List of replaced loanwords in Turkish

Turkish language
Alphabet Phonology Vocabulary Grammar: Copula History and reform: Ottoman Turkish Replaced loanwords
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This selective list of replaced loanwords in Turkish includes Ottoman Turkish loanwords—mostly of Arabic and French, but also Persian, Greek, and Italian origin—which were replaced with their Turkish counterparts suggested by the Turkish Language Association (Turkish: Türk Dil Kurumu, TDK) as a part of the cultural reforms - in the broader framework of Atatürk's Reforms - following the foundation of Republic of Turkey.

The TDK, established by Atatürk in 1932 in order to conduct research on the Turkish language, also undertook the initiative to replace Arabic and Persian loanwords with their Turkish counterparts. The Association succeeded in removing several hundred Arabic words from the language. While most of the words introduced into the language in this process were newly derived from existing Turkish verbal roots, TDK also suggested using old Turkish words which had not been used in the language for centuries.

Older and younger people in Turkey tend to express themselves with different vocabulary. While the generations born up to the 1940s tend to use the old Arabic origin words (even the obsolete ones), the younger generations favor using the new expressions. Some new words are not used as often as their old counterparts or have failed to convey the intrinsic meanings of their old equivalents. In addition, many new words have inevitably taken up somewhat different meanings, and therefore cannot be always interchangeably used with their old words.

Please note that many of the loanwords (especially the Arabic, Persian and French ones) are still widely used in Turkish language today. Most people argue that the co-existence of both the loanword and the Turkish counterpart makes the language richer in expression. On the other hand, some authorities assert that the use of loanwords spoils the language's harmony, because they clearly sound foreign. The vocabulary used by different people mostly depends on personal preference and also, to some extent, on their awareness of the respective Turkish word. People who are more self-conscious of their vocabulary may lean more towards usage of Turkish words.

One common reaction a Turkish speaker may give (in response to hearing a less common Turkish word) is that the word does not convey the meaning of the foreign word and that it sounds contrived and artificial. While this may indeed be the case for some words, in most cases the reason behind this reaction is the inadequate usage of the Turkish counterpart. As the Turkish word is utilized more in daily language, people become more accustomed to it; and begin to attribute the meaning of the foreign word to the Turkish word. It may take years, or even decades, before a Turkish word can grow on people's vocabulary and be more frequently utilized.

Finally there are political implications to the uses of words. At one point, Persian was the language of poetry and the court. Arabic was and is the language of the mosque. Their deliberate usage (eschewing the usage of a "western" word) often implies romantacism or a religious subtext (respectively). Similarly, the use of European words is often favoured due to the perceived "modern" nature of such words. Finally, the use of "pure Turkic" words is favoured for both nationalistic reasons and for the purposes of linguistic "simplification".

Contents 1 Word derivations 2 Lists of replaced loanwords 2.1 Loanwords of Arabic origin 2.2 Loanwords of Persian origin 2.3 Loanwords of French origin 2.4 Loanwords of other origin 3 See also 4 Notes 5 Sources

Word derivations

Most of the new Turkish words are derived from other words with thematic suffixes. For example:

Bat- is the root of the verb batmak, which means to sink or to set. The derived word batı, as one may guess, means west. Another example would be, aylık, which means salary. This is derived from the word ay which means month.

Here are some other examples of derivations:

• gün means day -> günce means agenda, güncel means current, gündem means current events and news, güncellemek means to update, günay means date, güney means south, güneş means sun, günlük means diary, gündüz means day time (opposite of night) or morning,
• kes- is the root of the verb to cut -> kesi means incision, kesici means cutter, kesin means accurate, kesinlikle means definitely, kesinleşmek means to become definite, kesinsizlik means the state of indefinity, keskenmek means to pretend to hit with a hand motion, kesmece is a saying that means the agreement of cutting a fruit before buying it, keser means adze, kesiklik means sudden feeling of tiredness, lethargy, kesilmek means to act like something, kesir means fraction, kesirli means fractional, kesit means cross section, keski means chisel, keskin means sharp, keskinlik means acuity and sharpness, kesim means segment, kesimlik means animal (or tree) fit or ready to be slaughtered/cut, kesinti means interruption, kesintili means on and off, kesintisiz means uninterrupted and seamless, kesme means an object cut in the form of a geometrical shape, kestirme means short-cut, kesik means interrupted, kestirmek means to forecast and to nap, kestirim means guess, kesen means a line that intersects a geometrical entity, kesenek means deduction, kesişmek means to intersect, kesişim means intersection,
• sap- is the root of the verb to deviate -> sapık means pervert, sapak means turn (as in roads, traffic),
• duy- is the root of the verb to hear, to feel -> duyu means sensory, duyarlı means sensitive, duyarlılık means sensitivity, duygu means feeling, duyarga(ç) means sensor, duyargan means allergen, duyarca means allergy, duyum means hearsay, duyumsamazlık means apathy,
• yet- is the root of the verb to suffice -> yeter means sufficient, yetki means authority, yetenek means talent,
• başka means other -> başkalaşım means metamorphosis,
• tek means single -> tekel means monopoly, tekdüze means monotonous,
• ev means home -> evlilik means marriage, evcil means domestic,
• seç- is the root of the verb to choose -> seçenek means choice, seçkin means elite, seçim means election,
• düş- is the root of the verb to fall -> düşük means miscarriage,
• sür- is the root of the verb to last, to put forward -> süreğen means chronic, sürüm means version,
• yaz- is the root of the berb to write -> yazar means writer, yazgı means fate, yazılım means software, yazanak means report, yazıt means inscription, yazman means secretary, yazıcı means printer, yazın means literature, yazım means orthography, yazışma means correspondence, yazdırım means dictation,
• ver- is the root of the verb to give -> veri means data, vergi means tax, verim means efficiency,
• öz means self, real -> özel means special, özen means attention, özgü means peculiar, özgül means specific, özge means other, özne means subject, özgün means original, özgür means free, özümleme means assimilation, öznel means subjective. The verb özle- (meaning to miss, to long for) is also derived from this word, and özlem is a noun that means longing.

