, or to all past time. Thus, ^jj (tepdl) he
kicked (then) ; he has kicked (without defining when). Add
the auxiliary ^Jjl, and the pluperfect results : ^jjl ^jJf (tepdl
idl), or ^JjJJ (tepdidl), he had kicked; ^Jol ^J^J he had not
kicked ; ^ jjl ^ J-AJ he had not been able to kick.
The future indicative is identical in form with the active
and passive future participles, and with the future verbal
noun. It indicates that the action expressed by the conjuga-
tional root is about to take place ; thus, d^aJ he is about to
kick, he is going to kick; (sL^A-j+J he is not going to kick;
&si~>iJ he will not be able to kick. Add the auxiliary ^jjl ,
and the past future results ^jjl isU.AJ he was going to kick,
(>\ isI.A-*J! he was not going to kick ; ^jjl t!*L.du..<iJ he was
unable to be about to kick. Final o in the root generally
changes to ^ , and a final vowel requires the addition of a con-
O ^ O^^JJ
sonant ^ : dla.jjl , dla-AJ^ji.
The aorist necessitative is formed by adding the syllables
^L (mell, mali) to the root. It indicates a present duty to
perform a future act ; and corresponds with our must or ought.
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 109
Thus, jUJ he must kick, he ought to kick ; _jLA*J he must not
kick, he ought not to kick ; jULjJ' he ought not to be able to kick.
With the auxiliary <j->\ , we have the past necessitative,
}\ JUJ he ought to have kicked, he should have kicked;
UJ he ought not to have kicked ; ^jj) jUU-sJ he ought
not to have been able to kick.
The aorist optative is formed by adding an ust&n and
vowel 5 to a consonantal root, or a syllable AJ (y&, ya) to a
vowel root. Sometimes 1 is used in place of . The tense
is a quasi-imperative, implying optation, or it is a subjunctive.
Thus, AJ (tepe) let him kick, may he kick; (that) he may kick ;
tL+j (tepmeye, with suppression of the of the negation) let
him not kick, may he not kick ; (that) he may not kick ; A-*A*!>
(tepemeye) may he not be able to kick; (that) he may not be
able to kick. Add now the auxiliary ^jol , and we form the
past tense, a virtual negative, expressive of regret ; thus,
A*J (tepe Idi, more frequently written and pronounced
tepeydi) had he kicked, if he had kicked ; that he had
kicked ; tj^j&^S (tepmeyeydl) had he not kicked, if he had not
kicked; that he had not kicked ; ^j^^iJ (tepemeyeydl) had
he not been able to kick, if he had not been able to kick ; that
he had not been able to kick.
The aorist conditional is formed by adding the syllable A-
(se, sd) to any root, consonantal or vowel. This performs the
110 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
function of our conjunction if, in appearance; but, as
(eyer), if, can be placed before it, it really is a subjunctive
tense-ending. As a present, it admits the possibility of the
action ; as a future, it virtually denies the occurrence. Thus,
A^J (tepse) if he kick, if he were to kick ; A.. <4 o (tepmese, the >
of negation elided) if he kick not, were lie not to kick ; A-~AJ
(tepemese) should he not be able to kick. Sometimes it
is desiderative, that he kick! &c. With (j>\ added, we
have the past conditional, which is always a virtual negative.
O ^ Ox *Q*
Thus, ^ -v. ,.. ; ; (tepseydl, for <J.JJ!A.~*J) had he kicked, if he had
O^^ox Ox"x^
kicked ; (53 -... < (tepmeseydi) had he not kicked ; ^*. w * . T
(tepemeseydl) had he not been able to kick.
The present of the infinitive is formed by adding du (mek)
or jj* (m&q) to any root. Thus, c*UJ (tepmek) to kick ; ,3*^
(qaplamaq) to cover. The negative and impoteutial are fre-
quently written with 1 , and sometimes without a vowel-letter
to end the root ; as, <sXUJ , c^**^ (tepmemek), for dI<uJ' ;
duUill, BtUl*^ (tepememek), for dLA**J ; JIitt (qaplami-
maq), j**4jijl5 (qaplayamdmaq). This tense is often rendered
in English by the verbal noun in -ing ; as, Jjj c piJU i*llL_$
(gltmek q^lmtlqdan evla) <70m<7 zs i^^er Maw staying. It also
takes the suffix dJ , .3! after it to form an equivalent to our
* <* 00*0
verbal noun in -m# ; as, (iKi_i an acf of going.
There are seven gerunds, one gerund-like verbal locution of
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 1 1 1
cause, one of verbal proportion, and six to indicate various
times in relation with the action. All of these gerunds and
gerund-like locutions presuppose the occurrence of two actions
expressed in the sentence, one by the gerund, the other by a
subsequent verb. The gerunds are a kind of verbal con-
junctions, while the gerund-like locutions are verbal adverbs.
The first gerund, the most frequently used, ends in an
uturu, followed by L_>J (ub, ub) after a consonant, or by i_jj-j
(yub, yub) after a vowel. It indicates that two actions are
IxMng mentioned, of which the one implied by the gerund is
prior as to time or natural sequence. We more usually, in
English, express this relation of two actions by the con-
junction and, though we occasionally use our gerund in -ing,
as the Turkish does. Thus, J^S ujjJ (tepub qirar) he kicks
and breaks, will kick and break (it) ; or, kicking (it), he will
break (it). Conversationally, this gerund is pronounced with
eser& in lieu of uturu ; and with p in place of i_> ; as, teptp,
qlrip, &c.
The second gerund is formed by adding ustun, and the
letters d^s (erek) or j^s (araq), to a consonantal root, d,<u (yerek)
o+ +
or J^AJ (yaraq) to a vowel-root. It is sometimes used in lieu
of the first gerund, to obviate its too frequent recurrence ; but
its distinctive use is to indicate that, of two contemporary
sustained actions expressed, the one, subsidiary, accompanies
o .X' - -' -*
the other. Thus, ^JJLJ (2)ju> kicking, he went off; i. e., he
112 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
went o/, kicking away (all the time) ; ^jJ^ d^^a he came,
laughing (all the time).
The third gerund, in &* (inje, Inja), after a consonant, or
u&. (ylnje, yinja) after a vowel, and the fourth (used in writing
only, and much more rarely), in c*li (Tjek) or jjk (ijaq) after
a consonant, dl^J (yij^k) or ^A (yijaq) after a vowel, has the
sense that its action is to be a kind of signal for the occur-
rence of the other expressed in the sentence ; it may, then, be
rendered by our on ... (with a gerund), also by our as soon as
... (with a verb). Thus, ^jj ^JT(gyArunj& tepdl) on seeing
(him), he kicked (him) ; j,l jUl J^l J* (vasll 6Hjaq, ma'-
lum 61a) on reaching (as soon as it reaches), be (it) known
(that ).
The fifth gerund is identical in form with the aorist opta-
tive, repeated. It expresses repetition of one act as a means
to the performance of a second. Thus, (j^ *J *~> (tepe tepe
qlrdl), kicking, (and) kicking (it), he broke (it).
The sixth gerund is the infinitive with esere and ^> added ;
the Persian d softened into Turkish d (y value), and the j
into c . It expresses the verbal reason precedent for the
o o * o * o ^" * ox j
second action. Thus, ..J^lj ^ ur,^ v : J he kicking, I fled ;
i. e., because he kicked, I fled.
The seventh gerund expresses the beginning of a time com-
mencing with the occurrence of an action and lusting until
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 113
now, during which another action has repeatedly or con-
tinuously occurred ; it is equivalent to our ever since
In form it is the fifth gerund (not repeated) with the syllable
j (14) or J (11) added to it. Thus, ^Q JlaJ (tepelu aqsayor)
ever since he kicked, lie has limped.
The causal gerund-like locution is equivalent to the sixth
gerund in sense. It is the infinitive, with its final consonant
softened down, and with the preposition A>\ (lie, ila) added,
XO, xOx
and shortened into A) (le, la). Thus, A*-> (tepmeyle) by kick-
ing. No agent of the verb is then expressed in the verb,
XO, xOX O x
though it be so exteriorly ; as, J_J ^ by my kicking, I kick-
ing. There is another form into which this idea is cast, and
in which a perfect verbal noun, with a suffixed possessive pro-
noun indicative of the agent, and the ablative preposition ^
O >- O ^^ O X
(dan) are employed. Thus, ^ K->^\ * T (tepdlylmdan) by my
(past) act of kicking. This pronoun varies as is required :
O - O^ O,
^.X-X-Xj jj (tepdlylndan) by thy act of kicking ; &c.
The gerund-like locution of verbal, i. e., of actional pro-
portion is formed of the perfect active participle, with the
adverbial suffix of manner, A&. (je, jd), added to it. It defines
a duration of time for two concurrent actions, the first circum-
scribing that duration for the continued or repeated occurrence
O ^
0*0* x^ O* O X
of the other; as, o^lo ^ AS) jJ ^ (b&n tepdlkje, san tut) while
I kick, so long as I kick, do thou hold (him). It sometimes
i
114 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
expresses the rate (proportion) of rapidity of the two actions ;
o J - ^^" oS*- oo,
as, jj2kj>\ AS)JJS? euSj (waqt gechdlkje, iilleshlr) as time goes
by, it grows large (larger).
The six verbal times indicated, in reference to an action,
are the following: 1, the time before the action; 2, the time
when the action is just about to occur; 3, the time while the
action occurs ; 4, the time when it occurred ; 5, the time just
when it has occurred ; 6, the time after its occurrence. The
first is the present verbal noun in the ablative ; as, &H+J (tep-
meden), to which, for precision's sake, the adverb J^l (avval)
o 5 , j
or *j,io (mnqaddam), anteriorly, is subjoined. The expression
c3-" O - sOs C&S O x^Ox
Jjl cp-uJ (or Jjl e;J-J), then, means anteriorly to (earlier than)
the action of kicking ; i.e., before kicking. Sometimes this is
oZ* o,n,Q,
vulgarly expressed as J^l ^^^ before (the agent) kicks not;
i. e., while (as yet) he has (or had) not kicked.
The second gerund-like locution of time is the future active
participle with the auxiliary gerund C ^=u1 (Iken), during,
added to it ; thus, ( j^i\ <&***> during (the time of being) about
to kick ; L e , when just about to kick.
The third is the aorist active participle with the same addi-
tion : ij^-A ^ during (the time of being) kicking ; i. e., while
kicking.
The fourth is the perfect verbal noun or active participle,
put in the locative (of time). It may be used impersonally,
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 115
with no addition in it ; and it may be used, for precision, with
the possessive pronoun of the agent between the verbal noun
and the preposition. In the former case, the verbal derivative
is possibly a participle ; in the latter, it is doubtlessly the
verbal noun. Thus, sjJo^J ^ when I (became) one who has
' O ^ O- Ox
kicked ; or *jJ ^ when I (performed) my (past) act of
kicking ; i. e., when I kicked.
The fifth is the past active participle with the auxiliary
O ^ O 's' O '
^7-Xjl ; as, C f-x_jJ ^L+j during (this time of the condition of)
having kicked ; i.e., now that kicking has occurred, since (I, &c.)
have kicked.
The sixth is the perfect verbal noun in the ablative (of
'
time), followed by the adverb ^X-*> (s6nra, sora), after - thus,
^o,, J o ,n-Q *
*j~a jjjXx-J (tepdlkdan s6ra) after the act of kicking. The
possessive pronouns may be introduced into this locution before
* O 1 o - O^ O,
the preposition ; as, s^JLo c> J *^ J -'V (tepdlylmdan s6ra) after
my action of kicking.
SECTION X. The Numbers and Persons of the Verb.
In all the tenses the first person singular is expressed by
the personal suffix ^ added to the verb, with eser given to the
tense-root, when this is a consonant ; and suppressing the final
ij of the tense-root where it occurs ; adding one where wanted.
11G OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
It is wanting in the imperative. Thus : pjj-^ (tepiyorlm) /
am kicking; ^jol .^..J (teplyor-ldlm) I was kicking; ^J (tepe-
rlm) / kick ; I shall or will kick ; jJ^^* (teper-ldlm) / used to
o ex
kick; I would kick; I would have kicked; ^jJ (tepdlm) I
kicked ; I did kick ; I have kicked ; ..JJJJ (tepdidlm) or ^jjl ^jj
(tepdlm-ldl) / had kicked; -*& (tepejeylm) I am going to kick;
.jjCrj.AJ (tepejekdlm) / was going to kick ; +>+? (tepmellylm)
/ must kick; .jjj j\ f (tepmelt-ldlm) / should have kicked,
O x ^ O O xx
ought to have kicked; +t (tepem) that I may kick; *-*-j
O x Ox O O + Cx
(tepeydlm) that I had kicked; ^^ (tepsem) if I kick ; *J~~J
(tepseydlm) if I had kicked.
The second person singular, in all the tenses in ^, is
o
formed by changing the vowel ^ into the nasal Turkish ts) ;
as, djjl ]'x (tepty6r-ldln), e*)jjj Jlf (teper-ldln), cSjJ (tepdln),
dJjl ^V (t^jek-ldln), d^J JUJ (tepmell-ldln), eljlj (tepey-
diii), dj-~J (tepseydln). All the other tenses form it in ^^
o
(sin), sometimes written and pronounced dL-. (slii), excepting
the present of the conditional, which forms it with dju- (ean,
o^ 0^
san) ; sometimes written dL,, but pronounced like e*)<) . Thus,
(teplyirsin), t>j-^J (tepersln), jy^.JC&.AJ (tepejeksln) ;
O -"x
(tepmelislu), ^jj-AJ (tepeslu).
The first person plural, likewise, in all the tenses in ^j, is
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 117
formed by changing the vowel ^ into Arabic d (k value) ;
excepting that of the perfect, which, in hard words, always
O O O 1 ,
forms this person in j instead of d. Thus, djol ,j-J (teplyir-
Idlk), dJil^J (teper-ldlk), djj (t^pdlk), djojJ (tepdldlk, or
^jjj dj2 tepdlk-ldl), djol d^aJ (t^jek-ldlk, or djjC.<J
tepejeyldlk, or dJC>AJ tepejekdlk), dj^J JUJ (tepmell-ldlk),
djllf (tepeydlk), djllj (tepseydlk). With a hard word like
j^G (baqmaq), the perfect forms jjjiG (bdqdiq). If this per-
son in the past future indicative, in the past optative, and in
the past conditional, is used in the contracted form, these also,
with hard words, use jj instead of d ; as, jj^ASb (baqajagh-
diq), jj.J\j (baqaydiq), JJ--^ (baqsaydiq). In the imperative
and present optative, it is formed by adding fistun and Js to
the consonantal root, the syllable J having esere for its vowel ;
or, in vowel-roots, by adding the two syllables JAJ (yellm,
yalim) ; thus, UJ (t^pellm), ^G (b^lim), ^U^ (sAwey-
o * > l o * J J
leyellm), ^fj\ (6qAyal!m, for jJ^jl). In hard words, the
present of the conditional forms this person with j also ; as,
jA-JU (baqsaq, sometimes written ,j-^C), jijJjl (oqAsaq,
O ^ J i
j>-yij!). The present, aorist, and future indicative, with the
present necessitative, form it in j orjj, with esere added to
the final consonant of the tense-root of the indicatives, and
o
with that vowel given to the (j of y^ in the necessitative ;
118 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
thus, jjj-J (teplyiriz), j^j (tep&rlz), j_L*AJ (tepejeylz, the
x "x ' '
Arabic d changed into Turkish d , y value), JjjUJ' (tepme-
liylz). In hard words, the future indicative is in c. (softened
j), with esere before the final j ; as, Jia>A$b (baqajaghiz).
