If you have a good Turkish dictionary and if you have some some time maybe you could help us.

We need to know which Turkish words are understandable for native English speakers when they see them written.

Here are a few examples:

yoğurt
doktor
patates
domates
televizyon
radyo

I think any English native speaker would understand these Turkish words by default. We need to create a whole reference list of such words. The criteria is the ordinary man on the street. So while you might be a highly educated person the important thing is that the average English speaker gets the meainings as well.

This issue was discussed here but we need more than one independent list.
http://www.turkishclass.com/forumTitle_6_601

Could you please check your whole Turkish-English dictionary and write a list here. No problem if you cant type in Turkish charaters. Regards.

If you're talking about the average English man on the street, I can guarantee he'd understand bira and kebap I'll add some more serious suggestions later.

Thank you Natlisa for your contribution. I think when guessing what would be understandable or not it is possible t miss a huge number of words. Thats why actually we need the whole dictionary to be checked.

I won't volunteer to do the whole dictionary, but why doesn't everyone take a letter from the dictionary each? i.e. I'm more than happy to go through my Turkish dictionary and tell you every word beginning with "A" that would make sense to a native English speaker.

Alkol, -lü Alcohol ~ik, alcoholic
Ambargo Embargo
Anormal abnormal
Antrasit anthracite
Apartıman, apartman apartment, block of flats
Asid acid
Atlet athlete

This is from my 'Concise Oxford Turkish Dictionary' which I've had since 1993!! I'll have a look through it again and add more later.

-tren
-minibüs
-garden parti
-sosyoloji, psikoloji....most words ending with "oloji"
-futbol...names of most other sports kinds
-kırık...my theory is English word "crack" comes from kırık
-magazin
-sinema
-WC
-demokrasi
-normal
-pistol
-simetrik
-asimetrik
-terör
-terörist
-modern
-çay
-eskort

-bar


hehe thats the only one i can think of at the mo hihi typical me eh...

oh yeah... have we had

-park

??

This is where I'm up to with the "A"s. I've already put the equivalents, but I won't from now on.

Abu Dabi – Abu Dhabi
adres – address
Afganistan – Afghanistan
Afrika – Africa
Ağustos – August
ah – ah! Oh!
ajan – agent
akvaryum – aquarium
alarm – alarm, warning
alaturka – in a the Turkish way
albüm – album
albumin – albumin
alerji – allergy
allerjik – allergic
alfabe – alphabet
alfabetik – alphabetic
alkalik – alkaline
alkol – alcohol
alkolik – alcoholic
Allah – Allah
Almanya – Germany
alo – hello
amatör – amateur
ambargo – embargo
ambülans – ambulance
Amerika – America
amiral – admiral
amnezi – amnesia
ampul – ampule
analiz – analysis
analoji – analogy
anatomi – anatomy
Angola – Angola
anormal – abnormal
ansiklopedi – encyclopedia
Antarktik – Antarctic
anten – antenna
antibiyotik – antibiotic
antidemokratik – antidemocratic
antifriz – antifreeze


Now I'll continue with the As

Natlisa,
thank you very much for taking the time. This list will be used when writing some lessons for this website. Cheers.

Anybody else is welcome to create another independent list. It is important not to look to other's lists since we will compare them later on.

Fantastic. At last we get a chance to help our turkish classmates! I don't have a dictionary but I will go and buy one tomorrow and do my best.

Save your "thanks" to me Erdinç....that is the polite way..

Thank you Chris123. I would suggest a redhouse dictionary. The middle sized and and blue one is very good.

Here's the rest of my A's. I've finished with A's now. I'll do another letter later.

antika
antipati
antiseptic
antoloji
apartmen
Arap
arena
aristokrasi
aristocrat
aritmetik
arkaic
arkeoloji
Arktik
armoni
arsenik
arya
aspirin
astroloji
astronomi
astronot
Asya
atlet
atmosfer
atom
avans
Avrupa
avukat
Avustralya

You certainly got what I meant Erdinç....You are welcome !