Some of the Turkish words are also compound words, such as:

• Başvuru means application. It is derived from baş (meaning head) and vuru (meaning hitting), so the literal English translation of this compound word would be head-hitting

• Ayak means foot, and kap means peel, and the compound verb ayakkabı means shoe.

• Ana means mother, and yasa means law, and the compound verb anayasa means constitution

• Öz means self, and veri means giving, and the compound word özveri means altruism, self-sacrifice.

• Büyük means big, and elçi means messenger, and the compound word büyükelçi means ambassador.

• Kesim means cutting, ev means home, and kesimevi means slaughterhouse.

For more information, see the related article: Turkish vocabulary.

Lists of replaced loanwords

Loanwords of Arabic origin

The list gives the Ottoman Turkish word, the modern spelling of the word in Turkish (as suggested by TDK), the modern Turkish equivalent, and its meaning in English.

Ottoman Turkish word and its transliteration	Modern spelling of the Ottoman Turkish word	Modern Turkish equivalent	Meaning in English	Remarks
ا جيليacele *	acele	ivedi **	urgent(ly)	The Turkish word is derived from the verb ivmek, which means to hurry
عضله ˤaḍale	adele	kas	muscle	from the verbal version kasmak which means "to tense"
ˤaff etmek*	affetmek	bağışlamak	to forgive	In Turkish, etmek is an auxiliary verb which verbalizes a noun corresponds to the verb "to do" in English. In this case af is the Arabic loan word. Affetmek is still in popular use.
aile *	aile	ocak **	family
عقد ˤaqd *, مقاوله mukâvele	akit, mukavele	sözleşme, anlaşma	contract
aghl *	akıl	us **	wisdom	While the Turkish word is almost never used, its derivatives (such as uslu, meaning demure, well-behaved) are more widely employed.
عامل ˤâmil	amil	etken	factor
amme	amme	kamu	public, community
a'nane	anane	gelenek	tradition
asakir *	asker	sü **	soldier	While the Turkish word is never used, its derivatives (such as subay, meaning army officer) are more commonly used.
asr *	asır	yüzyıl	century	The compound Turkish word literally means hundred-year
بارز bâriz *	bariz	kesin, belli	obvious, accurate
بسيط basîṭ *	basit	kolay	easy, simple	the old word is used for the meaning of simple, while the new word for easy
bazı *	bazı	kimi	some (pronoun)
beyaz *	beyaz	ak	white	The Arabic word and the Turkish word are used in somewhat different contexts.
camîa *	camîa	topluluk	community
cebren	cebren	zorla	forcefully
celse *	celse	oturum	(law) hearing, session
ceninisakıt	ceninisakıt	düşük	miscarriage	See the section "word derivations" above to see how this word is derived.
جنوب cenûb	cenup	güney	south
cerahat	cerahat	irin	pus
جواب cevâb *	cevap	yanıt	answer.	Cevap is still in popular use
cihaz *	cihaz	aygıt	apparatus
civarı *	civarı	dolayları	approximately, around
جمله cümle *	cümle	tümce **	sentence.	Cümle is still in popular use.
دفعه defˤa *, کره kere *	defa, kere	kez	times (repetition)	An example is: I did this three times. Both defa and kere are still in popular use.
dâ'ir *	dair	ilişkin	pertinent (to)
daire *	daire	yuvarlak	circle
define *	define	gömü	treasure	The Turkish word is derived from the verb göm-, which means to bury.
delil *	delil	kanıt	evidence
دور devr *	devir	çağ	era
دوره devre *	devre	dönem	semester	The old word is used in many other meanings, and not used anymore in the meaning of "semester".
ابعاد ebˤâd *	ebat	boyut	dimension, size.	ebˤâd is the plural of بعد (buˤd, buut).
ابدى ebedî *	ebedî	sonsuz	forever	The Turkish word literally means without-end.
اجداد ecdâd	ecdat	ata	ancestry	The Turkish word literally means father.
اجل ecel *	ecel	ölüm	(predestined time of) death
edebiyyat *	edebiyat	yazın	literature
ehemmiyyet	ehemmiyet	önem	importance
elbise *	elbise	giysi	cloth	The Arabic word is in fact the plural of libas
emr *	emir	buyruk **	order, command
امنيت emniyyet *	emniyet	güvenlik	security	The Turkish word is derived from the word güven, meaning trust.
اثر eser *	eser	yapıt	production (music, film)	The Turkish word is derived from the verb root yap-, meaning to do.
اسير esîr *	esir	tutsak	hostage	The Turkish word is derived from the root of the verb tut-, meaning to hold.
etraf *	etraf	ortalık	surroundings, surrounding area	The Arabic word is the plural of the word taraf, which means side (see below in this list).
اوراق evrâk *	evrak	belge	paper document	In Arabic, evrāk is the plural of vārāk; in modern Turkish, evrak is used as a singular.
اول evvel *	evvel	önce	before	The Turkish word is derived from the word ön, meaning front. The original Arabic word (awwal) literally means first.
فعال faˤâl *	faal	etkin	active	The Turkish word is derived from the auxiliary word et-, meaning to do.
faiz *	faiz	ürem **, getiri	interest (monetary)	While the word ürem is never used, the latter word is common in daily language rather with the meaning of yield.
fakir, fukara *	fakir	yoksul	poor	The Turkish word is derived from the word yok. This word is a negation word, which can mean there is not, do (does) not have, do (does) not exist.
فن fenn *, علم ˤilm *	fen, ilim	bilim	science	The Turkish word is derived from the verb root bil-, meaning to know.