The second person plural, again, in all the tenses in ^ , is
formed in j&_* (dlfilz ; which is hard in the perfect of hard
words, diniz). Thus, j-Xp^-J (teplyordlnlz), j_.>^J (teper-
dlnlz), >^-p (tepdlfilz), JJCjjiG (baqdlniz), JjljjjJ (tepdi-
dlnlz), J.C J^^J (tepejeydlnlz), JjC.jjJJ^J (tepmell-ldlnlz),
JX^ (tepeydlnlz), JX^-^ (tepseydlnlz). The imperative
has two forms, in d and in jS\ both preceded by esere, and a
consonant <j in vowel-roots ; as, (ij (tepln), j-$ (teplnlz,
written alFO jjCL^) j dsG (baqin), 3_GG (baqin?z); du^blJ
O ^"* J >
(qaplayfn), j_x_jjjl (oquyunuz ; the uturu dominating). All
the other tenses form it in ^_A_*. (sliilz, sinlz), except the
present conditional, which has ustun for its first vowel, often
written J_A (sanlz, saniz, to distinguish it better). Thus,
JjCJjlj (teplyArsiniz), J- 5 ^" (teperslnlz), JSCJC.AJ (tepejek-
O ^S Ox + O ^* JxO>
slnlz ; hard in hard words, ^)_XJL.AS\j baqajaqsiii!z), j_X*^UlJ
(tepmellsinlz), y^> (tepeslnlz ; hard in hard words, ^LdsG
O ^S r *Q* O ^ * O +
t)aqasiniz),j5a-j' (tepsenlz; hard in hard words, jjA^G baqsaiifz).
The third person plural is formed from the same person of
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 119
the singular, with the syllable J (ler, lar) added. Thus,
(tepsinler); j^J (teply6rlar), j!J (teperler), JljJ (tepdller),
ytf$ (tepejekler), jjj (tepmeliler), JJ *J (tepeler), >~J
(tepseler). The tenses in ^jjl may be formed in this way,
(jA becoming Jbjol (Idller) ; or, the plural sign may be given
to the radical element, and ^jjj be kept unchanged ; as,
* "O J + Ox O J *
\S*vjsf O* Jti*$ j)s? I an ^ so throughout, except the past
optative, which prefers ^Lj.
SECTION XL Of the Complex Categories.
The Complex Categories of every Turkish verb, active or
passive, transitive or intransitive, affirmative, negative, or im-
potential, are formed, even as to their roots, with an auxiliary
O ' O >
verb, j^Jjl (61maq) to be or become; itself conjugated, as a
simple verb, in conformity with what has already been laid
down, and joined to the aorist, past, and future active par-
ticiples of the verb of which the complex category is to be
formed. The auxiliary follows the participle.
O * O >
"With the aorist participle, the auxiliary verb j \ \J forms
the First Complex Category; with the past participle, it forms
the Second Complex Category; and with the future participle,
it forms the Third Complex Category.
It would be possible to avoid using these terms, and to fuse
120 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
the whole into one vast conjugation, by following the method
used by European grammarians, each for the European lan-
guage in which he treats of the subject. In some respects,
such an arrangement would possess an advantage. It would
bring together tenses of the one verb, which are but delicate
modifications of each other. The disadvantage would be, on
the whole, preponderant ; for the one vast conjugation of
simple and complex tenses formed with continually inter-
mingling, varying participles, would be very puzzling to the
novice, would choke out of view the principles of the sub-
division, and prevent a lucid exposition thereof, besides
demanding the invention of a host of new names by which
to distinguish the numerous tenses so brought together ;
whereas, by keeping the same names for the same tenses of
the four categories, it would seem that a truer perception
of the shade of meaning which distinguishes each of the four
tenses of each name will be more easily attained and more
firmly grasped. Still, as a comparison with other systems
offers a certain amount of utility, we have given below the
three complex categories apart, to show their principles, and
have then arranged the whole four categories as a single con-
jugation.
SECTION XII. The First Complex Category.
This is formed with the aorist active participle, of every
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 121
class of verb, active or passive, transitive or intransitive,
primary or derivative, affirmative or negative. In form, it
is simply the conjugation of the auxiliary verb Jjj! (61maq)
to be, the participle, as an adjective, remaining invariable
throughout. We give one person only in each tense.
Infinitive.
J (teper olmaq) To be a willing, natural, deter-
mined, constant, or habitual
kicker ; to be kicking ; to
kick (habitually).
Imperative.
(teper 61) Be thou kicking ; kick thou
(habitually).
Indicative.
Present,
(teper 6lly6rim) I am continually kicking.
Imperfect,
(teper 6Hy6r Idlm) I was continually kicking.
Aorist.
y J? (teper olurum) I am continually kicking ; I
shall be ever kicking.
Past.
fo\jj (teper 6lur Idlm) I used to be always kicking;
I would be, or would have
been, always kicking.
O n J J rs
122 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
Perfect.
O J o J OXx
^jjjl^ (teper oldum) I became a constant kicker.
Pluperfect.
jjl jjJjl^J (teper oldAm Idl) I had been or become a con-
stant kicker.
Future.
j*ia.A)jl^J (teper olajaghlm) I am about to become a con-
stant kicker.
Future Past.
O Ox x . O "v
ob.. Jjl^J (teper 61ajaghdim) I was about to become a con-
stant kicker.
Necessitative.
Aorist.
fj (teper 6lmaliyim) I must be, or become, a con-
stant kicker.
Past.
^ (teper 6lmaliyldlm) I ought to have been a con-
stant kicker.
Optative.
Aorist.
^jjjl^ (teper olaylm) That I may be a constant
kicker.
Past.
-jJjl^J (teper olaydlm) That I had been a constant
kicker.
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 123
Conditional.
Aorist.
(teper 6lsam) Were I, should I become, a
constant kicker.
Past.
jLjjI^J (teper 61saydlm) Had I been a constant kicker.
Active Participles.
Present.
\j+> (teper 6lan) Who or which is, was, will be,
a constant kicker.
Aorist.
I Ji (teper 6lAr) (perhaps unused, as a cacophony.)
Past.
jijjl^J (teper olmush) Who has been a constant
kicker.
Perfect.
>J (teper oldiiq) Who was a constant kicker.
Future.
ja-AJy J (teper ilajaq) Who is to be a constant kicker.
Passive Participles.
Aorist.
(teper 61duq) Who or which (a kicker) has
constantly kicked.
124 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
Future.
(teper 61ajaq) Who, which (I, &c.) am about
constantly to kick.
Verbal Nouns.
Present.
aJjl^ (teper olma) The act of being (at any time)
a constant kicker.
Perfect.
jjJjI^J (teper 61duq) The act of having been (then)
a constant kicker.
Future.
&ffyjf (teper olajaq) The act of being about (now)
to become (hereafter) a con-
stant kicker.
\
Gerunds.
O J J O" -
1st. s-i^jW (teper 61iip) Being a constant kicker
(and ).
2nd. J>jdj\jj (teper olaraq) Continuing to be a con-
stant kicker (so and so
also occurs).
3rd. &)\ Jll (teper olunjd) / As soon as becomes
> (became, will become) a
4th. ,l^j^ (teper olijaq) J constant kicker,
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 125
5th. Jjl Jjl^J (teper 61a 61a) By continually being a con-
stant kicker,
6th. ^OjjI^J (teper olmaghin) By reason of being a con-
stant kicker,
7th. J J,ljj (teper olall) Ever since became
(has been) a constant
kicker,
SECTION XIII. The Second Complex Category.
Infinitive.
Present.
Jj/l JLli' (tepmlsh 61maq) To have kicked.
Imperative.
Future.
*J' (tepmlsh 61) Be thou one who has
kicked ; have kicked.
Indicative.
Present.
*-j (tepmlsh 6lly6rim) I am, or am becoming, one
who has kicked; I have
kicked.
Imperfect.
,ji*-> (tepmlsh 6lly6rdim) I was, or was becoming,
one who has kicked.
Aorist.
i*J (tepmlsh 6liirum) I shall have kicked.
126 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
Past
JU-J (tepmlsh olurdum) I should have kicked.
Perfect.
JU*> (tepmlsh 61dum) I became one who had
kicked, I had kicked.
Pluperfect.
5 (tepmlsh oldum idl) I had become one who has
kicked.
Future.
(tepmlsh olajaghim) I am about becoming one
who has kicked ; I am
going to have kicked.
Future Past.
- t O O*
was about to have
kicked.
Necessitative.
Aorist.
Ij2j1 ,jLj (tepmlsh 61mallyim) I must (now) have kicked
(then).
Past.
(tepmlsh 6lmaliyldlm) Imust (then) have (already)
kicked (before).
Optative.
Aorist.
!*!/ JW (t&prolsh ^lay^im, That I may have kicked.
r *Jjl 61am)
f J O O'
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 127
Past.
O 0, i O OX
l*J (tepmlsh 61aydlm) That I had kicked.
Aorist.
l^Jjl ,jiJ (tepmlsh 61sam, pJjl) Had I kicked (then).
Past.
v r j.1 V JL*J (tepmlsh olsaydlm) Had I (already) kicked
x **
(before then).
.4cfoV0 Participles.
Present.
" (tepmlsh 6 Ian) Who has (already) kicked.
Aorist.
LJ (tepmlsh 61ur) Who will have (already)
OJO J O O
kicked.
Past and Perfect, perhaps not used.
Future.
*J (tepmlsh olajaq) Who will become one who
has kicked.
Passive Participles.
Aorist.
iUJ (tepmlsh 61diiq) Which (a kicker) had
(already) kicked.
128 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
Future.
Ox x J O Ox
UJ (tepmlsh 61ajaq) Which (a kicker) will hare
kicked.
Verbal Nouns.
Present.
lJ (tepmlsh. olma) The (present state of)
having (already) kicked.
Perfect,
(tepmlsh oldAq) The (past state of) having
(previously) kicked.
Future.
(^P misl1 ^^j^q) The (future state of)
having (previously)
kicked.
Gerunds.
1st. t-jJjl <j^ (t^pnrish 61up) Having kicked (and....).
2nd. jyJjl ... ( ... oldraq) Having the continued
quality of having
kicked (and ...).
t
3rd. A^l ... ( ... oliinja) As soon as ( is, was,
will be) one who or
which had kicked, . . .
4th. jij/l ... ( ... 6Hjaq) The instant ( ) had
kicked, ....
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 129
5th. *Jjl jy jj^ (tepmlsh old 61a) By continuing to have
kicked, ....
6th. c^iJj' ... ( ... olmaghin) By reason of having
kicked, ....
7th. ^j-Mjl ... ( ... 61all) Since became one
who had kicked, ....
SECTION XIV. The Third Complex Category.
Infinitive.
Present.
(tepejek olmaq) To be about to kick
(ready to kick).
Imperative.
Future.
*j (tepejek 61) Be thou about to kick.
O 1 J Q
Indicative.
Present.
J (tepejek 6lly6rim) I am (often) on the point
of kicking ; I become
on the point ....
Imperfect.
y or Idlm) I was (often) on the
point ....
Aorist.
jl <s^^ (tepejek 6lAnim) I am (habitually), I
shall be (then) on
the point ...
\
130 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
Past.
(tepejek 61urdum) I used (habitually) ; I
' should be (then) on
the point ....
Perfect.
(tepejek 61dum) I was (then) on the
point ....
Pluperfect.
(tepejek oldum Idl) I had been (before
then) on the point....
Future and Future Past.
liLj/l tsU^" (tepejek olajaghim) }
I Not used, as being caco-
jek oldjaghdim))
Necessitative.
Aorist.
ci>.A*) (tepejek 61malij!m) I must be on the
point ....
Past.
o ^ xx
iitAv (tepejek 61mdliyldlm) I ought to have been
on the point ....
Optative.
Aorist.
O + +*
A*J (tepejek olam) That I may be on the
point ....
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 131
Past.
jek 6 lay dim) That I had been on the
point ....
Conditional.
Aorist.
,0 o f r+
-Jjl (skxJuJ (tepejek olsam) Were I to be or become om
the point ....
Past.
Jjl ctkj-A^ (tepejek 61saydim) Had I been on the point ....
Active Participles.
Present.
jVjl ciU<V (tepejek 61an) Who or which is or becomes
on the point ....
Aorist.
(tepejek 6lAr) Who or which is (naturally)
or will be (some time) on
the point ....
Past and Perfect.
(tepejek 61mush) ) ,,
' I Who or which has been or
Future.
; Jjl ttL *^ (tipejek 6lajaq) Not used, as being cacophonous.
132 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
Passive Participles.
Aorist.
jy 12-UdI? (tepejek oldAq) Which (a kicker) was on the
point ....
Future.
Cacophonous ; not used.
Verbal Nouns.
Present.
Jjl sLLaJ (t^P^k olma) The act of being or becoming
(at any time) on the point ....
Perfect.
(tepejek Alduq) The past act or state of being
(then) on the point ....
Future.
Cacophonous ; not used.
Gerunds.
1st. tljjji <*U*J (tepejek 6lAp) Being about to kick
(and ....)
2nd. (jjd^ ... ( ... olaraq) Continuing to be about
to kick (and ....)
3rd. A_sjl ... ( ... oliinja) As soon as ( is, was,
will be) about to kick,
4th. ^^1 ... Cacophonous.
ACCIDENCE OK ETYMOLOGY.
133
5th.
6th. *
7th.
(tepejek 614 Md) By continuing to be
about to kick, ....
( olmaghin) By reason of being
about ....
.. ( olall) Ever since became
on the point ....
J O
SECTION XV. The Combined (true Turkish) Conjugation.
Infinitive.
Present. J"
Imperative.
Future. IJ
Indicative.
Present.
Imperf.
Aorist.
Past.
Perfect
Pluperf.
Future. <ak**J j.*)jl ... vjfc-^jl ... (not used)
(not used)
134
OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
Aorist.
PaSt. (Jjjl J 1 ;>
Aorist. f
Aorist.
Past.
Present. (^U)^"
Aorist. ^-*>
Past.
Perfect.
Future.
Aorist.
Future.
Necessitative.
V
Jjl^J A_J^1 , *J
)- j
Conditional.
Active Participles.
used)
Passive farticiples.
used)
(not used)
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY.
135
Present.
Perfect.
Future.
1st
2nd.
3rd.
4th.
5th.
6th.
7th.
Verbal Nouns.
jj,i...
4,1...
. . .Gerunds.
J
(woi used.)
il X 'x
XO J
SECTION XVL TAe Negative and Impotential Conjugations.
The Negative and Impotential Conjugations, twenty-four in
number to each simple verb, as a general rule, are formed pre-
cisely on the lines of the simple affirmative conjugation in its
four categories, as above given, with the exception of the
aorist of the indicative, as to its root-word of the third person
136 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
singular, and the corresponding aorist active participle, which
OX O
end in j* (maz), instead of the final^ of the affirmative.
Infinitive.
Present.
Imperative.
Future.
Imperfect.
Aorist.
oJJO-0'
Present.
N. O J Ox O x- i Oxox O J J O /Ox O J J Ox xxO..
jL.U?