Here are my B's

bagaj
Bahreyn
baklava
bakteri
bakteriyoloji
balistik
Balkon
balon
bambu
bando
Bangladeş
banka
banker
bar
Barbados
barometre
bas
basketböl
bebe
begonya
Beliz
benzin
berber
beysbol
bezik
bikini
bilardo
bilyon
bira
biyografi
biyolji
biyopsi
blok
bluz
boa
bobbin
boksör
bolero
Bolivya
bomba
bonbon
borda
bordo
botanik
Bostvana
bravo
Brezilya
brifing
briket
bronz
buket
buldok
buldozer
Bulgaristan
burs
but
bülten
büro
bürokrasi
bust
bütan
Büyük Britanya

- otobüs
- taksi
- limon
- çip
- hamburger
- gazete
- kravat
- aspirin
- pasaport
- kredi kartı
- bisiklet
- otel
- şort
- ceket

Just to put us all in a happy mood

- hıçkırık
- migren
- ülser
- kanser

Here are my C's - I think these only work if the "ordinary native English man on the street" understands how C is pronounced in Turkish.

ceket
cengel
centilmen
cin
cip
cokey

Also it is understood how to pronounce the C, I would also add blucin to the B's.

I guess if you pronounce it in your head though - knowing how C is pronounced - you'd be close to jungle, wouldn't you? Or maybe jingle?! After all, Christmas is coming!

That really is like the final nail in the coffin!!!

My Ç's - again some of these may depend on the person knowing how to pronounce Ç

Çad
çakal
çek
Çekoslovakya
çikolata
çimento

My D's

Dahomey
dalya
Danimarka
dans
dedektif
deflasyon
dekor
delta
demokrasi
democrat
depo
depozit
diktatör
dinamo
dipfriz
diploma
diplomat
diplomatik
divan
diyalog
dok
doktor
doktora
dolar
domates
Dominikan Cumhuriyeti
domino
dosya
doz
döner kebap
dram
dramatic
Dubai
duş
düello
düzine

will go through dictionary to-night and hopefully have some words for u later

Here is E

editör
egoist
egzama
egzersiz
egzoz
ekinoks
ekonomi
ekonomik
elektrik
elips
El Salvador
Endonezya
endüstri
enerji
enerjik
enflasyon
enstitü
entelektüel
enteresan
enternasyonal
entrika
epik
eroin
esans
estetik
Etyopya

The F's

fakülte
faşist
feminist
fes
fiberglas
figur
Fiji
filarmonik
fileto
Filipinler
film
filoloji
filozof
filtre
final
Finlandiya
firma
fistüla
fiyasko
fizik
fizyoloji
flanel
flaş
floresan
florin
flört
flüt
fobi
folklor
fonksiyon
forma
formalite
formika
formül
fosfor
fosil
foto
fotoğraf
frank
Fransa
frekans
futbol

It's just dawned on me that it's a Friday night - and I'm reading a dictionary! Anyway, here are the G's!

Gabon
gaf
gala
galeri
galon
galvanizelemek
Gambiya
gamma
Gana
gangster
garaj
garanti
gargara
garson
gaz
gazete
gazino
gen
genel
geometri
geometrik
gerilla
Gine
gitar
giyotin
glikoz
gliserin
gol
golf
gondol
goril
gotik
grafik
grafit
gram
gramer
granit
granül
greyfrut
gri
gros
grup
Guatemala
Güyan

I fell down the stairs and so can't get out easily right now! So looks like spending the night reading the dictionary is exciting as it's going to get!