feyezan	feyezan	taşkın	flood, overflow
fırkat	fırkat	ayrılık	disparity	The Turkish word is derived from the word ayrı, meaning separate, different.
fikr *	fikir	görüş	opinion	The Turkish word is derived from the verb root gör-, meaning to see.
فعل fiˤl *	fiil	eylem	verb	The Turkish word is derived from the verb eyle-, which is derived from the auxiliary verb et-, meaning to do.
غرب garb	garp	batı	west	Please see the beginning of this article for the derivation of this word.
غير gayr	gayri	olmayan, başka, dışı	non-, other	In Arabic, "gayr-i" is a prefix which means non- as in "he is a non-Muslim"; "he is not a Muslim". The term gayrimüslim (non-Muslim) remains the politically correct term in Turkey, used frequently in newspapers etc.
gıda *	gıda	besin	food
hadise *	hadise	olay	event, happening, fact, occurrence	The Turkish word is derived from the verb ol-, meaning to be, to become.
حافظه hâfıza *	hafıza	bellek	memory	The new word is commonly used in electronics, like computer memory, i.e. önbellek for Cache
hafif *	hafif	yeğni **	light (in weight)	The Turkish word is rarely used
حفريات hafriyyât	hafriyat	kazı	excavation	The Turkish word is derived from the verb root kaz-, meaning to dig.
حق hakk *	hak	pay	portion	The old word hak has many other meanings in Turkish.
حقيقت hakîkat *	hakikat	gerçek	reality
حاكم hâkim *	hâkim	yargıç	judge
حال hâl *, وضعيت vazˤiyet *	hâl, vaziyet	durum	situation
خليطه halîta	halita	alaşım	alloy
haˤmile *	hamile	gebe	pregnant
خراب harâb *	harap	yıkık	ruin
حرارت harâret *	hararet	ısı ¹, sıcaklık ²	heat¹, temperature²	The old word can be used in both meanings in Turkish language.
harekkat *	hareket	devinim **	movement, motion
حرف harf *	harf	ses, imce **	letter	The new word is homophonic with "sound".
hasret *	hasret	özlem	longing
hassas *	hassas	duyarlı	sensitive
حشره haşere *	haşere	böcek	insect
خطا hatâ *, قصور kusûr *	hata, kusur	yanlış	mistake
خاطره hâtıra *	hatıra	anı	memoir
حيات hayât *, عمر ömr *	hayat, ömür	yaşam	life
حيثيت haysiyyet *	haysiyet	saygınlık	respectability
hazm *	hazım	sindirim	digestion
هديه hediyye *	hediye	armağan	gift
حدت hiddet *	hiddet	kızgınlık, öfke	anger
hikâye *	hikâye	öykü	story
خلاف hilâf	hilaf	karşıt	opposite
his *	his	duygu	feeling
خواجه hôca *	hoca	öğretmen	teacher
hukuk *	hukuk	tüze **	(judiciary) law	The Turkish word is not commonly used; however, its derivatives (such as tüzük, meaning regulations, statute) are more widespread
خصوص husûs *	husus	konu	subject
حضور huzûr *	huzur	dirlik **	comfort
hucre *	hücre	göze **	cell	The new word is seldom used.
هجوم hücûm *	hücum	saldırı	attack
حرمت hürmet *	hürmet	saygı	respect
ısrar *	ısrar	üsteleme	insisting
ابتدائی ibtidâ'î	iptidai	ilkel	primary; primitive
içtima	içtima	toplantı	meeting, gathering
içtima	içtima	kavuşum	new moon (astronomy)
içtimai	içtimai	toplumsal	communal
افتخار iftihâr *	iftihar	övünme	pride
ihtiras *	ihtiras	tutku	passion	The Turkish word tutku is derived from the verb root tut- which means to hold
ihtiyâc *	ihtiyaç	gereksinme or gereksinim	need
اختيار ihtiyâr *	ihtiyar	yaşlı	old (age)	The Turkish word literally means with age.
احتياط ihtiyât	ihtiyat	yedek	backup, spare
iktibas	iktibas	alıntı	copying (in literature; referencing)
ilave *	ilave	ek	addition
الهام ilhâm *	ilham	esin	inspiration
عمار ˤimâr *	imar	bayındırlık	construction, development
امكان imkân *	imkân	olanak	opportunity, possibility
imlâ *	imla	yazım	orthography
imtihân	imtihan	sınav, yazılı	examination
imtiyâz *	imtiyaz	ayrıcalık	franchise
inhisâr	inhisar	tekel	monopoly
insân *	insan	kul **	human	The new word is used almost only in religious context.
intiba	intiba	izlenim	impression
intihal	intihal	aşırma	plagirism
irtifâˤ *	irtifa	yükseklik	altitude	The old word is only used in aviation, as in "the altitude of the plane".
ارثی irsî *	ırsi	kalıtsal, kalıtımsal	hereditary
اسم ism *	isim	ad	name
istirâhat *	istirahat	dinlenme	rest
استثناء istisnâ' *	istisna	aykırı	exception
iştigâl	iştigal	uğraş / uğraşı	occupation
iştirâk *	iştirak	ortaklık	association
izâh *	izah	açıklama	clarification
izdivâc	izdivaç	evlilik	marriage
kâbiliyet *	kabiliyet	yetenek / yeti	talent, ability
kader *	kader	yazgı **	fate
qaffa *	kafa	baş	head
kâfi *	kâfi	yeter	enough
كائنات kâ'inât *	kâinat	evren	universe
قلب kalb *	kalp	yürek	heart
kânûn *	kanun	yasa	law
kanunuesasi	kanunuesasi	anayasa	constitution (law)
kâfiye *	kafiye	uyak	rhyme
كانون اول kânûn-ı evvel		aralık	December
كانون ثانی kânûn-ı sânî		ocak	January
كلمه kelime *	kelime	sözcük	word
ghermez *	kırmızı	al **	red	The Arabic and the Turkish words are used in somewhat different contexts.
kısm *	kısım	bölüm	part
ketab *	kitap	betik **	book	The Turkish word is actually an old Turkic word. It was derived from the verb bil (to know) as bilig, which then later transformed into betik. However, perhaps unfortunately, this word is almost never used in today's modern Turkish.
kufr *	küfür	sövme **	curse
kuvvet *	kuvvet	güç or erk	power, force	In physics, the old word is used for force and the new word is used for power.
küre *	küre	yuvar **	sphere
لطيفه lâtîfe	latife	şaka	joke