V v
ACCIDENCE OB ETYMOLOGY. 137
Past.
JO J J Of xxOx
Perfect.
Je J ox-ox Jo J o xO- UM-M.' jo J of f ,r.f
>v
Pluperfect.
Future Past.
J O xO,
Future.
j>. Jjl uloUJ (no ws^c?)
o * * *
(not used)
(not used)
(not used)
Necessitative.
Aorist.
J Ox XXOX
138 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
Past.
<j.>j
Optative.
Aorist.
- J Oxn.
Conditional.
Aorist.
Active Participles.
Present
O x J CxOx O x t O
Past.
O- J Ox ,-Ox
O X XX X*
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 139
Aorist.
Past.
used)
"Perfect.
X OJ-) J O -f
Future.
Passive Participles.
Aorist.
Future.
o - - i o -o.
wsec?)
(not used}
140
OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
1st.
2nd.
3rd.
Verbal Nouns.
Present.
Perfect.
o if oxo x o Jn J o
O x <xOx O X J
Future.
o x * *
(not used)
(not used)
4th.
dl
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY.
141
6th.
7th.
SECTION XVII.
TAe Dubitative, Potential and Facile Verbs, &c.
The Dubitative Verb is formed by adding the syllable JL
(mlsh, mish), or the word <jl*jj (Imlsh), to any personal verb,
indicative or necessitative, active or passive, affirmative, nega-
tive, or im potential ; but, in the perfect indicative, it displaces
the syllable ^ (dl) of the root. It casts a doubt on what is
said ; and is often added, in conversation, by another speaker,
to express that he considers what has been affirmed by the
former speaker to be questionable, or hearsay, or mere assump-
tion. When the first speaker uses it himself, he does so to
express that what he relates is either doubtful, hearsay, or
erroneous assumption, from some other person. It is a gross
vulgarism, to which Armenians and European novices are
addicted, to use this dubitative syllable, in conversation, where
142 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
the <j* of the perfect indicative, or of any compound tense,
is required. In writing, there is no denying that this form is
systematically used, by the host authorities, in place of the
tense they would employ in speaking. The form has a more
musical sound ; and it is, in my opinion, a fruit of imitating
Persian verb -forms in Turkish; initiated, probably, by the
Persian scribes of the early reigns.
In dubitative conjugation, this syllable ,jl follows the
simple tense-root and its plural, preceding the compound and
personal terminations, singular or plural ; unless it be spoken
by another person. In this last case, it naturally comes alone,
o o J -
after all other words. Thus : -1^,^-J (teplyormlshlm) it is
said, supposed, pretended, suggested, &c., that I am kicking;
eJjjJ ^jl^-j-J (teplyormlsh Idlii) it is said, fyc., that thou waft
kicking; (jt+*\j*> (teper Imlsh) it is said, fyc., that he kicks;
(tepermlsh Idlk) it is said, $c., that we used to kick ;
<o (tepmlsh slnlz) it is said, fyc., that you kicked or
have kicked ; ^+>\ JOZ-*-*** (tepejekler imlsh) it is said, fyc., that
they are going to kick. (This word or syllable, Jt+A , ( J^ , is
really the past active participle of the obsolete verb diil .)
The Potential Verb is formed of the fifth gerund (not re-
peated) followed by the verb dijb (bllmek) in its entire con-
jugation, the gerund remaining unchanged throughout. This
auxiliary verb then means to be able, and answers to our
ACCIDENCE OR ETTMOI
English can. Ex.: <sU* t~> (tepe bllmek) to be able to kick;
., .jib *J (tepe billy orim) / am able to kick, I can kick ; &c.
The Facile Verb is formed by the root of a verb, to which
an esere is added, followed by a vowel ^ and the auxiliary
verb d^i^ (vlrmek, vulg. vermek). With a vowel verb other
than one in ^ , a consonantal ^ , with e*ere, is added between
the root-vowel and the servile ^ vowel ; and with a verb in
vowel (j , this is made into a consonant with esere, and the
servile vowel ^5 is then added ; as, isL^j---) (tepl-vlrmek),
* " * O^O-'jJ
(qaplayi- vlrmek), ftU^j^ijI (oqAy u- vlrmek),
(qaziyi- vlrmek). The sense of these verbs is that
of great ease, readiness, off-handedness in the action, which we
express in English by saying just to kick, Just to give a kick ;
just to cover over ; just to read or recite ; just to scratch
out ; &c.
There are several other Turkish verbs in use as special
o ^ o^,
auxiliaries after the gerund of the original verb ; as, dlji
O-O^ O>O<* QsC *>
(galmek), J^j^ (dormaq), jjli (qalmdq), j^Jlj (yatmaq), and
^j^Q (yazmdq). The first expresses a frequent or natural
happening ; the next three signify persistency ; and the last
the idea of having almost happened, of being within an ace
of happening. Thus, c*UK *Jjl (614 galmek) to happen fre-
quently, of course, as is well known; to be a common occurrence ;
L_>jC (baqiip durmaq) to stand looking ; j Jl A$G (baqa
144 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
qalmaq) to stand (remain) staring in surprise and amazement;
-Ljlj (_j^ijj (dushuuup yatmaq) to remain (lie) pondering, in
a brown study; j^G A>\i (bayil& yazmaq) to give one 1 s self up
(write) as about to faint; &c., &c., &c.
SECTION XVIII. The Verb Substantive.
In Turkish there is no extant verb substantive, answering
in all its moods and tenses to our verb to be. In one sense,
the Turkish j^Jjl performs the office, as an auxiliary and as an
independent verb ; but as such, it is a verb adjective, and con-
tinually lapses into the parallel idea of to become.
The Turkish originally had a true verb substantive, etU^l
(Imek) to be. This exists fragmentary in Ottoman Turkish;
perhaps in certain persons of the present, certainly in the per-
fect of the indicative, in the aorist conditional, in the past
active participle, in the perfect verbal noun, and in the gerund,
apparently modified from the present active participle (which in
eastern and old Turkish was and is formed in jifor ^U , even
Js , traces of which are numerous in Ottoman, as adjectives).
Thus:
Indicative.
Present. *>\ (1m, 1m), ^ (ylm, yim) / am ; ( ^ (sin, sin)
thou art ; ^_>1 (Iz, Iz), y_ (ylz, ylz) we are ; JjC (slniz,
slfilz) you are.
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 145
Perfect. ^>\ (idiin) / was, eljj (Idln) thou ivast, ^jjl (Idl)
he was ; d Jjl (Idlk) we were ; >5o jjl (idlnlz) you were ;
jjl (tdiler) they were.
Conditional Aorist.
+t~j\ (It-am) if I am, e)^ (Isan) if thou art, A~\ (Ise) if he is ;
o*)A-j1 (Isek) (/* we are, jS*~>\ (Isanlz) / you are, j*~$
(l.eler) z/ they are.
Past Active Participle.
(iinlsh) who or which was.
Verbal Noun Perfect.
(Idlk) the fact of having been.
Gerund.
O ^X" O "
JXjl (Iken, oW ^.1 Ikdn) c/urm^ the fact of being.
These fragments are made negative by prefixing the adverb
p dlyll) not. Thus, JXp (dlylllm) / am wo^, ^J jC,A
(dlytl idlm) 7 was no< ; liljl j5sli (dlyll Isem) ?/ / am not ;
o o .^
djj! JXjj (dlyll Idlk) not used as a verbal noun, but replaced
O xO J O'O
by j^ljjl (61madiq) the negative verbal noun perfect of Jj^l ;
^! j^o (dlyll Iken) wfo'te no< iem^.
The present tense indicative of the foregoing fragmentary
verb is completed, as to its third persons, singular and plural,
L
;
146 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
by using, when necessary only, the special, unique, and most
distinctive Turkish invariable particle of affirmation, ..> (dlr,
dir) is, and its conventional (unnecessary) plural, J^> (dlrler,
dirlar) are (which is just as well expressed by the singular).
o o J
This word ..> , written in eastern Turkish ^ (dur), as it is
still pronounced in provincial Ottoman, is often found also, in
o '
old and eastern writings, under the uncontracted form of jjjj*
(durur). This circumstance leads to a suspicion that the word
is, originally, the aorist of the ordinary verb J^j-i (durmaq)
to remain.
However that may be, the peculiarity of the word is that it
is not special to the third person singular, or to the two third
persons, singular and plural. It is often used, in writing and
in conversation, after a verb of the first or second person also,
singular or plural, of any simple tense of the indicative, with
or without the plural signal, when the sense admits it. It is,
in fact, an exact equivalent to the French inchoative expression
c'est que, and the Latin constat quod, which can be used to
introduce any indicative proposition, as the Turkish ^ is used
to conclude and complete any such. And, as the French and
Latin clauses can be omitted without the sense suffering, so
also can the Turkish ^ . In conversation it is much more
dispensed with than used.
The negative of j* is ^ jC^ (dljll dlr) is not ; pi.
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY.
147
(dlyiller dlr) and J^ jC> (dlyll dlrler) are not (just as well
expressed without the ]).
SECTION XIX. The Verb of Presence and Absence, of Existence
and Non-Existence.
THERE ARE NO SUCH VERBS IN TURKISH. What there are,
and what Europeans have erroneously chosen to designate as
o * o J
such, are two adjectives, j\j (var) present or existent, jjj (y6q)
absent or non-existent. Like any other substantive or adjective,
these may be followed by the verbal particle of affirmation ^,
which, in this case, as in any other case, may be omitted in
conversation.
It may be convenient, occasionally, for a novice in Turkish
OxoOx o * oj o J
to suppose that jij or .3 \j means there is ; that j;^ or i-> Jiji-
means there is not. But, unless rightly understood, those ren-
derings are misleading. The expressions really say and mean
he, she, or it, is present (or existent} ; he, she, or it, is absent (or
non-existent) ; as, Jj ^\ (atesh var) fire (is) present (here), or
existent (somewhere) ; jjj ^"1 (atesh y6q) fire (is) absent (here),
or non-existent (anywhere).
Then, such a phrase as J^l Jj (var 61) be thou present (or
o , o J
existent), J^l j^_i (y6q 61) be thou absent (or non-existent),
becomes clear. The first is a kind of prayer, Mayest thou ever
exist, and be at hand, ready to help the afflicted ! while the
148 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
second is a condemnation, a sentence of banishment or
annihilation, or a wish in the nature of a curse, Away I
Avaunt ! &c.
By using a locative with these two expressions, they become
special instead of general : j\j 5>G *>*._- (jeblmdd pdra var)
m my pocket money is present (I have some money in my
o J o-> J * * o *
pocket) ; ^jjl jjjj JjLjl J-i)l (evlmde odunum yoq Idl) in my
house my firewood was absent, wanting, non-existent (I had no
firewood in my house).
By using a possessive pronoun (with or without a genitive
as well) with these two expressions, the idea of possession is
superadded ; as, j\j ^G (param var) money belonging to me
exists (i. e., / have money, I have some money} ; jjj; is)i^ (parafi
yoq) money belonging to thee (is) non-existent (i. e., thou hast no
money); ^ ^ ^^Lillj jj*. eL-Gu (babl-iniii chAq kitahlari var
dir) many books belonging to his father are existent (i. e., his
OJO " O s * Q <*
father has many books) ; ^jjl ^_ .^L^i KL ~j (benlm sana
thtlyajlm y6q Idl) any need of mine to (lean on) thee (for assist-
ance) was non-existent (i. e., / had no need of thee).
SECTION XX. Of the Compound Verbs.
Besides the Turkish verbs already described, the Ottoman
language has been indefinitely enriched with whole classes of
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 149
compound verbs, active and passive, transitive and intransitive,
formed by a Turkish auxiliary verb preceded by a substantive
or adjective of Arabic or Persian, even of foreign, origin.
An active compound verb is formed, generally, by an Arabic,
rarely by a Persian verbal noun, or by a foreign substantive,
o - o
followed by one of the auxiliaries ti t " *} (itmek, vulg. etmek),
f) * * Q* O * O O > O > J
eUJLjl (eylemek), jJLS (qllmaq) to do, or J^j-j (biiyurmaq)
to command, to deign to do ; or by an Arabic (very seldom, a
Persian, never a foreign) active participle, followed by the
auxiliary j>Jjt (61maq) to be. These verbs are either transi-
tive or intransitive. The first three auxiliaries are identical
in sense ; the first is the most frequently used ; the second
often, the third occasionally, replaces it, so as to avoid repeti-
tion ; and the fourth is used when a deferential tone is assumed
in speaking or writing to or of a superior, and politely to or
0-00*0 c *0 JJ c s O
of an equal. Thus, d^oj JL^l (Irsal etmek) to send ; j^-i JU,1
(irsal buyurmaq) to deign or condescend to send, to favour by
0,0 t o J
sending, to have the goodness to send; j>Jjl v^> (mujlb 6lmaq)
to cause ; dCLl ^y (tevattiin eylemek) to settle (in a place, as
O^rs J o + +
a home) ; jjjl ^U-ij (peshlman olmaq) to be regretfully or
penitently sorry (for some act) ; dU^I *^j>.) (vlzlte etmek) to
visit, to pay a visit.
Transitive verbs of this class form their passives with the
auxiliary <jJy (Alunmaq), which, by itself, does not admit of
150 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
translation. Thus, l JU,1 (Irsal olunmaq) to be sent, to
have done (to it) the action of being sent (for the Arabic and
Persian verbal nouns, the reverse of the more general Turkish
rule, take the passive as well as the active sense). Deferential
compound passives are formed with the passive auxiliary Jj^o
(buyurulmdq) ; as, jJ^J jC,! (Irsfil buyurulindq) to be con-
descendingly sent, to be kindly sent.
Reciprocal verbs active of this class are formed with the
reciprocal of i*Xio1 , that is, with the auxiliary diio>>! (Idlsh-
mek) ; as, isL^jjl tz**j-ai. (khusumet Idlshmek) mutually to
exercise hostility, litigation, or spite, towards one another.
Causatives of the simple and reciprocal are formed by the
0,0 0*0 e-oo r +o o
causatives of c*LoJ and &U*Jti, namely, d^jql , (sL^j^jj 1 ; thus,
OiL,jij1 Jt-^,1 to cause or let (a thing) be sent; (aL^j^jjl o^^i.
to cause or let (two or more) mutually attack each other.
Negatives and iinpotentials, as also dubitatives, potentials,
o^o
and faciles, are constructed with those forms of isLcjl and the
r , 'O 0,0 o ' ' - O * O
other auxiliaries. Thus, e*LLo\ JL-.I not to send ; (*LL*5jjl JLj,)
not to be able to send ; ,ji-oj JL^I it is said that he sent;
jl jC,! to be able to send ; 9U^#Jg) JU^ just to send.
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY.
151
SECTION XXI. Of the Interrogative Verb, and Interrogation
in general.
All interrogations, in Turkish (when an interrogative pro-
noun is not present in the phrase, as such), are made by intro-
ducing the interrogative particle or adverb ^ (ml, mi) into
its proper position in the phrase.
The proper position of this particle in the phrase is the end
of the word on which the question turns. We have no equi-
valent for it in English ; in Latin the word an, and the
enclitic particle ne, are its equivalents; also the French
est-ce que ?