The H's

Haiti
hamak
hangar
harp
haşiş
hektar
Helenistik
Helicopter
helva
hentbol
hey
Hiristiyan
hidroelektrik
hidrojen
hidrolik
Hindistan
hipnotizma
hipodrom
hippi
histeri
Hollanda
Honduras
hostes

The I’s

Irak
ıspanak
ıstampa

The i’s

ideal
idealist
imaj
imam
Ingiliz
Ingilterre
Iran
Iris
Irlanda
Iskandinavya
Islam
Ispanya
Israil
istasyon
istatistik
Italya

The J's

J

Jamaika
jambon
Japonya
jarse
jelatin
jeneratör
jeoloji
jet
jilet
jimnastik
judo
jübile
jüri

The dreaded K's.....

kabine
kabotaj
kafeterya
kaftan
kahve
kakao
kaktüs
kalibre
kalori
kalorimetre
kalsiyum
kamelya
Kamerun
kamp
kampanya
kamping
kamuflaj
Kanada
kanal
kanarya
Kanarya Adaları
kangren
kanguru
kanser
kantin
kanyon
kaos
kapasite
kapitalist
kapitalizm
kapitülasyon
kapris
kapsül
kaptan
karakter
karakteristik
karamela
karantina
karbon
karbon dioksit
karbonik asit
karbüratör
kardinal
kargo
karikatür
karikatürist
karnaval
kart
kartel
karton
kartpostal
kaşmir
katalog
katarakt
katedral
kategori
Katolik
katrilyon
kayık
kebap
Kenya
kervan
kırat
kismet
kilo
kilogram
kilometre
kilovat
kinematik
kinetik
klan
klarnet
klasik
klik
klinik
klips
klorofil
kloroform
koalisyon
kok
koket
kokteyl
kola
koleksiyon
kolektif
kolera
Kolombiya
kolon
kononi
koma
komando
komedi
komedya
komedyen
komik
komisyon
komite
kompartıman
kompliman
kompozisyon
kompütür
komünist
komünizm
kondüktör
konferans
koni
konkav
konsol
konsültasyon
kontes
kontra
kontralto
kontrat
konveks
konyak
kooperatif
kopya
kordon
koridor
kornet
Kosta-Rika
kota
kotlet
kovboy
kozmetik
kravat
kredi
krem
krema
krep
kristal
kritik
kronometre
kumpanya
kupa
kupon
Kuran
kurs
kurye
kuvaför
kuzen
kuzin
Küba
kübik
kültür
Kürt

The L's

L

labirent
laboratuvar
lama
Lao
larenjit
lastik
Latin
lazer
leopar
leylak
Liberya
lider
lig
Lihtenştayn
likit
likör
limon
limonata
lir
lira
liste
litre
Litvanya
lokal
lokomotif
lotarya
Lüksemburg

And to think I thought the K's were bad! Here are the M's..!

M

maç
Madagaskar
madalyon
madam
Mafia
magazine
magnezyum
majör
maksi
maksimum
malarya
Maldiv
Mali
malt
Malta
mamut
mandater
mandolin
manganez
manikür
manometre
manya
manyetik
margarin
marka
marki
Marksist
Marksizm
Marmara
marmelat
masaj
maske
maskot
mason
mat
matematik
materyalist
materyalizm
materyel
matine
Mauritius
mayıs
mayonez
medyum
megafon
megalomani
mekanik
mekanizma
melankoli
melodi
melodram
menajer
mentol
meridyen
mesaj
Mesih
metabolizma
metafizik
metal
meteor
meteoroloji
metot
metre
metro
metronom
meze
midi
migren
mikrobiyoloji
mikrofilm
mikrofon
mikroscop
mikser
mil
miligram
mililitre
milimetre
militan
milyon
milyoner
mim
mimik
mimoza
minare
mineral
mineraloji
mini
minibüs
minimini
minimum
minüskül
minyatür
mistik
mistisizm
misyon
mit
miting
mitoloji
model
modern
moher
molekül
molla
Monako
monolog
monopol
monotip
monoton
moral
morfin
morg
Mors
motel
motif
motor
motosiklet
mototren
mozaik
Mozambik
mumya
musiki
muslin
Müslim
Müslüman
müze
müzik
müzisyen

N's

nam
nargile
narkotik
Nepal
Nijerya
Nikaragua
nikel
nikotin
Noel
normal
not
numara
nükleer

Thank you Natlisa. You are doing great. I appreciate your help.