لسان lisân *	lisan	dil	language	Dil means both tongue in the physical sense and language, while "lisan" does only tongue in the language sense.
لغات lûġat	lügat	sözlük	dictionary
لزوملو lüzûmlu *	lüzumlu	gerekli	necessary
معاش maˤâş *	maaş	aylık	salary
maˤbed *	mabet	tapınak	temple
maddî *	maddî	özdeksel **	material, materialistic	The Turkish word is exclusively used in the context of philosophy.
mafsal	mafsal	eklem	ligament	The old word is used for "hinge" (non-anatomical).
mağdûr *	mağdur	kıygın **	wronged, injured	The new word is almost never used.
maˤlubiyyat *	mağlubiyet	yenilgi	defeat
mahfuz	mahfuz	saklı	hidden
mahlûk *	mahluk	yaratık	creature	Sometimes the plural of the old word ("mahlukat") is used by its singular meaning.
mahsûl *	mahsul	ürün	product	The old word is used for the noun "produce".
mahsûs *	mahsus	özgü	peculiar
maksad *, gaye *, hedef *	maksat, gaye, hedef	amaç or erek	goal
maˤkûl *	makul	uygun, elverişli	reasonable
maˤnâ *	mâna	anlam	meaning
manevî *	manevî	tinsel **	moral, spiritual	The Turkish word is exclusively used in the context of philosophy.
مانع mâniˤ *	mani	engel	obstacle
مصرف masraf *	masraf	gider, harcama	cost
mavi *	mavi	gökçe **	blue	The Turkish word is derived from the word gök, meaning sky. Although the Turkish word is rarely used in the context of color, it is a common female name, meaning pleasant, beautiful.
mecaz *, istiare	mecaz	iğretileme, eğretileme	metaphor
مجبور mecbûr *	mecbur	zorunlu	obligation, obligatory	Both the new and the old words can be used as either a noun or an adjective.
مجهول mechûl *	meçhul	bilinmeyen	unknown
madanni *	medeni	uygar	civil
madanniyyat *	medeniyet	uygarlık	civilization
مفهوم mefhûm *	mefhum	kavram	concept
مکروه mekrûh *	mekruh	iğrenç	disgusting	The old word also has the religious meaning: Disliked, used by all Muslims.
meleke	meleke	alışkanlık	habit
melez *	melez	kırma	hybrid
مملکت memleket *	memleket	ülke	country	The old word is used for "one's native region"
مراسم merâsim *	merasim	tören	ceremony
مرثيه mersiye	mersiye	ağıt	elegy
mesafe *	mesafe	uzaklık	distance
meselâ *	mesela	örneğin	for example
mesele *	mesele	sorun	problem
مسعود mesˤûd *	mesut	mutlu	happy
maˤsûliyyat *	mesuliyet	sorumluluk	responsibility
مشهور meşhûr *	meşhur	ünlü	famous
مشروبات meşrûbât *	meşrubat	içecek	beverage
موقع mevkiˤ مكان mekân *	mevki, mekân	yer, konum	location
ميدان meydân *, ساحه sâha	meydan, saha	alan **	open area, plaza	While the new word is used mainly in mathematics (as in the "area" of a triangle), it is seldom used with the same meaning of the old words except in compound words like havaalanı (airport), not hava meydanı (older version).
ميل meyl *	meyil	eğim, eğilim	inclination
mezar *	mezar	gömüt **	cemetery	The Turkish word is derived from the verb göm-, which means to bury.
mıntıka	mıntıka	bölge	region
mısra *	mısra	dize	verse
mirâs *	miras	kalıt **	inheritance	The new word is almost never used, but its derivatives are in use, such as kalıtımsal (hereditary).
مسافر misâfir *	misafir	konuk	guest
مثال misâl *	misal	örnek	example	The Turkish word comes from the verb örmek, meaning to knit, to interweave.
مسکين miskîn *	miskin	uyuşuk, mıymıntı	lazy
معامله muˤâmele *	muamele	davranış	treatment, behavior
معما muˤammâ	muamma	bilmece	puzzle, trivia
معاصر muˤâsır	muasır	çağdaş, güncel	contemporary
معاون muˤâvin *	muavin	yardımcı	helper
معجزه muˤcize *	mucize	tansık **	miracle	The new word is almost never used.
mugaddii	mugaddi	besleyici	nourisher
mugalata	mugalata	yanıltmaca	deceptive statement
muganni, muganniye	muganni,muganniye	şarkıcı	singer
mugayeret	mugayeret	aykırılık	irregularity
mugayir	mugayir	aykırı	irregular
mugber	muğber	küskün, gücenmiş, dargın	the state of one not talking to another
muglak *	muğlak	çapraşık	ambiguous
muhabere	muhabere	iletişim, iletişme	communication
muhaceret	muhaceret	göç	emigration
muhacim	muhacim	saldıran, saldırıcı	attacker, offender
muhacir	muhacir	göçmen	immigrant
muhaddep	muhaddep	dış bükey	convex
muhafaza *	muhafaza	koruma	conservation
muhafazakar *	muhafazakar	tutucu	conservative
muhafız	muhafız	koruyucu	protector
muhakeme *	muhakeme	yargılama, uslamlama	judgment, argumentation
muddat *	müddet	süre	duration
محقق muhakkak*	muhakkak	kesin(likle)	certain(ly)
muhakkik	muhakkik	soruşturmacı	investigator
muhal	muhal	olanaksız	impossible
muhallaffat *	muhalefet	karşıtlık	opposition	The Arabic word is especially common in the context of politics
muhammen	muhammen	oranlanan, ön görülen	pre-determined
muhammes	muhammes	beşgen	pentagon
muhammin	muhammin	ön gören	one that pre-determines
محاربه muhârebe, حرب harb	muharebe, harp	savaş	war
muharip	muharip	savaşçı	warrior
muharrer	muharrer	yazılı, yazılmış	written
muharrik	muharrik	kışkırtıcı, ayartıcı	provoker
muharriş	muharriş	tırmalayan, irkilten	aggravator
muhassamat	muhasamat	çarpışma	collusion
muhasara	muhasara	kuşatma	siege
muhasebe *	muhasebe	saymanlık	accounting, bookkeeping
muhasebeci *	muhasebeci	sayman	accountant, bookkeeper
muhassır	muhasır	kuşatan	one that envelops
muhassala	muhassala	bileşke	resultant
muhassas	muhassas	ayrılmış	reserved
muhat	muhat	kuşatılmış	one that's enveloped, sieged
muhavvil	muhavvil	dönüştüren	converter
muhavvile	muhavvile	dönüştürücü	transformer