This may be best shown by an example of five elements,
each of which may be the word on which the question specially
turns, so that the adverb ^ is successively joined to each of
them to indicate that speciality. Thus :
1. ^^-JCa-A-^j AIU^C 4^ 9-C ^5* (sanml sabah benlmld 'ara-
bay blnejeksln)
Is it thou who art to ride with me to-morrow in the carriage"
2. j.^X_a.jjj <UA^C 4*? <5?"W u-* ( s ^ n sabahml bentmld 'ara-
bayd benejeksln)
Is it to-morrow that thou art to ride with me in the carriage ?
3. c > r Jv_a.A^ *JA>jC ^4-^ - eJ-*' ( s ^ n sabah benlmlami 'ara-
bay blnejeksln)
Is it with me that thou art to ride in the carriage to-morrow ?
152 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
4..~S^*
.
^c *U) J Lo ^ (san sabah
mi blnej^ksln)
Is it in the carriage that thou art to ride with me to-morrow ?
5. c ^ rr x_a.A^ U.HJS. 4U? -W ^r* (san sabah benlmla 'arabaya
blnejekmlsln)
Art thou going to ride with me to-morrow in the carriage ?
This does not, however, exhaust the possible points of the
question in the case of this sentence, nor the proper places of
the adverb ^ in it. The phrase itself may be in question, as
to whether these words were used, or some others, by the
person to whom the interrogation is addressed. In that case,
the adverb ^ would stand after the personal ending of the
verb ; ^ ^JC.4Jj v_ujt 4^0 1C1 ^ (san sdbah benlmla e ara-
baya binejeksln ml), which means, Dost thou say, thou wilt ride
with me to-morrow in the carriage ?
The last two instances call specially for the explanation that,
in compound verbs the proper place of the adverb ^ may be
between the two elements of the verb. Thus we may ask,
O , f 0x0
el.5 >\ ^ JL^l Is it to send (and not himself carry, for instance)
Ox*x x O ' O
that he is going to do ? and ^ x_jjl JL^I (Irsal Idejekml)
Is he going to send ?
In Turkish simple or derivative verbs, supposing that the
adverb is to follow the verb in the sentence, and not some
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 153
other member thereof, then a further question is seen to arise
in No. 5 above given, as to the exact part of the verb itself
that takes this word after it. In this respect, the tenses have
first to be considered. The simple tenses take the adverb at
the end of the tense-root, and their compounds also, before
O J O J
their auxiliary ^jjl ; thus, ^jjl^d w he doing? ^jjl &>*
was he doing ? Next, a distinction has to be made between
the third persons, singular and plural, as one group, and the
first and second persons, singular and plural also, as another
group. The first-named group of tenses have no personal
endings, the second group have special personal endings, and
the interrogative precedes these, following the tense-root still ;
thus, jlrvjlj (teplyirmlylm) am I kicking ? { .^^j^ (teplyor-
misln) art thou kicking ? ^jj*-? (teplyorml) is he kicking ?
O O J + O J S* *
j-^jj-J (teplyormiylz) are we kicking ? jS^^^jj^ (teplyir-
mlalnlz) are you kicking? ^^^ (teply6rlerml) are they
kicking ?
The perfect tense indicative forms an exception to the fore-
going rule, as it takes the interrogative after the personal
endings. Thus, ^*^ (tepdlmml) have I kicked ? did I kick ?
Lr JoJ (tepdlnml) hast thou kicked? didst thou kick? ^JJ
(tepdlml) has he kicked? did he kick? ^ < } (tepdlkml)
have we kicked ? did we kick ? j^J^jJ (tepdlfilzml) have you
kicked ? did you kick ? ^JluJ (tepdllerml) have they kicked ?
did they kick ?
154 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAK.
SECTION XXII. Of Adverbial Expressions.
As explained in Section II., every Turkish adjective is also
au adverb.
Every noun of time is also used as an adverb ; as, J -\~*
(sabah gdl) come to-morrow ; (jjft (j= a j\ (erken galdl) he came
early ; jJ&,LLU (akhsham gellr) he will come in the evening.
Adjectives of relative place, like all adjectives, are used as
adverbs; thus, j^a. \sj&y. (yAqarl chiq) mount up, walk up,
climb up, ascend ; J ^U.1 (ashighl gal) come down, descend ;
jo^jTj^Ll (llerl git) go forward, advance; j^-jT(gerl gal)
come back.
But substantives of place, like all substantives, can be used
adverbially by the sole means of being joined to prepositions ;
O J J > , , J
thus, j^j^jl JJj'jl (vuqarida 6tuiiy6r) he is sitting higher up;
o > J - o x "
(Vl* cjJ^U.1 (ashaghldan gellyorim) / am coming jrom below ;
o-^AcU (sagha git) go to the right ; &c.
A possessive pronoun may enter into such an adverbial
o s* O 3
expression ; as, (jji-s. a^,.l (ustuma chiqdi) he mounted on to
^ ~* >
the top of me.
An adjective, substantive, and preposition may join to form
an adverbial expression ; as, aj^L Jjl (alt tarafda) on the lower
side, lower down; ^J^ oJl (^lt tardfdan) from the lower side ;
from lower down.
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY. 155
So an adjective, substantive, possessive, and preposition may
+ * o o J
be combined in an adverbial expression ; as, a^U e>-yl (fist
yaulma) to the side above me; iCiG eJI (alt yaninda) on the
side below thee ; ^J^L cL (sagh tarafindan) from his (her, its}
riylit-liand side.
With certain special exceptions, any Arabic substantive or
adjective becomes an adverb by adding an ustun and vowel \
to it ; this being often marked with a double ustun sign, and
read dn ; or, if the word is a feminine in s , by putting two
dots, with or without the double ustun sign to it, without
an I ; thus, i^Jo (tuldn) in length, longwise, in longitude ; .
# Of S ,
U^_c ('arzan) in breadth, breadthwise, in latitude; \^ij\^>
(lierr&n ue bahran) by land and by sea; Uji* (muqaddema)
formerly; V^j* mu4khkh4ran) latterly, recently; iJo\5 j (xWa
(qdt'an ve qatibetan) decidedly and entirely.
The first ten Arabic ordinals are thus much used adver-
bially; as, JJl (vv&\&) firstly; Li^ (sfmlya) secondly; l*JG (sallsa)
thirdly; UK (rabfa) fourthly ; Ol (khamlsa) fifthly; LjU
S ' S
s * # s
(sadlsa) sixthly ; UjL, (sabl'a) seventhly; L.U (samlne) eighthly;
s S
(tasl'a) ninthly; Iplc (Mshlra) tenthly
156 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
SECTION XXIII. Of Prepositions.
They always follow the substantive or pronoun. Besides
those given in the chapter on the substantive, there are but
four or five others : s^jjl (uzere) upon, A*, (je, ja) according to,
o o o *
^-, (slz) and ^j-, (slzln) without, ^ (leyin) at the time of, after
the manner of.
SECTION XXIV. Of Conjunctions.
The conjunctions u (da) and ^^io (dakhi) also, follow the
o * *n* o * o '
word they unite to a preceding one ; as, ^.^ t^> <&i~>
(gldersan, ben-d& glderim) if thou wilt go, I also will go ;
(bu dakhi) this, too.
All other conjunctions head the clauses which they connect.
The principal of these are : j (ve, in Persian couplets read
u, li) and; ill (amma), ^Q (lakln), ^XjJ (ve-lakln) but;
jjjl (anjaq) only; J^,l (eyer, eger) z/ ; I^G (yakhid) or;
s ' + '
...\i ...b (ya...ya...) either... or.. .;...*} ...ai (ne...ne...)nez'<Aer...
?ior...; ^ (hatta) insomuch tliat;js^ (meyer, meger) unless;
^t\ (Imdl) therefore, wherefore ; \^ (zira) for, because ; **-Jj*
(chunku) since, by reason that ; & (kl) that ; U (ta) so that, in
order that; as far as. Of these, some are Turkish, some
Arabic, others Persian in origin.
ACCIDENCE OR ETYMOLOGY.
I5' t
SECTION XXV. Of Interjections.
These are mostly Arabic or Persian in origin. They pre-
cede, as in English. The principal are : ^1 (ey), C (yii) ;
c** c * r + on ^ O + *>
a I (ah) ah; i\jj\ (eywah) alas; i>-ft> (khdyf) woe; jj* (meded)
help ; ^1 (iiferin, vulg. iiferlm) bravo.
There is, however, a peculiar Turkish interjection I (d) 0,
that joins on to the vocative following it ; as, CGl (a-baba)
father ; U! 1 (a-ana) mother. It also follows nouns, pronouns,
and verbs, taking the sense of Tea! Indeed! I told you so!
' XX J^-
You see now ! as, Ujl (adam-a) a man ; you see ! 'ijjS (gyuzel-a)
nice; indeed! l^j (benlm-a) mine; in sooth! tfjLcs^yf (gydrema-
din-a) thou couldst not see ; after all !
158 )
CHAPTER III.
THE OTTOMAN SYNTAX.
SECTION I. Conversational brevity. Precision in writing.
COLLOQUIAL and written Ottoman Turkish, as far as Syntax
is concerned, are the very antipodes of each other.
As in the orthography the rule is given : " Never introduce
a vowel-letter into a Turkish or foreign word without
removing a possible doubt as to pronunciation ; never leave
out a vowel in such a word, if by the omission a doubt is
created as to pronunciation," that is, be always as concise
as is possible without failing into ambiguity ; so also, in col-
loquial syntax the chief rule is : Never repeat a word, or intro-
duce its equivalent, and never use a subsidiary word^ unless for
the sake of emphasis; whereas the golden rule for written lan-
guage is, Never omit any word that tends to make a sentence
clear and explicit. On the contrary, introduce freely as many
new words as may, in the requisite degree, elucidate the sense
sought to be conveyed. In other words, Spoken Ottoman Turkish
should be as concise as possible, even to the verge of ambiguity ;
SYNTAX.
Io9
written Ottoman Turkish must be as full, verbally, as to leave no
doubt on the mind of the reader at any distance of space or time.
The reasons are obvious and eminently practical, philosophical;
namely: If, by reason of a speaker's conciseness, a doubt as to
his meaning should arise in the mind of the person addressed,
a question can be put, and the doubt at once removed ; if, on
the contrary, a written document be left obscure in any part,
the doubt thence arising must remain unsolved, and the mpan-
ing guessed at, because the writer is either dead or away at a
distance.
Hence, if one be asked, ^ is y (^ n ^ dlr) what is this ? the
answer, in Ottoman Turkish, will be, for instance, LJl (elma)
an apple, as in English. (A Frenchman would answer: "C'est
JO '^ JO ^ ,0 f
une pomme") Should the question be, ^^S^j^ ^^wlj^
(qarndashimi \yulg. qardashimi] gyurdunuz-mu) have you seen
my brother? the answer will be, either ^ji(gyurdum) / have
seen (him), or ^j^jjf (gyurmadlm) / have not seen (him).
Should one say to you, lyu**^ j**^/j - J^> (bunii sana versam,
yer-ml-sln) If I give this to thee (you), wilt thou (will you) eat
(it)? the answer will be either ^> (yeiim) / will eat (it), or J^j
(yemam) / will not eat (it). In this last question, the omission
of " it," even by the asker, is to be remarked.
As instances of the omission of all possible subsidiary words
from phrases in conversation, may be mentioned that of the
1GO OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
affirmative ^ (dlr) is, it is, he or she is, on all occasions of
ordinary assertion or negation. The personal and corrobora-
tive possessive pronouns are never employed in conversation
O > f
unless for emphasis or distinction ; a?, pjj.j* (s-avlyirim) 7
love (thee, you, him, her, it), -jjiy- ^- (saul savlyorim) / love
thee (you), pjy.f ^ ^ (ben sanl ...) /, personally, love thee;
^jJ? ^CG (babain galdl) my father came, or has come.
As a consequence of the desire to leave no doubt as to the
meaning of a writing, nouns and verbs in apposition, in pairs,
O fix, jj
are much used ; such are, o-s^ j ^ (vldd u mdhabbet) friend-
JO) JO Ox J C x
ship, ^jJjl^-k^j j^X (^"'^ u tastir 6lAndu) has been written.
A. result of the avoidance of unnecessary repetition is that
the third person singular of a verb is often employed instead
of its plural when the nominative plural is expressed ; as,
Ox OxO^ ^
^jJbT .L^T (adamlar galdi) some men, or the men have come, or
came.
Another such result is the use of a singular substantive with
r ^, O J
a plural cardinal number ; as, ol j\ (uch at) three horses,
AJ^_C du-j (bin 'araba) a thousand vehicles (carriages, carts,
waggons, &c.).
To make written composition still more precise, it is very
usual, after introducing a common substantive or a proper
name into a paragraph or article, letter, dispatch, &c., never
to use a personal pronoun to designate the thing or person
SYNTAX.
161
so named, but to repeat the substantive or proper name as
often as may be required, either preceded or followed by one
Q JQ * O J O *
of the indicative adjectives, ^jj* (mezbur), jj=*.'* (mezkyur),
O J O * '
for things or persons, .j r^* (mesfur), for a contemned or
criminal person, ^\ ^*^-* (tnuma lley-h), for a reputable
oo* 9 - J
person, and A-Jl^U-o (inushfirun iley-h), for a person of rank
and consideration.. These words all mean, in reality, the afore-
said, the afore-mentioned, the said, &c. In the case of a person
first mentioned by name, or by a common substantive, these
words may be used as substantives, we might say, as a kind
of personal or demonstrative pronoun, in all the cases of the
declension ; but, in the case of a thing, they must be used as
adjectives to its name, repeated each time.
SECTION II. Syntax of the Substantive.
A common noun substantive singular may be either definite
or indefinite, and may represent, according to circumstances
or the context, either an individual or the individual, several
individuals, a portion of the species, or the whole species ; as,
O
sPb (b&ghcha gyfizel shey) a garden (is) a pretty thing;
ioU (padishah galdl) the monarch came, or has come;
l (Ingllterada geml ch6q) in England (there are)
162 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
many ships : ^ jcjj duJ^U iL- (chlchek baghchaniii ziiietl
*" ' **
dlr) flowers are the ornaments of the gardens, of the garden ;
*jjsl 30 (sii Ichdlm) / drank (some) water, I drank water (not
wine, &c.), J&\ j* (sii aqar) water flows.
In the accusative case indefinite, the substantive is as in the
nominative; as, p*l % ^j-- (su ichmek) to drink water (some
water). If the declensional accusative is used, it is always
00 J 1
definite ; as, +&g\ j^ (siiyii Ichdlm) I drank, or have drunk',
the water.
There are four different Turkish methods of constructing
two substantives in a sentence. First, by simple juxtaposition ;
second, by adding the possessive suffix of the third person to
the second substantive ; third, by putting the first in the
genitive, and still adding the possessive suffix to the second ;
and fourth, by putting the first in some other prepositional
case, and leaving the second unchanged.
In simple juxtaposition of two substantives, the first in-
dicates a material, the second a form ; or, the first indicates a
quantity, the second a material; as, ^jS &j^\ (altin qutu) a
gold box ; Jj> aJLw_T^j (blr kll& arpa) a bushel (of) barley ;
O J O O + + .^
Jji a)JlcL.5oJ (Ikl sa'atllkyol) a distance of two hours journey ;
JK&. eJJb^- jl (ftch setrllik choha) broadcloth enough for three
coats.
SYNTAX.