You're welcome - I've kind of worryingly got into this now! So I shall continue for the time being. Besides, if I'm honest, I'm actually learning all kinds of words I didn't know before. e.g I didn't realise that beter means worse (I like that!)

The O's


objektif
obua
ofis
ofset
oh
okaliptüs
okka
oksijen
oktav
okul
olimpiyat
omlet
opera
operakomik
operasyon
operatör
operet
optik
orangutan
ordinat
ordövr
organ
organik
organizma
orijinal
orkestra
orkide
Ortodoks
ortopedi
oryantal
otel
oto
otobiyografi
otobüs
otokrasi
otokrat
otomatik
otomobil
otonomi
otopark
otopsi
otorite
ozon

My shortest section... the letter Ö !!

örgen

The P's

paket
Pakistan
palet
palmiye
Panama
pandomima
panik
pankreas
panorama
panter
pantalon
papirüs
parabol
paradoks
parafin
paragraf
Paraguay
paralel
parazit
pardon
parfüm
park
parka
parlamenter
parlamento
parsel
parti
partizan
pas
pasaj
pasaport
pasif
paso
pastel
pastil
pastörize
paşa
patates
patent
patoloji
pazar
pedagog
pedagoji
pedal
pedikür
pelikan
penguen
penisilin
permi
peroksit
personel
perspektif
Peru
petrol
pijama
piknik
pilav
pilot
pipo
piramit
piston
piyanist
piyano
plan
planya
plaster
plastik
platform
plato
plazma
podyum
poker
poligon
Polinezya
polis
politika
Polonya
pompa
post
posta
posthane
potasyum
pozitif
pratik
prens
prenses
prensip
pres
prizma
problem
profesör
profesyonel
profil
program
projeksiyon
projektör
propaganda
prospektüs
prostat
Protestan
protesto
protokol
psikanalist
psikoloji
psikopat
pudra
puf
püre

The R's



radar
radyatör
radyo
radyoaktif
rafineri
raket
rakı
Ramazan
rampa
rapor
raspa
realist
redaktör
referandum
referans
refleks
rekor
rektör
resital
restoran
revüe
rezervasyon
risk
ritim
Rodos
roket
rol
rom
romantik
Romanya
rosto
rozet
Rönesans
rulet
Rusya
Rvanda

The S's

sabotaj
sadist
salam
salata
salon
sanatoryum
sandal
sandviç
sansür
santigram
santimetre
saten
sedir
sekreter
seks
selektör
seloteyp
selüloz
sembol
seminer
sempozyum
senaryo
senatör
Senegal
senfoni
senfoni orkestrası
senfonik
sentetik
Sent Lusi
septik
seramik
serenat
serom
sertifika
serum
servis
sezaryen
sezon
sifon
sigara
siklon
silindir
sinema
Singapur
sistem
sivil
skandal
ski
slogan
soda
sodyum
solist
Somali
soprano
sos
sosis
sosyal
sosyalist
sosyalizm
sosyoloji
Sovyet
soya
sömestr
spatüla
spekülasyon
sperma
spor
sportmen
Sri Lanka
stadyum
standart
stenografi
sterilize
sterlin
stok
stop
strateji
striptiz
stüdyo
Sudan
sultan
Suudi Arabistan
sülfür
süper
süpriz
süveter
Svaziland

The Ş's - again like the c's and ç's - some of the following words depend on the reader understanding the pronounciation of the letter Ş

şaft
şal
şampanya
şampiyon
şampuan
şarapnel
şarj
şarjör
şarlatan
şasi
şeker
şempanze
şeytan
şifon
şişkebap
şizofreni
şoför
şok
şort
şurup