muhtemel	muhtemel	olası	possible
محتويات muhteviyyât	muhteviyat	içindekiler	ingredients
مقدس mukaddes	mukaddes	kutsal	sacred
منتظم muntazam *	muntazam	düzgün, düzenli	tidy
مربع murabbaˤ	murabba	kare	square
murafaa	murafaa	duruşma	court hearing
معتدل muˤtedil	mutedil	ılım(lı)	moderate(ly)
موفقيت muvaffakıyyet	muvaffakiyet	başarı	success
مبالغه mübalâga	mübalağa	abartma	exaggeration
مجادله mücâdele *	mücadele	çaba, uğraş	endeavor
mücerrit	mücerrit	soyut	abstract
مدافعه müdâfaˤa	müdafaa	koruma	sustain, protect, defend
مداخله müdâhale *	müdahale	karışma	intervention
مدت müddet *	müddet	süre	duration
mudrike	müdrike	anlık	intellect (in psychology)
mudrir	müdrir	idrar söktürücü	diuretic
muebbet *	müebbet	yaşam boyu, sonsuz	life-long, forever	In today's Turkish, the Arabic word is exclusively used in the meaning of life-long prisonment
mueccel	müeccel	ertelenmiş	delayed
mueddep	müeddep	uslu	well behaved, demure
muelleffat	müellefat	(yazılı) yapıt	(written) piece
muellif, muharrir	müellif, muharrir	yazar	writer
muemmen	müemmen	sağlanmış	secured
muennes	müennes	dişil	feminine
مؤسسه mu'essese	müessese	kurum	foundation
muessif	müessif	üzücü	saddenning
muessir	müessir	dokunaklı	touching
muessis	müessis	kurucu	founder
mueyyide	müeyyide	yaptırım	sanction
mufekkrireh	müfekkire	düşünce gücü	thought capacity
muferrih	müferrih	iç açıcı	relaxing, refreshing
mufrett	müfret	tekil	singular
muflis	müflis	batkın	one that's gone bankrupt
مهم mühim *	mühim	önemli	important
مؤمن mü'min	mümin	inanan, inançlı	believer
مناسبت münâsebet *	münasebet	ilişki	relation
مراجعت mürâcaˤat	müracaat	başvuru	application
mürekkeb	mürekkep	birleşmiş, birleşik	composed of	The word mürekkep is still used in Turkish in another meaning: ink.
murrettip	mürettip	dizgici	type setter
مسابقه müsâbaka	müsabaka	karşılaşma	match, competition
مسامحه müsâmaha	müsamaha	hoşgörü	tolerance
musavi	müsavi	eşit	equal
مستهجن müstehcen *	müstehcen	uygunsuz	inappropriate, obscene
مسوده müsvedde *	müsvedde	taslak	draft
muşabbih, mumassil	müşabih, mümasil	benzer	similar
muşşabbahat	müşabehet	benzerlik	similarity
müşahhas	müşahhas	somut	concrete (in concept) (opposite of abstract)
مشكل müşkül	müşkül	çetin **	difficult
muşkul-pesend	müşkülpesent	titiz	fussy
muşrik	müşrik	çoktanrıcı	polytheist
müştak	müştak	türev	derivative
muştehi	müştehi	istekli	willing (person)
muşteki	müşteki	yakınan, sızlanan	one who complains, whiner
muştemilat	müştemilat	eklenti	attachment, appandage
muşterek *	müşterek	ortak	partner
muştereken	müştereken	ortaklaşa	jointly
muşteri *	müşteri	alıcı, alımcı	customer
mut'a	müt'a	geçici kazanç	temporary earning
مطالعه mütâlâˤa	mütalâa	düşünce	thought
متارکه mütâreke	mütareke	antlaşma	armistice
muteaddit	müteaddit	birçok	a lot, many
muteaffin	müteaffin	kokuşuk	malodorous
muteahhid *	müteahhit	üstenci	contractor
muteahhidlik	müteahhitlik	üstencilik	contractor (as a profession)
muteakiben	müteakiben	arkadan	following
muteakib	müteakip	sonra, ardından	after, thereafter
mutealiye	mütealiye	deneyüstücülük	transcendentalism
muteallik	müteallik	ilişkin, ilgili	related (to)
muteammim	müteammim	yaygınlaşmış, genelleşmiş	something that has widespread
mutearife	mütearife	belit **	axiom	The French word aksiyom is more common
mutebaki	mütebaki	kalan	remaining
mutebasbıs	mütebasbıs	yaltakçı	slimy
mutebeddil	mütebeddil	değişen, kararsız	one that changes, undecided
mutebessim	mütebessim	gülümseyen, güleç	one that smiles
mutecanis	mütecanis	bağdaşık	homogenous
mutecasir	mütecasir	yeltenen	one who dares
mutecaviz	mütecaviz	saldırgan	attacker
mutedeyyin	mütedeyyin	dindar	religious
muteessir	müteessir	üzüntülü	sad (person)
mutefekkir	mütefekkir	düşünür	thinker, intellectual
متفرق müteferrik	müteferrik	dağınık	untidy
mutehammil	mütehammil	dayanıklı	durable
muteharrik	müteharrik	devingen, oynar	mobile
متخصص mütehassıs	mütehassıs	uzman	expert
muteşşebbis	müteşebbis	girişimci	entrepreneur
mütevâzî *	mütevazi	alçakgönüllü	humble
muteveffa	müteveffa	ölü, ölmüş	dead
muttefik *	müttefik	bağlaşık **	ally
muzayyadeh	müzayede	açık arttırma	auction
مزمن müzmin	müzmin	süreğen	chronic	The new word is seldom used.
nadir *, ender *	nadir, ender	seyrek	rare(ly)
نغمه nağme	nağme	ezgi	melody
nafile *	nafile	boşuna	futile
نصيحت nasîhat *	nasihat	öğüt	advice, counsel
nâzır	nazır	bakan	minister
نفس nefes *	nefes	soluk	breath
nesiç	nesiç	doku	tissue
nesl *	nesil	kuşak	generation
نتيجه netîce *	netice	sonuç	result
nezif	nezif	kanama	hemorrhage
nısf	nısıf	yarı(m)	half
نهايت nihâyet *	nihayet	son(unda)	final(ly)
نكاح nikâh *	nikâh	düğün	wedding	In modern Turkish, nikâh is generally used for the wedding ceremony, while düğün is used for the wedding reception or party.
نسبت nisbet *	nispet	oran	ratio
نطق nutk *	nutuk	söylev	speech
ragmen *	rağmen	karşın	despite, in spite of
رأی re'y	rey	oy	vote
رئيس re'îs	reis	başkan	president
ruh *	ruh	tin **	spirit	The Turkish word is almost never used, except in the context of philosophy
rutûbet *	rutubet	yaşlık, ıslaklık	moisture
رؤيا rü'ya *	rüya	düş	dream
sahil *	sahil	kıyı	coast
sahip *	sahip	iye **	owner	The Turkish word is seldom used; however, it is commonly used in the context of grammar when describing the possessive suffix (iyelik eki)