163
With the possessive suffix alone added, a relation of genus
and species is indicated, the genus standing last, and the com-
bination remaining indefinite ; as, j,lJ L-jlJ-J) (kltab qali) a
^s**> ^.^ o -
look-cover; L5 >-j^3 jl (ev kyupeyi) a house (domestic) doy ;
(J ^s>^\ ^Li (yaban urdeyl) a duck of the wilderness (wild
cluck). If the first is a proper name, the second is the species,
the first the name of the individual, and the combination is
definite ; as, ig>^j Jl/ (azaq denlzl) the Sea of Azof.
With the first in the genitive, real possession is indicated,
the name of the possessor being the first, and the combination
is definite ; as, ^d^c dJ^ (qirallii 'askerl) the king's army ;
(jj\ dLcGb (babamin evl) my father's house.
When the first is put into a prepositional case, the second
remains without a suffix, and the combination may be definite
or indefinite, an active participle being always understood ; as,
C J * s JO J O *O *
Jjj j^i (shehr& y61) a (or the) road to the town; (j^>^= u- 5 -^- 3
2 '/ o *c-
(demlrdan kyupru) a bridge of iron ; i>jS j-> BJJ! (ayd& blr
kerre) once in a month ; &c.
When two substantives are in apposition, no change is made
' " o * v*s +
in either ; as, \&\ ^U (chawush agha) Mr. Sergeant; ^^\ g;^_
(yazljl efendl) Mr. Clerk ; liC ^ (mushlr pasha) the Pasha
(who is) a Mushir. Here, the generic word stands last, and
the combination is definite. Sometimes, the specific word or
164 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
term is complex and obeys its own rules ; as, \c\ ^G O jl (6n-
bashi agha) Mr. Corporal ; dLj <5 Yl^-* (mir-alny bey) Squire
Colonel ; ClLj \j\ ^ . * (mirl-llva pasha) the Major-General
Pasha.
There are two exceptions to the rule that the generic word
stands last, when the other word is a proper name. In all
other cases with proper names, this rule holds good ; as,
^UaL* Cll (esma sfiltan) Princess Esma, Vj* o)_c (Izzet m6lla)
Judge Izzet; ^jJLJl J^ji (arlf Aftndl) Mr. 'Arif; &c. The
exceptions are: 1, the word ^UaL., when applied to the sove-
reign before his name ; as, J-*J' J-c ^liaL, (sfiltan c abdu-'l-
hamid); 2, the word Vj*, when applied to a student or school-
boy, also before his name ; as, A_J^ Vj-* (molla rashld) school-
boy Rashid.
Any number of substantives may be in apposition, and one
of them may be the proper name of the individual ; as,
+ \ cjl (6ghlum qiilunAz) your servant, my son;
(jJ, Jicjl (6ghlAm refiq bey qulunuz) your servant,
my son, Refiq Bey ; j3Cjj5 eL jJ^ ^Vl^-* Jl-*j^ (oghliim mir-
5,lay refiq bey qulufiuz) your servant, my son, Colonel Refiq
Bey; &c.
When a string of substantives in construction would in
strictness require several of them consecutively to be put in
SYNTAX. 165
the genitive case, the monotonous cacophony of the .repetition
of the preposition is avoided by omitting it once or twice
where most appropriate; thus, JJl ddtjl dLu^u (*k~>*i~>\ diillb
(pashanin enishteslnln dayisinin oghlunuii ati) the horse of the
son of the uncle of the brother-in-law of the pasha, may be
expressed in either of the following ways : ^.^ tb ^av.!')! eUlilj
^, rjjo j ^ oJjo J s o ,o - * * * o s * *
Jil dLJcjl , or ^1 dLJLcjl (^---ib eL*aii*l Ulj , or ^-Aijijl Lib
.^rjJOJO x ^'OJ^OJO - 'O - * *
Jil ddcjl isL -jlj , or jjl ddcjl dl ;.>... ib ^Ailil c*Llllj ; the last
genitive preposition being, perhaps, the most frequently re-
tained and necessary.
Two or more Arabic or Persian substantives may be put in
Persian construction with each other. Their order is then the
reverse of what it would be in Turkish construction, just as in
English the king's horse is in reverse order with the horse of
the king. In Persian construction each preceding substantive
of a series must be vocally connected with its consequent.
This vocal connexion is effected by making the final quiescent
consonant of the preceding substantive mo vent with eser& ;
thus, sLJ:, ^jL*>_9 (fermiinl shah) the command of the king;
J\S\ sli, ^C,9 ^J+^A (muzmunu. fermanl shah! Iran) the tenour
of the command of the king of Persia. But, if the last con-
sonant of a preceding substantive is mo vent, and followed by
a vowel-letter, a servile consonant must be introduced to sup-
port the eser& vowel of connexion ; and this consonant varies
166 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
with the final vowel of the word. When the" final vowel -letter
is 1 or j , the servile consonant is ^ ; as, -J( ^G ^U* (ja-yl
Ox i 3
pa-yl esb) the place of the foot of the horse ; du* ^^ \** (mu-
yA ru-yu seg) A0 Aaz'r o/ <A0 face of the dog. If the final
vowel-letter be a ^ , this letter is converted itself into the
servile consonant required ; so that no written addition is
needed ; thus, -^ sU (^ (p&ri-yl chah-1 burj) the fairy of the
well of the tower. Ignorance often writes a hemze over such
final ^ so converted into a consonant; but it really is not
requisite. If, however, the final vowel be the letter s , then
the addition of a hemz& is a necessity. Sometimes the esere
vowel-sign is figured under it, $. Usage is divided as to the
proper place where the servile hemz& should be written. It
is at times more correctly placed between the two words, on a
line with the writing ; as, dJU &j-> (bere-1 felek) the lamb of
the sphere (i.e., Aries) ; and otherwise it is less correctly placed
o <" "
over the vowel s ; as, CiJUs ^ .
Of two substantives in Persian construction, the first is often
the metaphorical name of the thing literally expressed by the
second, the pair really representing one idea under two images ;
as, ^j jJJ' JfJU (scVlq! taqdlr) the drover, destiny ; (o^-c <jl!c
('luanl 'azimet) the reins (of) departure.
Whether in Turkish or Persian construction, the same
remark holds good of a pair of substantives, one of which is
SYNTAX. 167
o o * +
the word ^J (emr), or one of its synonyms, ^U (rnadde),
o J j a u> /-
(j^ai. (khusus), o^n-S (keyf lyyet), &c., all of which signify
our circumstance, and the like. They are used in written
Turkish for precision. Thus : ^5LJI J& dJLas* *\j (rali-1 tah-
silin emr-1 Insllaki) the matter of the pursuit of the path of
study; ^>j^^ ^.-J^ diJ^lJj^ (donaumaniS gelmesi khilsusu)
the question of the coming of the fleet.
After a proper name of a person or thing, the word Jj (nam)
name, is commonly employed ; as, ob Jj j*a.l (ahmed nam zat)
i/id personage named Ahmed; *JLJ* t& *ij* (qirim nam jezire)
the island (peninsula) named Crimea.
O "* O * O ^ x
The two words o^-i_&. (hazret), LjL_>. (jenilb), which
originally mean presence, and aide, are used before or after the
names or titles of individuals held in honour, with a meaning
varying from that of His Divine Majesty down to that of plain
Mr. or Mrs., &c. When they precede, they remain unchanged
' , O '
to the eye, but are in Persian construction ; as,
(hazret-1 khudfi) His Divine Majesty, God ;
( - - peygdmber) ZTzs Sanctity, the Prophet ;
( jenab-i padlshah) ^Tzs Majesty, the Sovereign ;
( sadaret-ma 5 ab) ZT/5 Highness, the Repair of the Vezirate
(the Grand Vezir). When they follow, they are in Turkish
construction, and generally take the possessive pronominal
168 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
suffix of the third person plural, but sometimes that of the
third person singular; as, \cfija* dj^alL *ilVI ^ (sheykhu-
'1-lslam tahlr bey hazretlerl) His Eminence the Lord High
Chancellor, Tahir Bey ; ^->U^ ^jlil ^11. ( j^Ju tLjj (burusa
muftlst has&n efendl jenabi) His Honour the State Counsel of
Brusa, Hasan Efendi ; ^Jj^ia. lib J-a-, (sef Ir pasha ) His
Excellency the Pasha Ambassador ; (jjij^ i& U^/ (terjuman
bey ) His Worship the Interpreter Bey; &c., &c., &c.
Generally, the word c^ia. before a single name indicates one
of the prophets, saints, or patriarchs of old ; as, L} o^
(hazretl niih) the patriarch Noah ; ^j-1 - ( musa) the
prophet Moses ; ^UJu ( suleymtin) the prophet (king)
Solomon; ^-^ ( meryem) Saint Mary (the Virgin
Mother) ; (J ^-s. ( 'Isa) the Prophet Jesus ; ^.^
( mesih) the holy Anointed One (Christ); &c., &c., &c.
SECTION III. Syntax of the Adjective.
Nearly everything requisite in a sketch has been said on
this subject in the former Chapter (II.), Section II. If several
adjectives qualify one substantive, they follow one another
simply in Turkish construction, and are all connected vocally
O J
in the Persian construction ; as, .**.
SYNTAX. 169
edebll, mahjub chojuq) a pretty, well-behaved, modest child;
^J 1^1 ^Ui irJla ; ^U (jli-yl blhlsht-numa-yl ferah-feza) a
paradise-like, joy-giving place.
One adjective may qualify several substantives in a sentence;
as, ^L JLa.1 j ~J (umem u ejyall satire) *7ie other peoples and
nations.
An Arabic or Persian adjective is never placed after a
Turkish or foreign substantive ; and whenever either is placed
before one of these, it remains, like a Turkish adjective, un-
changed as to gender or number ; as, clL ^Jic ( 'azirn dagh)
a great mountain; sllolj ~kc ( e &zlm padlshah) a great monarch,
eJj^ ^A?c (/azlm devlet) a great state.
Some adjectives take a substantive as a complement to
restrict their application. In Turkish construction, this com-
j . i
plement precedes, with or without a preposition ; as, jl^L yo
(sii doto) > (o/) wafer, ^Jji ijj-1 (sa lid dolA) /Wed with
ivater. In Persian construction it follows ; as, jLj j.V (laylq-
i beyan) worthy of exposition ; Ja (jJlj* (mnwaffq-! tib') con-
formable with nature.
The Turkish adjective ^) (glbl) like, follows substantives,
the personal pronoun of the 3rd pers. plur., the demonstratives
plural, the interrogatives singular and plural, and the compound
relatives, when its complements, without any change occurring
in them ; as, <^ j-c (sn glbi) like water ; .^^Ijl (anler
170 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
glbl) like them ; ^S^J^ (bunlar glbl) like these ; ^S^LS
(klm glbl) like whom ? L? X^ii (neler glbl) like what things ?
(jp-J ^-SCxoLb (babamliikl glbl) like the one belonging to my
father; ^^S^l^ (bendekl glbl) like the one I have. All
other pronouns are put in the genitive, when complements to
this word; as, ^f ~j (benlm glbl) like me; ^ dol (aniii
glbl) like him, her, it ; ^> c3)- (slzlii glbl) like you ; . f ctijj
(bunun glbl) like this ; &c.
SECTION IV. Syntax of the Numerals.
The Turkish and Persian cardinals always precede their
substantive, and this is usually left in the singular, whatever
the number ; as, cufo. \ (Ikl chlft) two pairs ; jC^ jj> (du
jilifin) the two worlds (present and future). But the Arabic
cardinal follows, the construction is made Persian, and the
substantive is made plural ; as, ^lli. ^jjjj (qiivayl khamse) the
five senses; AI- ejl^a. (jlhatl sltte) the six directions (in space),
six sides (of a solid).
The Turkish and Persian numerals precede the adjectives of
the same substantive ; as do also the Arabic (though after the
substantive) ; thus, ^^ aL* ^jl (Ikl slyah kechl) two black
goats; s,j*ju> *Jjl e^ia (heft lqlim-1 rna'mure) the seven climates
SYNTAX. 171
of the habitable earth ; *\ 6 a. (j\j (qiivayi khamse-1 zfi-
hlre) the Jive external senses.
But if, instead of an adjective, a descriptive phrase should
qualify the substantive, the Turkish numeral comes between
the two; as, e>oj^> J^j? du<ijl (odanln biyunda blr Ip) a string
o',o- ' O' ,~ .^ ' '
of the length of the room; y*UJ! (^Jj jjol a^l A~-^ ^ <_/>* (her
blii besh keys& aqcha eder yedl elmds) seven diamonds, each of
the value of Jive purses of money.
A Turkish cardinal number can be placed after a substantive
in the genitive, singular or plural. It does not then define the
number of that substantive, but of a definite portion of what
this represents ; as, ^ dU^l (adamin blrl) one of mankind, a
o " c si*
man; \zp i^Ujl (adamleiifi blrl) one of the men;
(odauln Iklsl) two rooms, ^^^J^ (odalarin Iklsl) two of
the rooms.
Very often, between the Turkish cardinal number and its
substantive, another substantive is introduced, with the sense
of individual or individuals, as in our phrases " ten head of
cattle," "six sail of ships," &c. This substantive varies in
Turkish according to the nature of the things defined by the
numeral. For men it is Ju (nefer) individual ; for beasts it is
^J, (re's) head ; for bulbs it is ^ib (bash) head; for ships it is
^Wi (qlt'a) piece ; for cannons, ships, and villages, it is ijj (pare,
172 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
vulg. paii) piece ; for things usually counted it is ^jc ('tided)
number; for things not usually counted it is A-ib (dilne, vulg.
tana) berry ; for swords it is A.i_ls (qabza) hilt ; for elephants,
chain. Thus : ^ j J Jive men; ^ JJT, ^1
^o onzows
ships ; AISU ^ ^^-j twenty vessels ; L->jL s^U ^jl ^ew cannon
(pieces of artillery); [$jf ifc $\ fifty villages ;
a hundred eggs ; Jl\ Aib (^jj ^o pearls; _L5 ^-
000,0 C> '
swords ; J-3 ^ij ^> one elephant.
The Turkish ordinals precede their substantives ; as, AS s^j
(blrlnjl geyje) ^e /rs* m^^ ; $i\ jjL JLJLjT (dltmlsh
d6qiizAnju filay) the sixty-ninth regiment.
The Arabic ordinals follow; as, ^^U. t-jb (biibl khfimls)
chapter the fifth.
The Persian ordinals generally precede, but sometimes
follow.
The Turkish distributive numerals are used to express the
Ox- O x *" O x +
rates of collection as well as of distribution ; as, Ji^ ^ jZj>
(besher pard verdller) they contributed five paras each ; ^ s^Lil
^jJ^-ij 5^,0 (anlari besher padl veiildl) to them five paras each
were distributed.
For emphasis sake, the simpler distributives are often
SYNTAX. 173
repeated ; but they are then generally used as substantives ; as,
. (blrer blrer t6pladim) I collected (them) one by one;
Xl (Iklsher Iklsher aliniz) take ye (them) two
apiece each (of you), or, take you (or thou, them) two together
each time.
SECTION V. Syntax of Pronouns.
The demonstrative pronoun, when an adjective, precedes
O - J>S f O -f O J J
all other qualifications of its substantive ; as, Jjj-i &jt-> fj\ j>
Js5 dJc^T (bii uch blyuk gyuzel gellnlik qiz) these three tall,
handsome, nubile girls.
