Turkish – Persian Translation

Languages are a vital tool for conveying past events to the present, and if history and language are thought of independently, one of them will be missing a crucial piece. We begin our article, Turkish – Persian Translation, with a bit of historical background which goes back to the 13th century. We believe the past is as volatile and real as the figures in the stories on the folding fans first used by Japanese samurais and aristocrats. For this reason, we should always look back, dust them off and retell the stories out loud over and over. We will explain how Persian words made their way into the Turkish language under the shadow of politicians and academicians and try to inform you about their literary worlds from a historical perspective.

The Language Contact of Turkish and Persian Languages

We begin by remembering the battle of Manzikert, which led to the expansion of the Turkish principalities to the Anatolian region. These principalities included Danishmend, Greek Seljuks, Saltuqids, and Turkish migrants. Seljuks were already familiar with Persian culture before they dominated the Anatolian region. Also, the legal system and legal terminology before the Republican era had been based upon “Fıhık”, which would be called Islamic law later during the modern era. This legal terminology consisted primarily of Arabic and Persian words. As you may already know, the language of education in the madrasahs was Arabic at the time. Also, during the same period, Seljuks cooperated with Ilkhanids to make Anatolia a safe haven for intellectuals, writers, poets, and bureaucrats who fled from their homelands when the Mongols occupied Mesopotamia. Therefore, the scholars, writers, poets, and other prominent people settled in a suitable place where they could harmonize their own language and culture and create masterpieces in their own languages. It was one of the most important places at that time in the Anatolian region. Their language, dialect, literature, and perceptions had been blended under this diversity. Although there were varied dialects where the Seljuks settled, their literary language and legal terminology were Persian for a long time. By the 16th century, Islam had spread far and wide, and the Turkish language had an extensive Persian and Arabic vocabulary. But what does this show us? What happens when one language is under the influence of another?

Works about the Language Contact of Turkish and Persian Languages

You probably remember Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk (a compendium of the languages of the Turks), which was written by Mahmud Kashgari. It was introduced to us mainly as the oldest Turkish dictionary. The purpose of that dictionary was to teach Turkish to Arabs. But when we look back on our history, we realize that this is not the only work reflecting the relationship between Turkish and Persian languages. After a short period, Uzbek poet Edib Ahmet Mahmut Yükneri wrote a book, titled in Arabic “Atabetü’l-Hakayik” in Eastern Turkish. As you know, Turks were in the midst of an inevitable and rapid change at that time. There were few foreign words in the works written in Eastern Turkish that opposed the dominance of Islam. The most important reason was the huge opposition to foreign cultures at that time. For example, during the domination of the Karakhanids, there was again a resistance against Arabic and Persian words. The first work in Turkish is “Kutadgu Bilig” (knowledge of being happy), written by a Muslim-Turk, Yusuf Has Hacib in 1067. Then in the 15th century, Turkish Poet Ali Şîr Nevaî wrote a book called “Muhakemetül-Lugatein” comparing the two languages to prove the Turkish language’s superiority over the Persian language. Having been under the dominance of foreign cultures for a long time, in the 16th century, we don’t come across the Turkish language in written sources. Also, the dominant language of the Ottoman Empire was Turkish, which had rich Arabic and Persian vocabulary. The situation was very serious because Turkish became a second language in Ottoman society and it was only used by the Turkish society. On the other hand, those in the palace spoke a different language, abundant in Arabic and Persian vocabulary. From the 16th to the 19th century, Turkish society, language, and culture were greatly influenced by foreign cultures and words. However, the situation was getting out of control, and a language and the culture shaped by it was disappearing.

In 1839, with the Tanzimat Edict, considered the first concrete step toward Westernization, the Ottoman Empire entered a phase of transformation. After years of being influenced by Eastern culture, the Ottoman Empire turned its face toward the West. Cultural, ideological, and scientific changes began to take place, marking the start of an age of enlightenment. One of the most significant developments of this period was the effort to purify the Turkish language of foreign words. Throughout the reform period, many new newspapers, magazines, and periodicals emerged, with the goal of simplifying Turkish. Writings by Namık Kemal, Ali Suavi, Ziya Paşa, Şemsettin Sami, and Ahmet Mithat Efendi found their place in these new platforms. With Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s establishment of the Turkish Grand National Assembly on November 1, 1928, and the introduction of the alphabet reform, a brand-new era began for Turkish society. Ziya Gökalp also worked tirelessly for the idea of “Turkism.” Led by Ali Canip Yöntem and Ömer Seyfettin, the "Yeni Lisan" movement developed under the “Genç Kalemler” magazine in the early 1900s. This movement highlighted the “National Literature” trend but also faced criticism from Istanbul intellectuals. The roots of the Turkish-Persian linguistic relationship extend back to the Ottoman period. During that time, translations were predominantly focused on Sufism. Although efforts were made over centuries to free Turkish from Persian and its grammatical structure, it is now unfortunately very difficult to find Persian-speaking translators. The number of qualified translators who can perform Persian to Turkish translations is so low that, as with many other languages, English is often used as a buffer language in the translation sector for Persian. What a tragic situation!