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culture and language
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| 1. |
13 Dec 2006 Wed 02:16 pm |
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Since culture and language are interrelated what you have in your culture exists as an expression or as a word in your language. For istance: Eksimos have lots of words defining snow and the way it snows because snow has an important part in their lives. In Turkish we have three or four words defining snow or the way it snows: lapa lapa (= in big flakes) yağmak, tipi (=snowstorm), sulu sepken (=rain mixed with snow). Have you ever come across with such Turkish words or expressions that you don't have any words or expressions having the same meaning in your mother tongue.
For example: We have a word: görümce (=a married woman's husband's sister is her "görümce"). Do you have a word having the same meaning with "görümce" in your language?
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| 2. |
13 Dec 2006 Wed 02:31 pm |
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As another example, it is said that the Arabs have five hundred names for the lion, and two hundred names for the snake. I wonder how many they have for the camel. Any Arabic speakers here?
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| 3. |
13 Dec 2006 Wed 02:33 pm |
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Quote: I wonder how many they have for camel. Any Arabic speakers here? |
I wonder that, too. Once I heard they have plenty.
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| 4. |
13 Dec 2006 Wed 02:37 pm |
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Quoting qdemir:
For example: We have a word: görümce (=a married woman's husband's sister is her "görümce"). Do you have a word having the same meaning with "görümce" in your language? |
As another example "baldız" means wife's sister.
And we have two words for uncle and aunt:
amca = father's brother
dayı = mother's brother
hala = father's sister
teyze = mother's sister
etc.
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| 5. |
13 Dec 2006 Wed 03:01 pm |
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Quoting qdemir: Quote: I wonder how many they have for camel. Any Arabic speakers here? |
I wonder that, too. Once I heard they have plenty. |
As far as I know, there are 160 words for camel in arabic...
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| 6. |
13 Dec 2006 Wed 03:08 pm |
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Quoting qdemir: Have you ever come across with such Turkish words or expressions that you don't have any words or expressions having the same meaning in your mother tongue.
For example: We have a word: görümce (=a married woman's husband's sister is her "görümce"). Do you have a word having the same meaning with "görümce" in your language? |
The first thing that came to my mind when I read your post was the amount of different names you have for family members, and there you say it yourself! 
Yes, that's one of the first things I noticed, different names for your granddad and grandmum on mother's or father's side of the family, for example. I guess it has everything to do with the importance of family in TR society.
Btw, when you mention "görümce", does that mean that a married man can't use it when he talks about his wife's sister? Is there another word when a man wants to refer to her?
And indeed, in my language there is not that much to discuss when it comes to words for family members 
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| 7. |
13 Dec 2006 Wed 04:55 pm |
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Quoting aslan2: Quoting qdemir:
For example: We have a word: görümce (=a married woman's husband's sister is her "görümce"). Do you have a word having the same meaning with "görümce" in your language? |
As another example "baldız" means wife's sister.
And we have two words for uncle and aunt:
amca = father's brother
dayı = mother's brother
hala = father's sister
yenge = mother's sister
etc. |
In this case Dutch is easier: the sister of the married wife's husband is sister-in law (schoonzus), the same for the sister of the married man's wife: sister in law. Also male: brother in law (zwager) for both parties. No differences in relations.
The brothers and sisters of both my father and my mother are my uncles (oom) and aunts (tante).
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| 8. |
13 Dec 2006 Wed 06:22 pm |
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Quote: Btw, when you mention "görümce", does that mean that a married man can't use it when he talks about his wife's sister? Is there another word when a man wants to refer to her?
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baldız
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| 9. |
13 Dec 2006 Wed 06:25 pm |
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His baldız's husband is his "bacanak". I think this is quite interesting.
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| 10. |
13 Dec 2006 Wed 07:07 pm |
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Quoting qdemir: His baldız's husband is his "bacanak". I think this is quite interesting. |
Yeah, and a little complicated too 
It would be very interesting to know the etymology of those words though.
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| 11. |
13 Dec 2006 Wed 07:30 pm |
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also
kayınço = husband's brother
elti = husband's brother's wife
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| 12. |
13 Dec 2006 Wed 09:27 pm |
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Family Relationships in turkish is so complicated and huge for learners !
Thank God we do not have this in spanish , therefore:
Your aunt is " TÃa" and your uncle is " TÃo " no matter on which side they come from!!
But it just shows how important is the place that family has in turkish society...
Good point and interesting observations!