The suffixed possessive pronoun is not, in literary style,
necessarily attached to its substantive, but to the last word
of the combination of substantive, adjective, &c., to which it
O + * O J O "
belongs. Thus, ^jj *y*j* (merhum pederlm) my late father,
may be rendered in the Persian form, p*py*jjj (peder-t mer-
humum) ; so also, j+\j>.Jb\L A&.J (vejh-1 khatir-kh'fihlmiz) the
manner desiderated in mind by us (i. e., by me)-, jdc^ AJ^^llaSl
^^^jLk (aqtar-i sharqiyye ser-'asker-l zafer-rehberl) the
Ox O ^ ^ J
victorious commander-in-chief of the eastern districts ; jjb vs\j y
^Ual o.t.4) ^ ill (S^rjt (bu bdghln her blr ja-yi jan-feza-yi
bihlsht-intlmiisl) each soul-enrapturing, paradise-prognosticating
spot of this garden.
The corroborative of the suffixed possessive pronoun of
174 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
Turkish construction precedes the whole combination to which
the possessive is suffixed ; and this corroborative is always in
the genitive, whether it be a substantive or a pronoun ; as,
j_i (benlm merhum pederim) my late father ;
(odanin blyuk qapiisu) the great door, of the
room.
One possessive suffix may qualify several substantives ; as,
^Cll j ojtc j uAj^l j Jl (al A as-hfib li 'itret A ahbabi) his
family, companions, posterity, and friends.
SECTION VI Syntax of the Verb.
Verbs of the first and second person agree with their nomi-
natives in number and person ; as, *Sj*p ^ (ben gyurduin) /
saw, have seen (him, her, it, &c.) ; ^JCj^^i j (slz gyurdunuz)
you saw, have seen (me, us, them, &c.).
A verb of the third person must also agree with its subject,
if understood; as, ^jf (gyurdu) he, she, it saw, has seen (it,&c.);
Jbi.^j^gyurduler) they saw, have seen (it, &c.).
When the subject is expressed of a verb of the third person,
the verb does not always agree with it in number. A singular
subject sometimes has its verb in the plural, out of respect or
politeness ; a plural subject often has its verb in the singular,
so as to avoid the cacophony of repetition. Thus :
SYNTAX. 175
(bibim gitdll&r) my father went, has gone, zs gone ;
(ushaqlerl galdl) his or their servants came, or have come, are
come.
So a verb with several subjects expressed, when all of the
third person, singular or plural, may be in the singular ; as,
O O *> * O *Q J * -* J ^O J J
jS Ju\2> J\j&. \-Jj~oj ^^>j <-_sj)l (uluf-1 rizvan A sunuf-i gufrfm
shay an cllr) thousands of prayers for God's acceptance^ and all
kinds of wishes for God's mercy (on him, &c.) is (are) fitting.
' If one of them be of the second person, singular or plural,
and the other or others of the third person, the verb must be
O ^*- O -S'O* ** ^ ^f" f -9^ J x O ^^ * O -*
of the second person plural ; as, ^xjj^i j\j> jXJiS^J j ^>j (j*
(san ve pederlm ve q6ushunAz b^raber gltdliilz) tlwu and my
father, with your neighbour, went together.
And if one be of the first person, even singular, whether the
others be of the second or third, singular or plural, the verb
J j o J __ o ,o-^0x,o^
must be in the first person plural ; as, tsb^jb i^ilji^ j ^ ^ ^
(ben, ve san, ve qarndashin, gyurduk) /, and thou, and thy
brother, saw (him, &c.).
In conversation, ^ and its plural ^ are generally omitted
at the end of a phrase, affirmative, negative, or interrogative ;
as, ^Jj_5C^(keyflnlz lyl ml) is your health good? j^(lyl)
it is good ; J& (ty dlyll) it is not good.
But, in repeating the affirmative or negative words of
another, must be introduced ; as, ^jJ
176 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
(buyle dlr, deyu, t&sdlq eyledl) Tie confirmed, saying, " It
is so."
In relating the words of another, no alteration is permitted
in number, person, or tense of the verb ; as, ^jjj +j< (gellrlm,
dldl) lie said, " / will come " (not as in English, " he said he
would come ").
When the object of a transitive verb is definite, it is put in
the accusative ; as, *jJl Jil (atl aldim) / bought, have bought (or
taken) the horse. But, if the object be indefinite, it remains in
the nominative; as, ^il ol (at aldun) I bought a horse or
horses.
Intransitive, like transitive, verbs, govern their indirect
objects by means of different prepositions, i.e., the substantives
or pronouns are put into different cases according to the verb.
Thus : (3*5^5 eJ^jb' (^ um dan qorqmaq) to be afraid of death ;
J^jJjl (ulumdun qachmaq) to run away from death ;
sC AJIS^IJ (paraya baqmaq) to look at money (i.e., to take money
into account or consideration) ; (&jji ^-> (suda yuzmek) to
swim in the water; es)u^.^ 8^=j (defilz^ girmek) to go into
the sea (i.e., to bathe in the sea) ; \$+j &>\ A 9 (qillj Ha wur-
maq) to strike with a (or the) sword ; jj^-jU U>?^ j^* (khatir
Ichln yapmaq) to do (a thing) out of regard (for some one) ;
<&).& *_j1- (haywand blnmek) to mount on a beast (florae) ;
SYNTAX.
(gemiye blnmek) to mount (go) on board ship ;
(ayagha qalqmaq) to rise to one's /^ (i. e., to rise,
get up, stand up).
Nouns of time and place are often used adverbially (as also
is the case in English) without prepositions after verbs ; as,
J^^C (yarln gal) come to-morrow ; ^ ^p\L\ (ilshaghl In, vulg,
en) descend, come or go down; j^a. (jj& (yuqari chiq) ascend,
mount ; i. e., come or go up. Still, on occasions, prepositions
are used with them ; as, u->l dcU> (saghd sap) deviate (turn) to
the right; Jb Jjl (s6la b&q) look to the left ; JL^jJ.J^(glni,
O, , > /
vulg. geii git) go back ; J> cPj^J (gerldan gal) com^ /rom the
rear, from behind.
A transitive verb has sometimes two direct objects, one
definite, the other indefinite; as, Jb v\ j~Z* j,l (ani mushir
etdller) they made him a mushir (duke, or field-marshal).
An Ottoman compound verb, active or passive, often takes
its direct or indirect object into the body of the verb, as the
o- ^ - - J
Persian complement of its nominal factor; as, J.^-a^ <u<ji;9Jjj
(jjJbl 5/j (bii daqiqaya tahsili vwuquf eyledl) he acquired
O s ' ' O J OS
cognizance of (about) this subtle point ; t^jJLS ^^ ^*>* ^ ',*>
(sarf-i muzjat-i blza'a qilindi) expenditure of the modicum of
capital was made (i. e., the modicum of capital was spent).
178 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
SECTION VII. Syntax of the Participle.
In conversation, the substantive qualified by a particle, active
or passive, is sometimes understood, and the participle is used
as a substantive; as, ^ & (gelan& ver) give (thou it) to him
(or her) who comes ; ^C; A^oA-Ji (gldlylmA baqma) look not at
that which I wear ; A*^ -*ia.jj\j (yapajaghimi sorma) ask not
what I shall do.
The active participle present of Jjj', i. e. J$j\ , is often
o^
omitted after Arabic participles, active or passive ; as, IL-J,
Jjij j dJC. Jlj sjJ^JClI (r&b'i meskyundd vwaqf memallk li
b&ldan) the countries and towns situated in the inhabited quarter
(of the globe); uJjUaje^^.^.x* 8 jjl_L^sjj (bu kltabda mez-
kyur f&nun A ma'arlf ) the sciences and matters of knowledge
mentioned in this book.
Active participles govern all their objects in the same way
as the verbs from which they derive ; so also do the passive
participles, excepting only the object they each qualify as an
adjective ; as, ^Wl ^J (qapii achan) he who opens a door ;
yjUl .cij-9 (q&P^yii achan) he who (that which) opens the door;
jj li>J*S ij jf (ellm 116 achdfghim qapA) the door that I
opened with my hand ; L_>--. (jT^A^sjol JjJ j,^ d^,J^ (pederl-
mlii bAnA qabul Idemeyejeyl sebeb) the reason for which my
father ivill nvt be able to accept this.
SYNTAX. 179
The Persian and Arabic participles are constructed, gene-
rally, with their objects, in the same manner as if the
participles. were substantives ; as, (jl^^^a jJU. (khallq-i her
du jlhau), jJilU- (^jl^s.. .i jt (her da jlhanfn khjillq!) the Creator
of both worlds ; J^-J J^-i Ji^-i (makhluq-u yed-1 qudretl),
^^U.* (sbjl^jj j^j (yed-1 qudretlerlnlii makhluqu) the creature
of the hand of His almighty power ; ^\j ^J g&jjjj^sl (aferlnende-
1 In li an) the Creator of this and that (all things); ii^Cj^o--^
^/1 .^a. (reside 3 ! kyungyure- 3 ! charkh-1 eslr) ly/izcA has reached
the battlement of the ethereal sphere.
But sometimes Arabic active participles of transitive verbs
govern their direct objects as do their verbs ; thus, .- <^-*
C -u. ^s^j^ssj^ (keyf lyyet-1 mezkyure-1 mubin) ivhich explains
the said circumstance.
SECTION VIII. Syntax of the Verbal Nouns and Infinitive*
Turkish verbal nouns are constructed with their subject?,
when substantives, as any two substantives ; thus, ^*J6 isJj>.)
(ahmedln galmesl) the coming of Ahmed, Ahmed's coming ;
.^jAo dJvvl (ahmedln galdlyl) Ahmed's (past action of) having
come ; ^>^T^Jj^a.l (ahmedln gelejeyl) Ahmed's (future action
of) coming.
When the subject is a pronoun, it is put in the genitive stil',
180 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
and the Turkish verbal noun takes the possessive suffix of the
subject's number and person ; as, *.** ^ (benlm galmem) my
coming ; CtL5sjJ CtL- (sanln galdlyin) thy having come ; d^JLJl
^j&>.t (auleiin galejekleii) their future coming.
Turkish verbal nouns and infinitives are constructed with
their objects, direct or indirect, exactly as their verbs ; thus,
Ad^Tji (anl gyurmem) my seeing him (her, it} ; dx^Js ^*)1
(lzmlr& galejeyln) thy future coming to Smyrna <<*)j*a.l A^,JJ
ifi^i vj-*^-* UJ J (pederlna ahmedln dun mektub yazdlghi)
Ahmetfs having written a letter to his father yesterday.
Arabic verbal nouns are constructed with their agents some-
times in the Turkish, sometimes in the Arabic, and sometimes
o J J J
in the Persian manner ; as, ^^ (vurudim) my arrival ;
dJLas? (tahsilln) thy study; e^s? (tahrirl) his writing; 4] I A^
sun'u 'llah), 2\ 11 (sun-i llah) the act of God; Jjf jj H}*\
(Idare-i pergyar-1 efkytir) a revolving of the compasses of the
thoughts.
Arabic verbal nouns are constructed with their objects in
the same manner as the compound verbs formed of them ; as,
(maqduii sarf ) an employing one's utmost ; c ^j
Ul^ (fann-1 jagraflyayi tahsila medar) a help to
an acquiring the science of geography. But they may also be
constructed with them as two simple substantives, either in
SYNTAX. 181
the Turkish or Persian manner; as, ^o d^jju or
* Os O ^sO^ vt s + + ' so s vJ ' G-"
and again, AJLaa: d^U]^ ^ or uU1^ ^ J-^'; &c.
In all cases excepting their construction with their subjects
or objects, the Turkish verbal nouns and infinitives are con-
structed in sentences exactly like any other substantives ; as,
O so* O -"O * Q *<~> J
j$ jy ^jJjj dijjl (dlraek biindan evla dir) to die z*5 better than
tins ; ^jJLJU. ti-+_LJjj9 (qurtAlmagha chalishdi) he laboured at
escaping +M>\ t_^J/ ^^\ ^lj (ydqmaq ichln tertib etdlm)
/ arranged, have arranged (it) /or burning ; J^j
mesl lilzim dlyll) his coming (is) wo< necessary;
,.t. (glde-bllejeylme shub-hem var) w^ c/owJ< exists, i. e.,
a doubt as to my being able to go.
SECTION IX. Syntax of the Gerunds.
The gerunds are not much used in conversation ; there the
discourse is broken up into as many sentences as may be
O O O" O r*,oj o^O O^"
needed, each with its personal verb ; as, ^^^^ ^jJa *$jy +*&
(gltdlm, gyiirdAm, galdlm, kh&ber verdlm) / ivent ; I saw ; I
came ; I gave information.
But, in the literary style, one long phrase, ending with one
personal verb, will contain a number of clauses, each ending
with a gerund (which thus acts to the ear, as well as to the
eye, like our commas and semicolons) ; as, sjjTjJ^d^jj^ vj^P
132 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
o o o, x
^j>_j jj> (gld&p, gyArerek, galdlkde, khaber verdlm), 7, going
and seeing, on coming back, reported.
When compound verbs are used, the auxiliary gerunds may
O JJ f O, O
be omitted once or twice in a long sentence ; as, j^j 4*-^ ^j
o J o J 9 o * r < o * ( * +
i__>jjj_l ^jjtj^ljl.^ sjjl j (blr mevzi'a vurud, ve anda blr mlqdar
qA'iid edup, ....) ...arriving at a certain place, and sitting down
there awhile, .... In this case, however, a conjunction requires
to be introduced in lieu of the gerund omitted; as is seen in
the example given.
The subjects, and direct or indirect objects, of the gerunds
are constructed as with their verbs. But, as the gerunds
cannot indicate the person and number of their subjects, the
appropriate personal pronoun must be expressed before them,
O J J J o f -^ 0-_x
when the subject is not a substantive ; as, c-jj-jj-Jjl i_jl -, > +*\
(adam kltab 6qAyAb) man, reading a look (or books), ;
O'tJO + * "to*
C^Tj' J-"lj *J-~? f*\*j (fermanim size vwfisil olijaq) at what time
my command shall attain unto you, ; &j*jj> s>*\ j^ ^ (ben,
shu. adaml gyurerek) /, seeing that man, ; &c.
SECTION X. Syntax of the Adverb.
The adverb precedes the verb or adjective qualified by it ;
, ^j& c^W (sdbahleyln galdl) he came in the morning;
, ^- o J
r Of? ( chi( l g. vtiz ^) very pretty.
SYNTAX. 183
The negative J (dlyll) wo, precedes the verb substantive,
expressed or understood, but follows the substantive or adjec-
tive which it negatives; as, __.> ^S (genj dlyllim) I am not
young ; (y^J/Sj j^)ff. (dqlsiz dlyllsln) tlwu art not unintelligent ;
ji J$j .,^1 (adim dlyll dlr) he or it is not a man; &c.
The adverbial suffixes eb (dek), ^.^=>* 0%ln), follow a
noun of time, place, or condition, in the dative ; as, ^ : <^-*> Aa-CI
(sabaha deyln) until morning ; ebjjj^jjj) (londurayadek) as far
as London ; eb,ujf,l (illumedek) until death. They follow the
third gerund also, put in this same dative case, and thus form
a verbal limit of time; as, eb^u" (gellnjeyedek) until (I,
thou, &c.) come, came. The agent must be named or under-
stood ; as, diWA^Jup ^ (ben gidtnjeyedek) until I go (or went);
o * * 'Q + * * J O>J ^ +
e)j,u^lj Ajl^l *>>^L (mektubiim 6raya varinjayadek) until my
letter reach (or reached} there. The tense of this gerund is
decided by the context, in like manner as its agent and
object.