sahte *	sahte	düzmece	fake
samimî *	samimi	içten	sincere	the Turkish word literally means from inside
سطح sath	satıh	yüzey	surface
سياره sayyâre	seyyare	araba	car
سبب sebeb *	sebep	neden	reason
safarat	sefaret	büyükelçilik	embassy
سلامت selâmet	selamet	esenlik	health, soundness
سما semâ	sema	gök	sky
سنه sene *	sene	yıl	year
seviye *	seviye	düzey	level
صحت sıhhat	sıhhat	sağlık	health
sihr *	sihir	büyü	magic
صحبت sohbet *	sohbet	söyleşi	chat	The new word is used in somewhat different contexts.
سؤال su'âl	sual	soru	question
صلح sulh	sulh	barış	peace
sunî	suni	yapay	artificial	The Turkish word is derived from the verb yapmak, which means to do.
سکوت sükût	sükût	sessizlik	silence	The Turkish word literally means soundlessness.
sürˤat *	sürat	hız	velocity, speed	In physics, the old word word is used for speed (scalar) and the new word is used for velocity (vectoral).
şâhid *	şahit	tanık	witness	The Turkish word is derived from the verb tanımak, which means to recognize.
şair *	şair	ozan	poet
شرق şark	şark	doğu	east	The Turkish word is derived from the verb doğmak, which means to be born.
şart *	şart	koşul	condition
şatafat(lı)	şatafat(lı)	gösteriş(li)	spectacular (noun and adjective)
şehir *	şehir	kent	city
شمال şimâl	şimal	kuzey	north
şuˤûr *	şuur	bilinç	conscience	The Turkish word is derived from the verb bilmek, which means to know.
şübheli *	şüpheli	sanık	suspect; someone charged with an offense
tabaqqa *	tabaka	katman	layer
طبيعت ṭabîˤat *	tabiat	doğa	nature	The Turkish word is derived from the verb doğmak, meaning to be born.
طبيعى ṭabîˤî *	tabii	doğal	natural
taˤbîr, ifâde*	tabir, ifade	deyiş**	narration
tahlil *	tahlil	inceleme	(laboratory) test (as in medicine)
tahmin *	tahmin	kestirim **	guess, prediction
taˤkib*	takip	izlem **	follow-up	The Turkish word is derivede from the verb izlemek, meaning to watch.
طلب ṭaleb *	talep	istek	request, demand, wish
طلبه ṭalebe	talebe	öğrenci	student (plural of طالب ṭâlib, "seeker" [of knowledge])
تعمير taˤmîr *, تعديلات taˤdîlât *	tamir, tadilat	onarım	repair, renovation
taraf *	taraf	yan	side
taraftar *	taraftar	yandaş	supporter, proponent	While the Turkish word is also very common, only the Arabic word is used in the context of fan or supporter of a sports club.
tarih *	tarih	günay **	date (in time)	The Arabic word tarih also means history. The Turkish word günay (literally meaning, day-month) is rarely used.
tasallut	tasallut	sarkıntılık	(sexual) harassment
tasavvur	tasavvur	canlandırma, tasarı	imagine
tasdîk *	tasdik	onay	approve
tashîh	tashih	düzeltme	correction
تصوير tasvîr *	tasvir	betimleme	description
طياره tayyâre	tayyare	uçak	airplane
توصيه tavsiye *	tavsiye	salık	advice
تعادل teˤâdül	teadül	denklik	equivalence
تعامل teˤâmül	teamül	tepkime, davranış	reaction, behavior
tebessüm	tebessüm	gülümseme	smile
تبديل tebdîl	tebdil	değişiklik	change
تبريك tebrîk *	tebrik	kutlama	congratulate	The new word also has the meaning "celebration".
تجلى tecellî	tecelli	belirme	emerge, appear
تجسم tecessüm	tecessüm	görünme	appearance, manifestation
tecrübe *	tecrübe	deneyim	experience
techîzât *	teçhizat	donanım	equipment
tedavi *	tedavi	sağaltım **	therapy
tedbîr *	tedbir	önlem	precaution
te'essür	teessür	üzüntü	agony
teferruat	teferruat	ayrıntı	detail
تكامل tekâmül	tekamül	evrim, başkalaşım	maturation, metamorphosis, evolution
تقاعد tekaˤüd	tekaüt	emeklilik	retirement
tekeffül	tekeffül	yükümlenme	standing surety
تكليف teklîf *	teklif	öneri	proposal
tekrar *	tekrar	yine	again
تلاش telâş *	telaş	tasa, kaygı	worry
tenâsüb	tenasüp	uyum	congruity
تنبيه tenbîh *	tembih	uyarı	warning
tercîh etmek *	tercih etmek	yeğlemek	to prefer
tercüme *	tercüme	çeviri	translation
terreddut *	tereddüt	duraksama	hesitancy
tertip *	tertip	düzen	order, tidiness
tesir *	tesir	etki	effect
teselli *	teselli	avunma	console
teşhis *	teşhis	tanı	diagnosis	The Turkish word tanı is the root of the verb tanımak, which literally means to recognize
تشرين اول teşrîn-i evvel		ekim	October
تشرين ثانی teşrîn-i sânî		kasım	November
teşvik *	teşvik	özendirme, kışkırtma	(providing) incentive, provocation
usûl *	usul	yöntem	method
unvan *	ünvan	san	(professional) title
uslup *	üslup	biçem **	style
vaˤd *	vaat	söz	promise (noun)
vakˤâ *	vaka	olay	event
vakûr	vakur	ağır başlı	dignified	The Turkish expression literally means heavy headed.
vasf *	vasıf	nitelik	feature, quality
vasıta	vasıta	araç	vehicle
vâsi	vâsi	engin	vast
vatan *	vatan	yurt	homeland
vatandaş *	vatandaş	yurtdaş **	citizen	The Turkish word used to be more common up to thirty years ago.
vaz geçmek *	vazgeçmek	caymak **	to change one's mind; to give up (on something/someone)	Here, vaz is the Persian loan word, and geçmek is a Turkish auxiliary verb.
وضيفه vazîfe *	vazife	görev	task, mission
ve *	ve	ile	and	Although the Turkish word is also very common, it cannot always replace the Arabic word. For example, in a sentence like, I came and I ate, the Turkish word ile cannot be used in this context.
vehm	vehim	kuruntu	apprehension, fancy
vilâyet*	vilayet	il	province
tefsîr *	tefsir	yorum	interpretation, analysis, comment
ضمير zamîr *	zamir	adıl **	pronoun
zaviye	zaviye	açı	angle

