The speech of a region is an accumulation distilled from its history and its ways of making a living. The first systematic studies of the Amasya dialect were published only recently, and they also show that the language of the city stayed outside the reach of dialect researchers for a long time. Ebru Silahşör's article of 2010 opens by describing Amasya as one of the provinces still waiting to be documented. The work she later prepared with Mehmet Dursun Erdem, "Amasya ve Yöresi Ağızları" (published in 2023), rests on recordings gathered in the field between 2008 and 2010. This text describes the sounds, idioms and words heard in everyday speech in Amasya, and it relies only on examples found in these collections and in academic studies.

Position of the Dialect and History of Research

Studies of the dialects of Turkey Turkish began around 1867 with foreign Turkologists and gathered pace from the 1940s, when native researchers entered the field. The collection of words from Anatolia had been organized earlier, on 12 July 1932, through the "Söz Derleme Talimatnamesi" (Regulations for the Collection of Words) drawn up by the Turkish Language Research Society. A collecting committee was set up in every province, and the words gathered were published between 1962 and 1979 in the twelve-volume Derleme Sözlüğü (Compilation Dictionary). Based on roughly six hundred thousand slips, it is still regarded as the most comprehensive publication on the vocabulary of Turkey Turkish dialects.

According to Kürşat Efe's survey of the dictionary, it contains 2,533 words belonging to Amasya. Of these, 1,047 are attributed to Merzifon; the rest come from the town center, from villages, from Göynücek, from Gümüşhacıköy and from Taşova, which was included in the slips even though it was then attached to Tokat. The dictionary also contains place names that differ from today's. Zana and Varay (present-day Gediksaray) are among them, and the words collected from Varay take up more space than those from the district of Göynücek itself. Efe finds it surprising that so few words were collected from important settlements such as Gümüşhacıköy and Göynücek. Researchers also agree that the dictionary has many shortcomings in its methodology, and Efe states that it needs to be updated.

The fieldwork of Silahşör and Erdem followed a different method. Of the 373 settlements in Amasya, 262 separate recordings were made in the places where audio could be taken, and all of them were transcribed with phonetic symbols and examined. Two criteria stand out in the choice of speakers. Because the dialect was thought to survive best in the speech of women, women were given priority, and elderly people who had rarely left the region and could not read or write were especially preferred. The topics of the recordings include weddings, religious festivals, Hıdırellez, rain prayers, winter preparations, threshing, the evil eye, lead pouring, nicknames, lullabies, tales and legends. In this way the sounds of the dialect were recorded together with the daily life they carry. In this study Amasya is assessed within the region formed by the dialects of Amasya, Çorum, Ankara and, in part, Yozgat.

Features of the Sounds

What most clearly separates a dialect from the written language is often the pronunciation of words. According to Efe's summary, drawn from the examples in the Derleme Sözlüğü and from his own observation, the most frequent phenomenon in the Amasya dialect is the change of the k sound at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of words. A word-initial k usually turns into a soft ġ pronounced at the back of the palate. The compilation shows this change in examples such as ġadar, ġabaġ, ġardaş (brother, sibling), ġız, ġonak and ġıyámet. A word-final k can go in two different directions. In some words it softens into ġ (çocuġ, bacaġ, yaşamaġ), in others it becomes h (yoh, bah, tavuh, olacah). The same fricativization appears in the middle of words such as çıhar-, çohluh and dohuz. In some words a g is heard in place of k. Gişi (person, also used for a spouse), gendü (self), böreg and asgerlig belong to this group.

Shifts between voiced and voiceless consonants are another mark by which the dialect is recognized. The tendency shows in examples where a p written in the standard language is pronounced b (bahalı, barmak, bencere, dib, kitab) and where t turns into d (daban, datlı, daşlık, dutmah, dene). The reverse also occurs. In some words b is changed to p (paçak, sohpet), and in others z becomes s (bilmes, biras, kiras). Words such as hırtlak (for gırtlak) and cırnak (for tırnak) form yet another group, in which the initial sound has changed.

The assimilation of neighbouring sounds is a frequent feature of the Amasya dialect. The plural suffix is the one most affected, and forms such as bunnar, ġadınnar, gėlinner, torunnar and yėller are examples heard in daily speech. Günnük for günlük, ossun for olsun, kúccúġ for kızcağız and accıġ for acıcık come from the same tendency. In annım, where alın joins a suffix, the ln sounds turn into nn. The ñ sound seen in examples such as dıngıldak and dingil dingil in the Derleme Sözlüğü shows that a sound lost in the written language has been preserved in these dialects. It is also noted that the rounded vowel forms of Old Oghuz Turkish survive in this dialect, while the harmony of flat and rounded vowels is broken.

Vowels also change in the course of speech. Efe states that vowels next to the consonants y, c, ç and ş become finer, and that vowels beside labial consonants become rounded. Among the observations of the study are also the addition of an initial vowel to loanwords beginning with r and l, and the appearance of long vowels through syllable loss and syllable contraction. In the table of contents of Silahşör's article, which is based on only five texts from the central dialect, vowels and consonants are treated under detailed headings. The length of these headings shows how varied the dialect is in its sounds.