The adverb s^j-J (gydre) according, also follows a dative ;
as, s,Jj <ulac ("aqlima 1 gyure) according to my judgment ; .j feu
(band gyure) according to me ; &c.
The adverbs (yana), ^V> (d6layi), ^1 (Aturu) rela-
tively, follow substantives or infinitives in the ablative ; as,
(kltabdan d61ayi) relatively to (about) a (or the)
184 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
book ; jjf j (gltmekdan uturu) relatively to (about,
concerning) going.
Although it is not grammatically erroneous, in answering a
question, to use the affirmative adverb ojl (evet) or ^ (bell)
o oo*
yes, or the negative ^ (yoq) or^i. (khayr) no, when appro-
priate, it is unidiomatic to do so. The more general custom,
whether one of those adverbs be used or not, is to repeat the
word or words of the question on which the interrogation
turns, with such grammatical modifications as may be necessary.
Thus, turning back to the five questions instanced in Chap. II.,
sect. 21 (p. 151-2), the respective answers may be : 1, ^ oj\
(evet, ben) yes, I (am to ride); 2, 0/jgJjl J (yoq, 6lblr gyun)
no, the day after ; &c.
SECTION XI. Syntax of the Preposition.
The Turkish preposition always follows the word it
governs, noun, pronoun, or verbal derivative, as is seen in
Chap. II., sections 1 (p. 51), 4 (p. 82), 5 (p. 88), 6 (p. 89),
7 (p. 90), and in Chap. III., section 8 (p. 179) ; but the
Arabic and Persian prepositions always precede; as, j-5^ <J&
('ale 't-tahqlq) in truth ; \Jj (ber qarar) in permanence (with-
out change); gj^ ('ala hide) singly; jJ^Jl <3 (fl '1-wiiqf) in
fact ; J'i. y> (bl-eyyl halln) in any case ; iy!^j2l ft Jc ( 'ala
SYNTAX. 185
't-taqdiieyn) upon either supposition; jj~$ (ez ser-1
from a new beginning (over again, again).
A preposition may govern two or more substantives in a
* ,0 s 'O 3,0s *l*
sentence ; as, A^UJj OT^J V^'j J^ * his family, companions,
posterity, and friends.
But, as the Arabic and Persian preposition precedes the
adjectives that qualify, as well as the substantives qualified,
so the Turkish preposition is placed after all these; conse-
quently, in Persian construction, and when the substantive is
followed by the possessive suffixes, the Turkish preposition is
separated from the substantive it governs, sometimes by a con-
siderable distance ; as, Jbl JjC (baba-m lie) with my father ;
(bii muhlbb-i sadfq-dd) in this faithful friend ;
& *} j-^jfc (qallyun-i kyuh-numun-i h&mayunun
bash!) the head of the mountain-like imperial galley.
SECTION XII. Syntax of the Conjunction.
All conjunctions, except the enclitic .> (de, da), or^o (d&khi),
too, also, head the phrase they belong to.
The enclitic conversational aa, or liteiary ^.3, is placed after
the word of a phrase to which special attention is directed ;
thus : tfjlSTlijL^ ^jJJjCLl (Istanbildan dakhl, or Istanb6danda
top galdl) cannon came from Constantinople also ;
186 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
(istauboldan t6p dakhl galdl) cannon, too, came from
Constantinople.
This enclitic is repeated after each member of a phrase
linked together by its use; as, sjj *,.xp sjjj (ben-da gederlm;
Ox flJJJ *0 SO' *0*
san-da) /, too, will go, as also thou ; jj*~^=> _>^ *<dj\ 8jkl-J *^ J -
(ben-da, san-da, 6-da, uchumuz gldeiiz) /, thou, and he too, will
all three go.
It is often placed after a verb in the conditional, its sense
being then, in English, rendered by even ; as, j A-J> (galse-de)
even should he come ; S^A-J^ ^^^(galmlsh Ise-de) even though he
be come; sj(_jlj6 (galseydl-da) had he even come ; oj-Jjl d^d
(galejek 6lsa-da) even should he be about to come (even should he
think of coming, or resolve to come).
After other verbs than conditionals, it is enclitic with each
that enters a phrase, and answers to our both, followed by and
or also; as, sj^JS sj^jK (gelliim-da, gyururdm-da) / will both
come, and see also ; sj^jSl +**~)\ jj&-> **jjj-$ **jjX ( ,
beyanlr-lse-m, allrim-da) / will come, and I will see, and if I
admire, will also buy.
The conjunctions jL\ , d/^ ^, in the sense of whether ... ,
or whether, ^^\ (eyer) if, with A^(ger-chl, vulg. gerche) or
u*^>\ (eyer-chl, vulg. egerche) although, put the verb or verbs
of their phrase in the conditional ; as, A-lj^U iLj^U (ha galse,
SYNTAX. 18
h4 galmasa) whether he come, or (whether he come) not;
s + OO-" O <' >
(eyer galsa) if lie come; sjju-jj (J iJ^ *-*:j^=*\ (egerchl galmlsh Isa-
da) although he be even come (even though he be come).
When the copulative j joins one verb or phrase to another,
it is pronounced ve, in conformity (to a certain degree) with
its original Arabic pronunciation ; but when, in Persian con-
struction, it unites two nouns, substantive or adjective, it takes
the vowel-sound of a or A, and joins on, in pronunciation, as
though in a syllable, with the consonant preceding it ; as,
(*jf } (jjJb (galdl ve gyurdu) he came, and he saw; JL^j ^3*
(devlet u Iqbal) fortune and prosperity ; eu-^JjJ j ^ (qavi-yu
ten-durust) strong and healthy.
The Persian conjunction (kl) that, always connects two
members of a phrase, and should never be supposed to be a
relative pronoun in Turkish (as it really is in Persian, as well
.^ } J ,
as a conjunction) ; as, iS Jjl +j** (ma'lum ola kl) be it known
that Sometimes the clause that follows shows the cause
or reason of that which precedes ; the conjunction may then
O ^ O **,''* * s O * * O X O ^
be rendered \yjfor or because; as, { j t ^ <o ^\S Jlij J<sJ^I J^*j^i
O 9 * Jo J OOx ^xxOX
^jaJ (jjJjl dLil ^tt AJ^aix* (nlyjizmend 6l^l!in, ve nale-kyunan, kl
jlns-1 magferete sim-1 eshk 6ldu niiqud) let us be instant in sup-
plications, and assiduous in moans, for the silver of (man's) tears
has been made the coins payable for the wares of (God's) mercy.
O i 3^3 -oJ JJ
(The inversion ^HJ ^jjjl for (jdj\ Jjij is poetical.)
188 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
After a verb signifying to say (which also may mean, to say
to one's self, to think), or to ask, the conjunction A_$"introduces,
what is, was, or will be said or thought ; but the question must
be in the mood, tense, number, and person, in the very words,
used by the speaker or thinker ; as, ^^6 ^Jj &j* (dly6r kl,
yarln gellrlm) he says, I will come to-morrow ; >s y A_J (j^jf
(s6rdu kl, bu ne dlr) he asked, What is this ? We see, then,
that 4$7 so used, is the equivalent of our sign of quotation, the
inverted commas. We cannot alter the phrase as is our custom,
and say, he says he will come, or he asked what that was.
Occasionally, in, a certain style, this A_J is omitted ; as,
O x O * O >
J(i^> <j\ (^Jjo (dldl : ey shehrlyar) he exclaimed, " monarch.""
But the method more generally used, especially in conversa-
tion, and which is the true Turkish mode, is to quote first what
was said, asked, or thought, and then immediately to bring in
the verb to say, fyc., in its proper tense, number, and person;
Ox 01 O *
as, jjyjjjjv (gellrlz dlyorler) they say, We will come; i. e., they
say they will come ; cJo.i +s~*jjJ> (gyurmadlm didl) lie said, I
did not see (him, her, it, them, you, &c.) ; i. e., he said he did
o *
not see. In this case, if the verb \ised be any other than eiUjo,
the Turkish conjunction jjo (dlyu, vulg. deye), which really is
o * o J
the first or fifth gerund, modified by usage, of iUp, viz., ^^
or AO , is introduced before the verb used, and after the quota-
tion ; it is the equivalent of our saying ; as, ^ ^
SYNTAX. 189
IjJLl Jljl (keyfinlz lyi-ml, dlyii, su'al etdlm) 7 asked (of him
or her), saying, Is your health yood ? i. e., / asked how he was ;
jjf_>\ $\ * jjjsi (belmeyirlz, dlyii, inkyar Idly6rler) they
deny, saying. We know not ; i. e., they deny, and say they know
not ; I jll Uji. Jo 3-^3*^ (galmazslnlz, diyu, khulyd etdlm) /
formed an idea, saying (to myself), You will not come ; i. e., /
imagined that you would not come ; ^_Xj_jJS j_o AJ (ne dlyii, g^,l-
dlniz) saying what (to thyself), ar thou come? i.e., t^Aai a?'e
you come for?
The coDJunction A_> sometimes, as in Persian, serves to
connect an incidental qualifying phrase to an antecedent noun,
as though it were a relative pronoun ; but in such case it never
undergoes declension or takes a preposition, the following
o J c ^ i o'
phrase being complete in all its parts ; as, J^l ^L-. j jk*.
,jj
(hamd A slpas 61 khiidavend-l bi-'lllete seza dlr, kl, vAjud-1 enhar
u qu'ur-1 blhar yek-qatre-1 qudret-1 na-mutenahllerl dlr) glory and
lauds are worthy of that uncaused Lord God, of whose infinite
power the existence of rivers and the depths of oceans are but a
single drop.
The foregoing example shows that it is often difficult or
impossible to distinguish whether the phrase that follows A_^
x
is a qualificative, or the exposition of a reason. We might
190 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
take it in this latter sense, and translate : for, the existence of
rivers, #c., are but one drop, &c.
But, in ethical works and the like, generally composed by
members of the 'Alemii class (Doctors of Canon Law) on a
Persian or Arabic model, the clause that follows A) is generally
qualificative, and the style is anti-Turkish. Thus :
*Jjl & ..ti 4*c u*r* J?* 4-i^ ^+*> ^>** (her kes kl dest-1 hlmmet
lid habl-1 metin-1 e aql& mtUeshebbls 61a, ) ; every one who
shall take hold of the firm cable of reason with the hand of
endeavour, ; ^ jjuL* &j-siJb.>i!>^jy\Lj> (bii janverler kt
n&zar-l 'ibret-U m^nzur dAr, ) these animals which are
looked upon with a regard for instruction,
The conjunctions aJU (ta kl) in order that, &S j)ll (shayed
kl) perhaps, lest, A-L].>1* (m^-dam-kl) as long as, since, ^bC
^ X
(me-badfi kl) lest, &jt^* (meyer kl) unless, require their verbs
,XO- i.X ^ ,
to be in the optative ; as, A-JU j*.*: A_) U ( tiihtlmmAlu
qalmaya) in order that no power of endurance be left in him ;
^JAJjl I)$L *> jjll ( m^uhezlm 6laler) lest they be routed;
jAj\ i"Cl. A-5CIbU ( hayfitdd 61aler) since they are alive;
4,1 ji4ji ^^W ( ^y 1 ^ o1 ^) lest {i be s i *
X
( gyuzel olA) unless he (she, it) be beautiful.
SYNTAX. 191
SECTION XIII. Syntax of the Interjection.
Some interjections are accompanied by nouns and pronouns,
some by nouns only, others have no accompaniment, and some
precede verbs.
When accompanied by a noun, the noun is always in the
nominative, excepting with the interjection jjLj (yaziq) ; as,
,LjLj \) (vwakh babam) alas, my father ! J-Cjl ^^Jl (fiferin,
vulg. afeiim oghlum) well done, my boy ! ^~u1 ^jJ) (gldl edeb-
slz) 0, impudent fellow ! ^jj,* ^T (ey qardashim) well, brother!
fW (J^ (&man chojughum) 0, my child! *Ju*l Cjl (merhaba
efendlm) God's blessing on you, sir I They always precede the
noun. The word jjlj is used in this way also, but it further
permits its substantive to be put in the dative ; as, *X_Il j-.lj
(yaziq emeylm), A5Cj j^lj (yaziq emeylme) alas my trouble !
alas for my trouble I
When accompanied by a pronoun, except the interjection
(j-~j (gldl), the pronoun must be in the dative ; as, j j^b
(yaziq band) poor me ! ^L^ ~\j (vwiikh sana) alas for thee !
B^JLJl tf.j-*\ (aferlm S,nlard) well done, thy ! The exceptional
(J.XP is constructed with the accusative of the second person
singular, which it may precede or follow ; as, ^ ^f (gldl
sanl) or ^^^L (sanl gldl) faugh, thou (good-for-nothing) !
192 OTTOMAN TURKISH GRAMMAR.
Interjections indicative of a desire for the future or regret
for the past, are constructed with the conditional, aorist or
past accordingly ; as, t*J6 si (ah galsa) that he would come !
^j-llTsl (ah galseydl) that he had come ! One of these,
^Ul , is constructed also with the imperative, and expresses
vehement desire with the affirmative, or dread with the nega-
tive ; as, t_~r+~ * ^Ll (aman gltmasa) that he go not (by his
own desire) ! ^j-~iJ ^Ul (ilman gitmasin) that he go not (if
my wish prevail) !
With an imperative, 4* (hele) expresses an invitation or a
challenge; as, J^4-* (hele gal) come along ! ^^JS j^-b (hele
galsin) just let him only come !
Arabic phrases are often used as interjections, generally
- , jji ,,&' *Z - J Z -
after proper names ; as, ^W *JJl \$* A*,^=U> $*=*+ (mekke-1
mAkerreme, kerrema-ha 'llahA taala) Mekka the Venerated,
which may God, who be exalted, cause to be venerated !
IjcV 1 ^Tzs Majesty, the champion of the faith, Sultan
Selim Khan, the shadows of whose clemency may God spread
over the crowns of the heads of mankind, so long as the months
repeat themselves and the years renew themselves !
FINIS.
( 193 )
ADDENDUM.
IN p. 45, after line 5, as a further remark on the uses of
letter j , the following rule is not without its use ; viz.,
In a few words of Persian origin only, the letter j , follow-
ing a letter ^ , and itself followed by a long vowel-letter 1 ,
is suppressed and lost in the pronunciation. Thus (j^ kh'iin,
y. kh'ah, JUljL kh'ahlsh. The word *J> kh'aja, of this
class, and its derivatives, Jj*\j>> , J^J^ji. , &c., have been
corrupted in Turkish into khoja, khojagjan, khojalfq, &c. In
Persian proper, a very few words beginning with ji., without
a following 1 , elide the j in like manner in pronouncing ; but
this is never observed in Turkish, unless it may be in the
rhyme-words of ancient poetry. Thus the word ^>j^ (usually
read khush in Persian, khish in Turkish) is made to rhyme
with ^J>j vesh, for instance ; and in consequence must then be
read kh'ash. ^ (usually khud, Turkish khid) is made to
rhyme with jj bed ; something after the manner of our poets,
who make wind rhyme with find, mind, &c. This is what is
styled Jjjjw>j[j (vwfiwi ma'dule), deflected j, in Persian.
( 195 )
INDEX.
A.
