Vocabulary

Nouns

Are words employed to describe objects, or with the intention of distinguishing between one and another.
Words can be divided into two classes:

1. Nouns

2. Verbs

Noun-origin words: Nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, particles, conjunctions, exclamations.
Noun-content words refer to things, sensations, feelings and facts. They can be concrete or abstract such as, Book, water, happiness, beautiful etc.

Dictionary

A book that gives a list of words in alphabetical order, with their meanings in the same or another language

Slang

It is an informal language with its own set of words, expressions and meanings, often used only by people who belong to a particular group. For instance,”rubbing out”can be used for ‘killing.’

Onomatopeia

Words created from sounds in nature.

A. Words produced from sounds made by objects: Bang, splash ...

B. Animal sounds: Miao, woof ...

C. Human sounds: Sshhh, ouch...

Names of days, weeks and months

Although everyone knows the days of the week by their ‘official’ names, days also have particular names in different regions and towns. For instance, in the Çal district of Denizli Perşembe (Thursday) is known as Cuma akşamı (Friday evening), Pazar (Sunday) as Gireği, and Çarşamba (Wednesday) as Işıklı. The different names for the days in that district come from the places where markets, important commercial centres, were set up.
Another example of days of the week from Dişkaya Village in Uşak;

Pazar (Sunday): Girey

Pazartesi (Monday): Gula Bazarı (Gula Market)

Salı (Tuesday): Gula Bazar Ertesi (The Day after Gula Market)

Çarşamba (Wednesday): Eşme Bazarı

Perşembe (Thursday): Cumaşamı

Cuma (Friday): Cuma

Cumartesi (Saturday): Cumartesi

In societies that survive by farming and agriculture, the calendar is organised according to the seasons and divisions within each season when the same climatic conditions are met each year. In fact, popular calendars in such societies are little different from solar ones, and are based on the same principle. However, variations are seen in the names of the months and their subdivisions, stemming from a number of factors. In the Çal district of Denizli, for instance, each season consists of two months, or eight a year.

Spring:

Mart (22 March – 5 May)

Hıdırellez (6 May – 21 June)

Summer:

Gündönümü (22 June – 12 August)

Ağustos (14 August – 21 September)

Autumn:

Güz (22 September – 5 November)

Kasım (6 November – 21 December)

Winter:

Zemheri (22 December – 31 January)

Karakış (1 February – 21 March)

In Giresun the months have different names: Zemheri (January, Ocak in Turkish), Gücük (Şubat), Mart (Mart), Abrul (Nisan), Mayıs (Mayıs), Kiraz (Haziran), Orak (Temmuz), Ağustos (Ağustos), Hac Ayı (Eylül), Avara (Ekim), Koç Ayı (Kasım), and Karakış (Aralık). In most popular calendars, the word Karakış, generally employed for a winter month or part thereof, has the negative meaning of ‘black face.’ This recalls the period when a farmer cannot work and experiences his most difficult times. The period known as Avara refers to the time when the harvest is in and the farmer has no more work.
In many local calendars, February is known as Gücük (irritating) as it has fewer days than the other months. Since October is a time for livestock and fruit productions, local names have come to reflect this: Koç Ayı (Ram Month), Kiraz Ayı (Cherry Month) etc.

In Anatolian calandars, there are other references to breeding apart from rams for particular times of the year, such as Kuzu ayı (Lamb Month) for March in Kars. It should not be thought that these coincide with the same months or periods in the official calendar.

The most widespread rule in the division of the year into seasons is: The division of the year into Kasım and Hıdırellez. Kasım begins at the start of the official month of the same name, but lasts until 6 May. Hıdırellez starts on 6 May and lasts until November.

In eastern regions of Anatolia, and especially among Alawite communities, the New Year is considered to begin on Nevruz, or March 22. That date has been considered as the beginning of spring, or the New Year, in many cultures. In eastern Anatolian tradition, one meets the belief that Nevruz is the day when Noah left the Ark on Mount Nemrut and descended to the Sürmeli Gap. According to the Tahtacı people of Narlıdere, Nevruz is the day when Ali was born. The days of summer begin with Nevruz. God, it is said, made the summer days long so that long jobs could be completed, and winter days short so that there should be enough food to go round. The people of Tahtacı also believe that Ali was born on a Friday.

In many parts of Anatolia, as winter gives way to summer, certain periods, one month apart, are termed nines, sevens, fives, threes and ones. These days begin with the nines in Gaziantep: the sevens are in the three weeks at the end of January and early February, the fives are in the end of February and three weeks of March, the threes are at the end of March and the first week of April, and the ones at the end of April and the first weeks May. These numbers show how many days remain until the new moon. This tradition of popular Turkish calendars appears in an Arabic-Turkish dictionary of 1551, where Kanun-I evvel (December) ‘s referred to as the nines.
The division of the year is also linked to the stars. The Pleiades appear in early November, and disappear in May.

Swearing

Words intended to abuse someone else. Words used to reject fundamental religious beliefs, such as the existence of God.
Nicknames

REASONS WHY PEOPLE ARE GIVEN NICKNAMES

Nicknames are symbols by which it is easier to recognize and distinguish people living in the same community. Women’s names are generally composed of words that are soft, melodious and pleasing to the ear. Men’s are generally harder, more in keeping with the male character. They tend to represent strength, more appropriate to men’s lifestyle.

Nicknames emerge as a clarification of peoples’ origins. Other factors giving rise to nicknames can be occupation, idleness, industriousness, ethnic origin, home town, feelings of envy, physical characteristics, attitude to the community, or a link to the family’s past.

Examples of such nicknames from all over Türkiye can be listed as follows:

The Sons of Acar: Refers to all members of the same family descended from ‘Acar.’

The Vultures: Given to all members of the family of that name. The Germans: Given to those who have spent long periods in that country.

Sergeant Ahmet: Given to those who held that rank during their military service.

Yaşar the Cart: Given to one who makes his living with such a vehicle.

Hasan the Ballık Milkman: Someone from the village of Ballık who sells milk.

The Watchmen: Given to people whose older relatives once did that job.

The Belbels: If a senior family member has been a barber.

Arif the Musician: For someone who plays at weddings.

Chatty Hatçe: A loquacious woman.

The Millers: People whose home village has a mill.

The Electrician Selims: All the members of a family, one of whose members is called selim and works as an electrician. Grandfather Ezan: Who goes to the mosque ten minutes before the call to prayer (ezan).

The Bakers: Because they have a bakery.

The Gölmens: From the village of Gölmen.

Abyssinian Osman: Because he doesn’t know what he exactly does.

Mustafa Black Whiskers: On account of his black moustache. The Koreans: If a relative once fought in the Korean War. Kurdish Yusuf: Clarifying his ethnic origins.

Mustafa from Lümbe: From the village of Lümbe

Ahmet the Pomak: Similar.

Deaf Fatma: On account of her father’s deafness.

Feudal Lords of Seyde: On account of their wealth

Fatty Fatma: On account of her corpulence.

The Tatars: An expression of ethnic origin.

Tekel Hatçe: Given to frequent shopping trips to the state-owned Tobacco and Alcohol Company (Tekel).

Foxy Remzi: On account of his cunning.

The Grandson: Because he attracts everyone’s attention as he walks around with his grandson.

Long Cafer: On account of his height.

The Snake Woman: From a belief that women have a snake inside them.