Dilara
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| 13. |
14 Dec 2006 Thu 11:02 am |
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also i think it is quite common for names of national meals to have no tranlation in the other languages...
for example 'baklava' (in rus it sounds like 'pahlava') or helva (in rus 'halva'; though i'm not sure if it is originally turkish or not :-S )
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| 14. |
14 Dec 2006 Thu 11:14 am |
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| 15. |
14 Dec 2006 Thu 11:34 am |
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Quoting susie k: We call Nanny on mother's side, and Granny on Dad's side! |
We have one word for each:
nine = nanny/granny
But we have also:
anneanne = nanny (grandmother/mother's mother)
babaanne = granny (grandfather/father's mother)
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| 16. |
14 Dec 2006 Thu 12:10 pm |
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We have the following expression: Güle güle kullan / kullanın: When someone buys a thing, such as new clothes, a pair of shoes or a car his friends say “Güle güle kullan / kullanın†It indicates the speaker’s wish that use it with joy. Sometimes “Hayırlı olsun†is said in such condition. The reply for both expressions is “Teşekkür ederimâ€.
Do you have a similiar expression in your mother tongue in the sense of "güle güle kullan"
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| 17. |
14 Dec 2006 Thu 12:21 pm |
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nephew and niece are both called: "yeğen" in Turkish. There is no differentiation between sexes.
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| 18. |
14 Dec 2006 Thu 08:33 pm |
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Quoting qdemir: We have the following expression: Güle güle kullan / kullanın: When someone buys a thing, such as new clothes, a pair of shoes or a car his friends say “Güle güle kullan / kullanın†It indicates the speaker’s wish that use it with joy. Sometimes “Hayırlı olsun†is said in such condition. The reply for both expressions is “Teşekkür ederimâ€.
Do you have a similiar expression in your mother tongue in the sense of "güle güle kullan" |
When buying 'small' things like clothes we normally do not use any expression except to give a compliment like 'you look great in it' (het staat je goed). At large things like a car or house we can say 'veel plezier er mee' (have fun with it, hope you are lucky with it).
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| 19. |
14 Dec 2006 Thu 08:43 pm |
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Quoting qdemir: nephew and niece are both called: "yeğen" in Turkish. There is no differentiation between sexes. |
It is the same with kardeş (brother/sister), which caused a little confusion on my first day learning turkish... I did not know I could put kız/erkek in front of the word to differentiate between the two
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| 20. |
14 Dec 2006 Thu 08:49 pm |
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at the east of Turkey people call tu uncle with ''emmi''and call to aunt with ''bibi''
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| 21. |
14 Dec 2006 Thu 08:54 pm |
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In Dutch 'nicht/nichtje' can be the daughter of your uncle and aunt (cousine) but also the daughter of your brother or sister (niece).
'Neef/neefje' can be the sun of your uncle and ant (cousin) but also the son of your brother or sister (nephew).
That can be confusing sometimes yes.
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| 22. |
14 Dec 2006 Thu 09:19 pm |
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+
cousin variations:
amcaoğlu/emmoğlu = father's brother's son
amcakızı/emmikızı = father's brother's daughter
halaoğlu = father's sister's son
halakızı = father's sister's daughter
dayıoğlu = mother's brother's son
dayıkızı = mother's brother's daughter
teyzeoğlu = mother's sister's son
teyzekızı = mother's sister's daughter
gender free versions
amcazade = father's brother's child
halazade = father's sister's child
dayızade = mother's brother's child
teyzezade = mother's sister's child
torun = grandson/granddaughter
erkek torun = grandson
kız torun = granddaughter
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| 23. |
14 Dec 2006 Thu 09:24 pm |
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Quoting aslan2: +
cousin variations:
amcaoğlu/emmoğlu = father's brother's son
amcakızı/emmikızı = father's brother's daughter
halaoğlu = father's sister's son
halakızı = father's sister's daughter
dayıoğlu = mother's brother's son
dayıkızı = mother's brother's daughter
teyzeoğlu = mother's sister's son
teyzekızı = mother's sister's daughter
gender free versions
amcazade = father's brother's child
halazade = father's sister's child
dayızade = mother's brother's child
teyzezade = mother's sister's child
torun = grandson/granddaughter
erkek torun = grandson
kız torun = granddaughter
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 are they all commonly used?
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| 24. |
14 Dec 2006 Thu 09:29 pm |
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Quoting harikayim: Quoting aslan2: +
cousin variations:
amcaoğlu/emmoğlu = father's brother's son
amcakızı/emmikızı = father's brother's daughter
halaoğlu = father's sister's son
halakızı = father's sister's daughter
dayıoğlu = mother's brother's son
dayıkızı = mother's brother's daughter
teyzeoğlu = mother's sister's son
teyzekızı = mother's sister's daughter
gender free versions
amcazade = father's brother's child
halazade = father's sister's child
dayızade = mother's brother's child
teyzezade = mother's sister's child
torun = grandson/granddaughter
erkek torun = grandson
kız torun = granddaughter
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are they all commonly used? |
I don't prefer gender free versions. They are somewhat old-fashioned. Others yes.
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| 25. |
14 Dec 2006 Thu 09:37 pm |
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Quoting aslan2:
I don't prefer gender free versions. They are somewhat old-fashioned. Others yes. |
And yet the gender free versions are the only ones that show up in my dictionary! Now I know what not to say...