Accidence, p. 51.
Active participles, 100, 105.
aorist,100 102.
,, future, 100, 101.
past, 100, 101.
perfect, 100,101.
present, 100, 101.
Active verb, 92.
Addendum on *!j J* jlj , 193.
Adjectival expressions, 72.
Adjectives, 61, 6874.
Arabic, 61, 69.
Persian, 68, 7072.
Compound, 70-2.
Syntax of, 168.
Turkish, 68, 69, 73-4.
Adverbial expressions, 154.
Adverbs, Arabic, 73.
Syntax of, 182.
Turkish, 73.
Affirmative verb, 92.
Alphabet by forms, 2.
Numeral, 3.
Semitic, Greek, and La-
tin, 3.
Alphabet,Semitic,Greek,and Latin,
Synopsis of, 4.
Aorist active participle, 100 102.
Aorist passive participle, 103.
Aorist tense, 100.
,, conditional, 109.
,, indicative, 107.
necessitative, 108,
optative, 109.
Apposition, 160.
Arabic active participles (nomeii
agentis), 59, 61, 62.
Arabic adjectival expressions, 72.
adjectives, 61,69.
adverbs, 73.
broken plurals, 55 60.
chapters of derivation, 57,
6264.
Arabic diminutives, 60, 67.
irregular plurals, 5560.
noun of instrument and
receptacle, 60.
Arabic nouu of kind or manner,
60.
place of abundance,
60.
19G
INDEX.
Arabic noun of time and place, 60.
unity, 60.
Arabic ordinals, 78.
passive participle (nomen
patientis), 59, 61, 62.
Arabic plurals, 55.
,, irregular, 55 60.
regular, 55.
Arabic quadriliteral roots, 65.
regular plurals, 55.
substantives, 53, 54.
,, triliteral roots, 56.
,, verbal nouns (nomen verbi),
58,61-2.
B.
Brevity, Conversational, 158.
Broken(irregular) plural, 19,55 60.
C.
Cardinal numbers, 74-7.
Categories of verbs, 99.
Complex, 99,^119,
Category 5< First Complex, 119, 120.
"Second 119,125.
Simple, of verbs, 99, 1 19.
Third Complex, 119, 129.
Causal gerund-like locution, 113.
Causative verb, 93.
,, ,, Compound, 150.
Closed syllable, 27.
Combined (true Turkish) Conjuga-
tion, 133.
Complex Categories of Verb, 99,
119.
Complex fractional numbers, 80.
Compound Persian Adjectives, 70.
Verbs, 148.
Active, 149.
Intransitive, 149.
Passive, 149.
Transitive, 149.
Conditional mood, 100.
Conjugation, 99.
Combined (true Turk-
ish), 133.
Conjugational root, 96.
Conjunctions, 156.
Syntax of, 185.
Consonants, 15.
Hard, 47.
Movent, 31, 32 ter,
33 ter.
Consonants, Neutral, 48.
Quiescent, 27.
Soft, 47.
Conversational brevity, 158.
D.
Dates of documents, &c., 81.
Declination of Demonstratives, 88.
Interrogatives, 89.
' Nouns, 51.
Personal Pronouns,
82.
Defective Verbs, 98.
Demonstrative Pronouns, 88.
Derivation of Verbs, 92.
Determinate Verb, 93.
INDEX.
197
Digits, 81.
Diminutive, Arabic, 67.
Persian, 67.
Turkish, 66, 73.
Directing vowels, 27.
Distributive numbers, 78.
Documents, Dates of, 81.
Dominant (letter or vowel), 48, 49.
Dubitative Verb, 1 11.
Compound, 150.
Esere, 16 bis.
Etymology, 51.
Euphony, 15,48-50.
Expressions, Adjectival, 72.
Adverbial, 154.
Facile Verbs, 141.
Compound, 150.
First Complex Category of Verbs,
119, 120.
First Person Plural of Verbs, 116.
Pronoun, 82.
Singular of Verbs, 115.
Pronoun, 82.
Formation of the Tenses, 106.
Fractional numbers, 79.
Future Active Participle, 100, 101.
Passive , 103.
,, Tense, Imperative, 100.
Indicative, 108.
Past, 100.
Verbal Noun, 104.
G.
Gender, 51.
General Verbal Noun, 103.
Gerund, Fifth, 112.
First, 111.
Fourth, 112.
Second, 111.
Seventh, 112.
Sixth, 112.
Third, 112.
Gerund-like locutions, 110, 111.
Causal, 110,
113.
Gerund-like locutions of propor-
tion, 113.
Gerund-like locutions of time, 111,
114, 115.
Gerund-like locution of time, Fifth,
115.
First, 114.
Fourth, 114.
Second,114.
>, Sixth, 115.
Third, 114.
Gerunds, 99, 110.
Syntax of, 181.
H.
Half, 79.
Hard cor. sonants, 47.
vowels, 48.
Hemze, 10, 3033.
omitted, 24.
Radical, 30, 31.
Servile, 30, 31.
193
INDEX.
I.
Identity of Semitic, Greek, and
Latin Alphabets, 3.
Imperative Mood, 100.
Imperfect Tense, 100.
indicative, 107.
Impotential Verbs, 92.
Compound, 150
Indefinite numerals (pronouns), 80.
Indeterminate Verbs, 93.
Indicative Mood, 100.
Infinitive Mood, 100.
Syntax of, 179.
Interjections, 157.
Syntax of, 191.
Interrogation, 151.
Interrogative Pronouns, 89.
Verbs, 151.
Intransitive Verbs, 92.
Compound, 149.
J.
Jnnctional Letters, 9.
Letters, 1
Junctional, 9.
Names of the, 1, 1014.
Non-Junctional, 9.
,, of prolongation, 17.
,, of the Alphabet, 1.
Radical, 30, 31.
Reduplicated, 29, 30, 32.
Servile, 28, 30, 31.
Locutions, Gerund-like, 110115.
M.
Medd, 24-26.
Months, Signs for, in dates, 81.
Moods, 100.
Mood, Conditional, 100.
Imperative,
Indicative,
Infinitive,
,, Necessitative,
Optative,
N.
Names of Letters, 1, 10-14.
Necessitative Mood, 100.
Negative Verbs, 92.
Compound, 150.
Neuter Verbs, 97.
Neutral consonants, 48.
vowels, 48.
Noun Adjective, 68.
Arabic, 68, 69.
Persian, 68.
Compound,70.
Syntax of, 168.
Turkish, 68.
Substantive, 51.
Syntax of, 161.
Verbal, 99, 103-5.
Syntax of, 179.
Numbers and persons of verbs, 115.
Numeral Alphabet, 3.
Numerals, 74-82.
Cardinal, Arabic, 74-7.
Persian, 74-7.
ITTDEX.
199
Numerals, Cardinal, Turkish, 74-6.
Distributive, 78.
Fractional, 79.
Indefinite, 80.
Interrogative, 76.
,, Ordinal, Arabic, 78.
Persian, 78.
Turkish, 77.
Turkish Peculiar, 80.
Syntax of, 170.
0.
Open syllables, 27.
Optative Mood, 100.
Orthographic signs, 15, 2833.
P.
Participles, 100.
Active, 100-105.
Aorist, 100, 102.
Future, 100,101.
General, 100.
Past, 100, 101.
Perfect,100,101.
Present, 100-2.
Passive, 101, 103, 105.
Aorist, 103.
Future, 103.
Syntax of, 178.
Twenty-eight, 101.
Passive participles, 101, 103, 105.
verb, 92.
Compound, 149.
verbal adjective, 104.
Past active participle, 100, 101.
Past future tense, 100.
Past future indicative, 100, 108.
Past tense, 100.
indicative, 107.
Peculiar Turkish numerals, 80.
relatives, 91.
Perfect active participle, 100, 101.
Perfect tense, 100.
,, indicative, 107.
,, verbal noun, 103.
Permissive verbs, 93.
Persian adjectives, 68, 70-2.
,, Compound, 70-2.
Persian diminutive, 67.
letters, 2, 13.
plurals of nouns, 54.
substantives, 53, 54.
Personal pronouns, 82.
Phonetic values of letters, 15,34-50.
Phonetic values of vowels,17,48-50
Pluperfect tense, 100.
indicative, 108.
Plural of nouns, Arabic irregular,
55-60.
Plural of nouns, Arabic regular, 55.
Persian, 54.
Turkish, 51.
Possessive pronouns, 83-8.
Potential verbs, 141-2.
Compound, 150.
Precision in writing, 158.
Prepositions, 156.
Syntax of, 184.
Present active participle, 100-2.
tense, 100.
indicative, 106.
200
INDEX.
Present tense infinitive, 110.
verbal noun, 103.
Prolongation, Letters of, 17.
Pronoun, 82.
Demonstrative, 88.
,, Indefinite (numeral), 80.
Interrogative, 89.
Personal, 82.
Possessive, 8388.
Relative, 90.
Peculiar Turkish, 91.
. Q-
Q derived from j , <p , 4, 8, 40.
Quiescence, sign of, 19, 28.
R.
Radical letters, 30, 31.
Reciprocal verbs, 93.
Compound, 150.
Reduplicated letters, 29, 30, 32.
Reflexive verb, 98.
Root of conjugation, 96.
tense, 106, 115.
Second Complex Category of Verbs,
119, 125.
Second person plural, 118.
singular, 116.
Servile letters, 28, 30, 31.
Sign of quiescence, 19, 28.
reduplication, 24 26,
Signs for the months in dates, 81.
Simple Category of Verbs, 99 119.
verbs, 93.
Soft consonants and vowels, 48.
Substantives, 51.
Syntax of, 16L
Syllabary, No. 1 and No. 2, 17.
Syllables, closed and open, 27.
Synopsis of Semitic, Greek and
Latin Alphabets, 4.
Syntax, 158.
of adjectives, 168.
of adverbs, 182.
of conjunctions, 185.
of gerunds, 181.
of infinitive, 179.
of interjections, 191.
of numerals, 170.
of participles, 178.
of prepositions, 184.
of pronouns, 173.
of substantives, 161.
of verbal nouns, 179.
of verbs, 174.
T.
Table of verbal derivation, 94-5.
Tenses, 100, 104, 106110.
Aorist conditional, 109.
indicative, 107.
necessitative, 108.
optative, 109.
Formation of the, 106.
Future imperative, 100;
,, indicative, 108.
INDEX.
201
Tense, Imperfect, 100.
indicative, 107.
Past, 100.
indicative, 107-
Future, 100.
,, indicative, 108.
Perfect, 100.
indicative, 108.
Pluperfect, 100.
indicative, 108.
Present, 100.
indicative, 106.
infinitive, 110.
Teshdid, 32.
Third Complex Category of Verbs,
119, 129.
Third person plural, 118.
singular, 106.
Transitive verb, 92.
Transliteration, 15, 17, 34 47.
Turkish adjectives, 68, 69, 73-4.
adverbs, 73.
cardinal numbers, 74-6.
interrogative, 76.
conjugation (combined),
133.
Turkish ordinal numbers, 77.
plural of substantives, 51.
substantives, 51.
true combined conjugation,
133.
U.
Ustun, 16.
Uturu, 16.
Y.
Values of letters, 1550.
Verb, 92153.
Active, 92.
Affirmative, 92.
Auxiliary, 149.
Causative, 93.
. Compound, 150.
Combined conjugation of,
133.
. Complex Categories of, 99
133.
Verb, Complex Category of, First,
119, 120.
Verb, Complex Category of, Second,
119, 125.
Verb, Complex Category of, Third,
119, 129.
Verb, Compound, 148.
Conjugation of, 99.
Defective, 98.
Determinate, 93.
Dubitative, 141.
Compound, 150.
Facile, 141.
n Compound, 150.
Impotential, 92.
Compound, 150.
Indeterminate, 93.
Interrogative, 151.
Intransitive, 92.
Compound, 149.
Negative, 92.
> > Compound, 150.
Neuter, 97.
202
INDEX.
Verb of Existence, Non-Existence,
Presence, or Absence, 147.
Verb, Passive, 92.
Compound, 149.
Permissive, 93.
Potential, 141-2.
Compound, 150.
Reciprocal, 93.
Compound, 150.
Reflexive, 98.
Simple, 93.
Simple Category of, 99-119.
Substantive, 144.
Syntax of, 174.
Transitive, 92.
,, Compound, 149.
Verbal adjective passive, 104.
derivation, 92.
Table of, 94.
Nouns, 99, 103105.
Verbal Nouns, Future, 104.
General, 103.
Perfect, 103.
Present, 103.
Syntax of, 179.
Vowels, 15.
Directing, 27.
Hard, 48.
Letters, 15, 16.
Long, 17, bis.
Neutral, 48.
Points, 15, 16.
Short, 16, 17.
Soft, 48.
W.
Written digits, 81.
signs for months in dates,
81.
I as a vowel, 17, 23, 26, 27.
numeral, 4.
\ consonant, 23.
T24.
i 25.
57.
16.
C JWI 57.
JU 57.
* 57.
l 57.
57.
INDEX.
^ o a o
O * Q xO-
i 1 1 .1 ffy
l\) Jj*9l O*.
V V (pi. tjljjl) 57.
<jC Jli-xsl 57.
A x 1 x
J? 82.
,3V jlJl 57.
J> 82 '
/ ^
Ox
isxfi 164.
db 164.
*
O x
* Jill 2.
tf 82 -
ii^aju L oil 10.
j?88.
-X XX
- ^ xx
6^ II*' wjaf 10
jb JfiUJ 57.
X x
j3\j. jUail 57.
^jb JjuJ 57.
JOT 82.
^u J-xflJ 57.
ji 82, 88.
jtf 56.
X
J
S.j 88.
x
JU5 56.
X
* J J
^j*,l 16.
!^. 19, 28.
JylLjl 16.
LGJ. 167.
HI x JJ .1 ,
J/l 82, 88.
+ uJ^a. (sing, j^
^Jjl 38.
x
4-^l... 9.
<^jj^ 106.
aJUJ ... 9.
jli jCli 20.
v^JL 167.
"" 1 5Cj1 20
^Ci 56.
^;^2o.
^ 146, 160, 175.
X
203
17.
204 INDEX.
0"x * x J 00' * J
l/'j 5G -
dJI^LLc, aJ! ^^ 161.
^.Jil 56.
Vjl 164.
o c-o c x
|S * 151153.
r* 1 j r'r*'? r)**' ^"
Ox
^ * .X-*' . W
O-XX X J'J X
.. r J
- . 1 . Q/^
ijUaL- 164.
r
j consonant, 23; vowel, 17, 20.
1 29.
J r J
J } 147.
*i oo, jv** yy
dJjjjwj^j zra Addendum, 193.
J J
5 consonant, 15,19; vowel,
^
19 23 ; numeral, 4.
J^ 56, 57.
> 10,3033.
o - o
J3U* 57.
^ consonant, 15; vowel, 17;
^b Jjts 57.
numeral, 4.
x
fj pronounced as 1 when final,
i\j ^JJtjt9 O i
10.
j , 9 , original of our letter
J# 147 '
Q q, 4, 8, 40.
r. 10.
_.U (whence ^>^U) 76.
.1 16.
*
1 20.
,0 as a conjunction, 187 190.
- 16.
J 90.
7 20.
"
L 16.
^89,
A 20.
(
1 28.
2426.
29.
^,/i* , j^> , ^i^* (also ^^)
3033.
161.
166.
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