The T's

tablet
tablo
tabu
tafta
takım
taksi
taksimetre
taktik
talk
tampon
tank
tanker
Tanzanya
taverna
tayfun
Tayland
Tayvan
teknik
teknisyen
teknikokul
teknoloji
tekstil
telefon
teleks
telepati
teleskop
televizyon
telgraf
tema
tempo
tenis
tenor
tente
teori
teras
terim
terminal
termometre
termos
terör
tetanos
tifüs
tişÃ¶rt
tolerans
tombala
ton
tonaj
torpido
tost
trafik
trajedi
traktör
tramplen
tramvay
transfer
transformatör
transistor
transit
transmisyon
trapez
tren
trençkot
treyler
trigonometri
trilyon
Trinite ve Tobago
troleybüs
trombon
trompet
tropik
tropikal
tröst
tuba
tur
turing
turist
turistik
turizm
turkuaz
tuvalet
tümör
tünel
Türk
Türkiye

The U's

Uganda
Ukrayna
Uruguay
uvertür

The Ü’s

ülser
ültimatom
üniforma
ünite
üniversite
ütopya

The V's

valf
vampir
vanilya
vantilatör
Vatikan
vazelin
vazo
vejetaryen
Venezüela
veranda
veteriner
veto
video
Vietnam
villa
virüs
viski
vitamin
viyola
vize
voleybol
volkan
volt
voltaj
votka

The Y’s

yasemin
yat
Yeni Zelanda
yoğurt
Yugoslavya

The Z's

Zambiya
zebra
zikzak
Zimbabve
zooloji


And now .... for bed...

One thing I should note, and it's a little late now given that I've just finished - but my dictionary is about 10 years old - it's a Redhouse but it's for Turkish speakers. I lost my new redhouse last time I was in Turkey, so my Turkish friend gave me hers. So there may be words I have missed! But I've done my best. Iyi geceler!!

Natlisa you did a very good job!! Thank you so very much. That's amazing! I just realized that there are loads of words in Turkish which are almost as they are in English or even in Filipino, my native tongue! Words like radyo, milyon, piyano, sosyal, etc. are exactly the same words we use in the Filipino or Tagalog language! Wonderful!!! I like it!
Thank you for all the effort. We need more Natlisa here.

Natlisa
thank u so much for taking your time to do all that. i hav eonly recently strted t learn turkish and these words you have done will be very useful. doesnt make me feel so daunted by it knowing there are quite a few things already i will k now
thanks again

Natlisa,
thank you so much for this list. You did a perfect job. Now we have bliss' list and yours.

If anyone else wants to write a third list you are welcome. Later on I will revise them and make a final list. Please tell us soon if you are working on a list as well so we can wait until it finishes. Cheers.

Banka
problem
istasiyon

Erdinc, Enerodesinueve & Xanthea, thank you for your thanks, and you're all more than welcome! It was quite a good learning exercise for me to be honest - I didn't realise how many words there were in Turkish which are similar to their English counterparts, and of course to other languages too. To be honest, there are even more out there, but as I said before, my dictionary isn't exactly the best. Still, even with an old dictionary, I found more than I ever thought possible!

Is there anybody else working on this subject? We would love to have a third opinion on this subject. You dont need to know any Turkish to help. If you dont know much it's even better.

I've done this not long ago all by myself and you are right, Natlisa, it is very interestng job.It took time but I felt good doing this.
Best regards Bliss.

I have been searching for this thread for ages, in an effort (or not as the case may be!) to increase my vocabulary,so here it is to help anyone else. Natlisa did a fantastic job, where is she now??

Quoting Natlisa

Erdinc, Enerodesinueve & Xanthea, thank you for your thanks, and you´re all more than welcome! It was quite a good learning exercise for me to be honest - I didn´t realise how many words there were in Turkish which are similar to their English counterparts, and of course to other languages too. To be honest, there are even more out there, but as I said before, my dictionary isn´t exactly the best. Still, even with an old dictionary, I found more than I ever thought possible!

 İ have found this while searching and it may help in bod´s list

Thanks Natlisa for your great effort