* Old words that are still used in modern Turkish together with their new Turkish counterparts.
** New words that are not as frequently used as the old words. اجيلي

Loanwords of Persian origin

The list gives the Ottoman Turkish word, the modern spelling of the word in Turkish (as suggested by TDK), the modern Turkish equivalent, and its meaning in English.

Most of the original Persian words are still widely used in modern Turkish. In fact, there are over 1,500 Persian words in Turkish. However, for many of the Persian words (unlike Arabic words), there is no TDK-prescribed equivalent. TDK did not put as much effort into replacing Persian words as it did for Arabic words, largely because the Persian words were better assimilated into the language. Arabic language and culture is general perceived by Turks to be more "foreign" than Persian language and culture. In fact, Ottoman Turkish effectively used Persian spelling for Turkish words, however this shared spelling differs significantly from the system used for Arabic words.

Ottoman Turkish word	Modern spelling of the Ottoman Turkish word	Modern Turkish equivalent	Meaning in English	Remarks
	beraber	birlikte	together
بوسه	buse	öpücük	kiss
جنگ	cenk	savaş	war
چابك	çabuk	ivedi *	quick(ly)	The Turkish word is derived from the verb ivmek, which means to hurry
	çare	çözüm	solution
چهره	çehre	yüz	face
چنبر	çember	yuvarlak	circle
	çeşit	tür	kind, variety	Çeşit is still in popular use.
çehar-yek	çeyrek	dörtte bir	quarter	Both the Persian and the Turkish expressions literally mean one in four
درد	dert	ağrı	pain	Dert changed meaning and is now used as "problem"
	diğer	öbür, öteki	other
دشمن	düşman	yağı *	enemy	The Turkish word is almost never used.
اجنبى	ecnebi	el, yad *	stranger, foreigner
انديشه	endişe	kaygı	worry (noun)
گزيده	güzide	seçkin	élite	Please see the beginning of this article for the derivation of "seçkin"
خسته	hasta	sayrı*	patient, sick	The Turkish word is never used. The original Persian word actually means tired
هنوز	henüz	daha	(not) yet
همان	hemen	çabucak	instantly, immediately
	kurnaz	açıkgözlü	cunning	The Turkish word literally means open-eyed.
	istiklal	bağımsızlık	independence, freedom
مهتاب	mehtap	ay ışığı	moonlight
پاپوش	pabuç	ayakkabı	shoe	Both the Persian and the Turkish words literally mean shoe coverer
روزگار	rüzgâr	yel	wind
ساده	sade	yalın	plain
سارخوش	sarhoş	esrik *	drunk	The Persian word (serhoş) literally means head-sweet. The Turkish word is derived from the verb root es-, meaning to blow, to fan (wind). The Turkish word is no longer used.
سار	ser	baş	head
	serbest	erkin *	free, footloose	The Turkish word is almost never used.
	serseri	başıboş	bum, runabout
سياه	siyah	kara	black	The Persian and the Turkish word are used in somewhat different contexts
بهار	sonbahar	güz	fall (season)	The Persian word behar actually means spring. The Turkish compound word sonbahar (which literally means last-spring) means fall. There is also a Turkish compound ilkbahar.
	taze	yeni	new	In today's Turkish, the Persian word is rather used in the meaning of fresh.
تنبل	tembel	haylaz	lazy
ویران	viran	yıkık	ruin
	yaver	yardımcı	helper
	yeknesak	tekdüze	monotonous
yekpâre	yekpare	bütün	whole
زهر	zehir	ağı *	poison, toxin	The Turkish word is rarely used.
	zengin	varsıl *, varlıklı	rich
زور	zor	çetin *	difficult

* New words that are not as frequently used as the old words.

Loanwords of French origin

The French words started to infiltrate the Turkish language in the 1800s, when the administrative reforms (Tanzimat) started taking place in the Ottoman Empire. The extent of French influence was so much that the number of French loanwords was close to 5,000.

Most of the French loanwords are still widely used in today's Turkish.