Another thing I don't see in English language/culture is Sıhhatler olsun... said to someone who's had a bath, haircut etc. I tried wishing my cousin well after a haircut 2 days ago ... He's been looking at me strangely ever since 
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| 26. |
14 Dec 2006 Thu 09:43 pm |
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Quoting harikayim: Quoting aslan2:
I don't prefer gender free versions. They are somewhat old-fashioned. Others yes. |
And yet the gender free versions are the only ones that show up in my dictionary! Now I know what not to say...
Another thing I don't see in English language/culture is Sıhhatler olsun... said to someone who's had a bath, haircut etc. I tried wishing my cousin well after a haircut 2 days ago ... He's been looking at me strangely even since |
My Redhouse dictionary shows all of them when I look at "cousin".
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| 27. |
14 Dec 2006 Thu 09:49 pm |
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Quoting aslan2: My Redhouse dictionary shows all of them when I look at "cousin". |
Well I certainly don't have anything like a redhouse dictionary . At least the variations are very straightforward. Each is simply a combination of words I (should) already know... that's one of the things I love about Türkçe
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| 28. |
14 Dec 2006 Thu 10:09 pm |
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When someone we know has a baby one of the expressions we say is: Allah analı babalı büyütsün (May God let him grow with his/her parents).
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| 29. |
14 Dec 2006 Thu 10:12 pm |
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Quoting qdemir: When someone we know has a baby one of the expressions we say is: Allah analı babalı büyütsün (May God let him grow with his/her parents). |
Besides for congratulations we say 'does the baby have ten toes'? Meaning "is he/she healthy?"
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| 30. |
14 Dec 2006 Thu 10:13 pm |
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Quoting susie k: We call Nanny on mother's side, and Granny on Dad's side! |
Thats just in your family Susie - not the definitive words. People also use Nanna, Gran and Grandma for either mum or dad's mum.
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| 31. |
15 Dec 2006 Fri 10:15 am |
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Quoting qdemir: We have the following expression: Güle güle kullan / kullanın: When someone buys a thing, such as new clothes, a pair of shoes or a car his friends say “Güle güle kullan / kullanın†It indicates the speaker’s wish that use it with joy. Sometimes “Hayırlı olsun†is said in such condition. The reply for both expressions is “Teşekkür ederimâ€.
Do you have a similiar expression in your mother tongue in the sense of "güle güle kullan" |
In Romanian, when sb buys new clothes or pair of shoes we say "sa il porti sanatos"(for man) and "sa il porti sanatoasa"(for women), literarly meaning "may you wear it. healthy"/ "may you be healty while wearing it".
When sb buys a car or a house, we say "sa o stapanesti sanatos/sanatoasa", lit. meanining "may you own it healthy/ may you be healty while owning it"
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| 32. |
15 Dec 2006 Fri 10:19 am |
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Quoting qdemir: When someone we know has a baby one of the expressions we say is: Allah analı babalı büyütsün (May God let him grow with his/her parents). |
In Romanian we say "sa va traiasca", meaning "may he/she live/grow"
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| 33. |
15 Dec 2006 Fri 11:54 am |
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Romanian expressions:
when two people get married we wish them "casa de piatra" (lit.= house of stone), meaning we wish them a long lasting marriage
when sb is going fishing, we say "fir intins" (li.= stretched fishing rod), meaning many fishes may come to the fishing rod
when there are many important things which need to be solved and sb spends the time on doing other, superficial things, we say to such a person: "tara arde si baba se piaptana" (lit.= the country is on fire and the old lady is combing her hair)
as each language has its own, colorful expressions, I look forward to reading your selections
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| 34. |
15 Dec 2006 Fri 06:47 pm |
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here is an old saying for marriage
"Allah bir yastıkta kocatsın" (God age you with one pillow = seems so funny in english ) which approximately means;
"may God grow you old always together"
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| 35. |
20 Dec 2006 Wed 08:05 am |
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Quote:
rena
for example 'baklava' (in rus it sounds like 'pahlava') or helva (in rus 'halva'; though i'm not sure if it is originally turkish or not :-S ) |
hallo : baklava and helva/halva - there are typical arabian / oriental words. you will find this also in farsi or arabian, also in indian words. turkish war written I think till 1920 arround in arabic letters. some words in the new turkish you can find also today ... after atatürk' s reform was born a new turkish and written by latin letters , but some ottomanian words "swipped" in the modern turkish. that you have in russia kind of this sweets for example has his roots from the time formerly ( sowjewtskaya sojusa) if a lot of muslim countries, turmenistan, aserbaidshan and and and were a part of russia...( and so also with them a little bit arabian culture...)
for example helva in india its the same: this was coming from persian ( old iran) long time ago...
regards
turkistalk
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