Loanword	Turkish equivalent	Meaning in English	Original French spelling
ajanda *	günce	agenda	agenda
akselerasyon	ivme	acceleration	accélération
aksesuar *	süs	accessory (decorative)	accessoire
aktif *	etkin	active	actif
alternatif *	seçenek	alternative (noun)	alternatif
analiz *	çözümleme	analysis	analyse
asimilasyon, anabolizma *	özümleme	assimilation, anabolism	assimilation, anabolisme
astronomi *	gökbilim	astronomy	astronomie
avantaj *	üstünlük	advantage	avantage
done	veri	data	donnée
detay *	ayrıntı	detail	détail
direk *	doğrudan	directly	direct
dikte *	yazdırım	dictation	dictée
doktrin *	öğreti	doctrine	doctrine
doküman *	belge	document	document
domestik	evcil	domestic	domestique
dominant	baskın	dominant	dominant
egzersiz *	alıştırma	exercise	exercice
endemik *	salgın	endemic	endémique
enerji *	erke	energy	énergie
enflamasyon *	yangı	inflammation	inflammation
enformasyon, enformatik *	bilişim	information technology	information, informatique
enteresan *	ilginç	interesting	intéressant
eritrosit	alyuvar	red blood cell	érythrocyte
eksper*	bilirkişi	expert	expert
faks *	belgeç, belgegeçer	fax	fax
faktör *	etken	factor	facteur
filoloji	dilbilim	philology	philologie
filtre *	süzgeç	filter	filtre
fizyoloji *	işlevbilim	physiology	physiologie
fonksiyon *	işlev	function	fonction
fotokopi *	tıpkıbasım	photocopy	photocopie
garanti *	güvence	insurance, assurance	garantie
global *	küresel	global	global
gramer	dil bilgisi	grammar	grammaire
grup *	öbek	group	groupe
halüsinasyon *	varsanı	hallucination	hallucination
histoloji	doku bilimi	histology	histologie
homojen *	bağdaşık	homogenous	homogène
illüzyon *	yanılsama	illusion	illusion
istatistik *	sayımlama	statistics	statistiques
izolasyon *	yalıtım	insulation	isolation
kalite *	nitelik	quality	qualité
kampüs *	yerleşke	campus	campus
kapasite *	sığa, kapsam	capacity	capacité
karakter *	kişilik	character, personality	caractère
kategori *	ulam	category	catégorie
kompleks *	karmaşık	complex	complexe
komünikasyon *	iletişim	communication	communication
konsantrasyon *	derişim	concentration	concentration
konsolidasyon *	süreletme	consolidation (economics)	consolidation
kontrol	denetim	control	contrôle
kramp	kasınç	(muscle) cramp	crampe
kriter *	ölçüt	criteria	critères
kronik *	süreğen	chronic(ally)	chronique
kuaför *	güzellik salonu/berber	beauty/hair salon, barber	coiffeur
lenf *	akkan	lymph	lymphe
liste *	dizelge	list	liste
lokosit	akyuvar	white blood cell	leucocyte
medya *	basın-yayın	media	média
mekanizma *	düzenek	mechanism	mécanisme
meridyen *	boylam	longitude	méridien
mesaj, posta *	ileti	message	message
metamorfoz *	başkalaşım	metamorphosis	métamorphose
metot *	yöntem	method	méthode
monoton *	tekdüze	monotonous	monotone
moral *	özgüç	moral	morale
mutasyon *	değişinim	mutation	mutation
normal *	olağan	normal	normal
objektif *	nesnel	objective	objectif
organizasyon *	düzenleme	organization	organisation
orijinal *	özgün	original	original
otorite *	yetke	authority	autorité
over	yumurtalık	ovary	ovaire
paradoks *	çelişki	paradox	paradoxe
pasif *	edilgen	passive	passif
performans *	başarım	performance	performance
plaj *	kumsal	beach	plage
plato *	yayla	plateau	plateau
popüler, favori *	gözde	popular, favorite	populaire, favori
prensip *	ilke	principal	principe
prezentasyon	sunum	presentation	présentation
primer	birincil	primary	primaire
problem *	sorun	problem	problème
prodüktör	yapımcı	producer	producteur
program *	izlence	program	programme
proje *	tasarı	project	projet
prosedür *	işlem, işleyiş	procedure	procédure
proses *	süreç	process	procès
provokasyon	kışkırtma	provocation	provocation
radyoaktif *	ışın etkin	radioactive	radioactif
randıman *	verim	efficiency	rendement
rapor *	yazanak	report	rapport
rejisör	yönetmen	director	régisseur
resesif	çekinik	recessive	récessif
restoran *	aşevi	restaurant	restaurant
rezistans	direnç	resistance	résistance
sekonder *	ikincil	secondary	secondaire
sekreter *	yazman	secretary	secrétaire
sembol *	simge	symbol	symbole
semptom *	belirti	symptom	symptôme
sentez *	bireşim	synthesis	synthèse
sistem *	dizge	system	système
simülasyon *	öğrence	simulation	simulation
solüsyon	çözelti	solution	solution
spesifik	özgül	specific	spécifique
spesiyal	özel	special	spécial
standart *	ölçün	standard	standard
statik *	duruk	static	statique
statü *	durum	status	statut
sübjektif *	öznel	subjective	subjectif
teori *	kuram	theory	théorie
trotu[v]ar	kaldırım	pavement / sidewalk	trottoir
tümör *	ur	tumor	tumeur
versiyon *	sürüm	version	version
viraj *	dönemeç	turn (as in traffic)	virage
ultrason *	yansılanım (the act of echoing)	ultrasound	ultrason

* Words that are still used in modern Turkish together with their new Turkish counterparts.

Loanwords of other origin

Loanword	Turkish equivalent	Meaning in English	Original languages	Original spelling	Remarks
akut	iveğen	acute(ly)	German	akut	Neither word is commonly used.
angarya	yüklenti	drudgery, forced labor	Greek	αγγαρεία	The Turkish word is practically unknown
endoskopi *	iç görüm ("inside seeing")	endoscopy	Greek	ενδοσκόπηση	The Turkish word is less common
fenomen *	olgu	phenomenon	Greek	φαινόμενο	Both are used
fetüs *	dölüt	fetus	Latin	FETVS	Both are used
genetik *	kalıtım (bilimi) ("the science of heredity")	genetics	Greek
hegemonya	boyunduruk	hegemony	Greek
internet *	genel ağ	internet	English
kompüter	bilgisayar	computer	English
konsonant	ünsüz	consonant	German[1]	Konsonant
kundura *	ayakkabı	shoe	Greek
otoban *	otoyol	highway	German	Autobahn
parallel *	enlem	latitude	Greek
parazit *	asalak	parasite	Greek
printer	yazıcı	printer	English
sendrom *	belirgi	syndrome	Greek
uptake	tutulum	uptake	English
vokal *	ünlü	vowel	German[2]	Vokal

* Words that are still used in modern Turkish together with their new Turkish counterparts.

See also

• List of French loanwords in Persian‎

Notes

1. ^ TDK Online Dictionary - konsonant
2. ^ TDK Online Dictionary - vokal

Sources

• Yazım Kılavuzu, the official spelling guide of the Turkish language on TDK website
• Tercüme Hizmetleri, online Turkish - English translations