Words from the Derleme Sözlüğü

Efe has grouped the Amasya words in the dictionary under twenty-one headings by semantic field. The largest groups are names of tools and implements (344 words), adjectives (365 words) and general designations (207 words). Plant names number 122, animal names 126, food and drink names 96, clothing names 65, words relating to illness 70, and words relating to weather 32. Colour names are only seven, and mushroom names four. This distribution shows that the compilation leaned heavily toward the tools and objects of village life.

The words used for weather events show how closely the people of the region watched the sky. Fine rain is called çise, and the verb çilemek, meaning that it is drizzling, comes from the same root. For small hail there are separate words such as düğülce, mürdümük and zırzumuk. Snow that falls in grains the size of bulgur is called ebebulguru, and the rainbow is ebemkuşağı (eneğimsağma in Zana). A strong, cold wind is sazak, a wind blowing from the southeast is ağyel, and the lodos is recorded as tersyel. That rain falling under the sun is called gün yağmuru and thin, unbroken rain keçeçürüten shows how inventive naming based on observation can be.

Among the clothing names are pieces that can be seen in museums today. The long collarless garment worn by shepherds and camel drivers is aba, the woman's dress with cotton laid between its outer face and lining is aynalı işlik, and the ornamented fez worn by brides is recorded as dingil. There is no single word for the headscarf. It is called bürük in Taşova and çatma, cember or çember in Merzifon. Food names are among the most colourful parts of the compilation. Flatbread fried in oil is dönderme, cut pasta is erüşte, bulgur pilaf is düğü, cheese made from milk with the fat removed is çeçil, and the thick first milk drawn from an animal that has just given birth is ağuz. A countryside dish made with aubergine or squash is called bastı, a dish of fried eggs topped with garlic yoghurt is borani, and bread baked on the griddle is bazlama. Among them is "burun çayı", which describes the first tea poured from the pot into a glass and was recorded in central Merzifon.

Kinship terms vary from place to place as well. For elder sister one hears abca, abu, ava, ece or eci; for elder brother ava, dadaş or kağa; for foster brother elmişek in Zana and emişlik in Taşova; analık for mother-in-law and babalık for father-in-law. For child, quite different words such as çağ, çağa, gede and encek are used. Part of this variety consists of expressions that stayed within a single town or village, which is why the Derleme Sözlüğü adds the place of collection beside each word.

A Vocabulary Collected from the Region

The "Amasya ağzı" list published by the Amasya Directorate of Culture and Tourism consists of about fifty words and offers a sample chosen from the everyday vocabulary of the region. In the list, a barn is afur, a cucumber avar, trousers bandik, a ladder bedel, a silkworm cocoon barama, a small fly cimin, a child çağ, a poor person dıldıbız and a snail ebe kulağı. A skilled person is ellek, to grow old is fağrimek, a round loaf is fodula, a brother is gadaşım, a marble is gındak, a sip of drink is hörpüm and a handful is hapaz. A colander is ilis and thin flatbread is işgefe. Kekitmek means to leap or to be deceived, küflek denotes an inactive and lazy person, mamir means to be well, and mangaş means tweezers. An apron is öncek, a long stick with a nail at its tip is öğendere, an aubergine dish is pehli, purslane is pirpirim, and something sticky is şilepe. Şibermek means to act spoiled, şallak means naked and poor, and tavatır, according to the list, means very good. A wide-mouthed water jar is tağar, a wide-eyed, clever and mischievous girl is teccal, a person with hidden bargaining in mind is topuklu, and a sweet made with bread, grape molasses and walnuts is unutma beni. Yağarnı is used for the shoulder or back, yeğnicek for a quick-tempered person, yüğürtmeç for a barren animal, zımzık for a fist, zarilemek for moaning and pleading, and zeklenmek for mocking imitation.

The same words can appear in other sources with different meanings. Tavatır was recorded in the Derleme Sözlüğü from central Merzifon as "common rumour". Delme is given in the list as a short jacket, while the dictionary explains it as the cotton underclothes and işlik of women. Çağ keeps the meaning of child in both sources. This difference is a reminder that local words are not fixed to a single meaning, and that they show different sides depending on the village, the person recording and the period. Efe also notes that işgefe from the list is pronounced işkefe too, among his examples of alternation between g and k. According to Efe's observation, the pattern "bundan kelli", found in many Central Anatolian dialects, is heard in Amasya as well and most probably comes from "bundan geri". For the demonstrative particle meaning "there it is", various forms such as daha, dāha, deydaha and teya are used.

Proverbs and Idioms

In Amasya, proverbs and idioms known everywhere in Turkey are used, and so are sayings peculiar to the region only. According to a guide that has compiled the idioms of the region, some of them are "Hışırım çıktı", "Benden yemlen yumurtayı başkasına bırak", "Hızlı yürüsen deli, yavaş yürüsen ölü derler" and "Gıcır gıcır devrilesice".

The saying "Eşeğin kulağına yasin okunmaz" (one does not recite Yasin into a donkey's ear) describes the futility of talking to someone who will not understand or who will do as he pleases and listen to no one. "Gölden yiyo, imarette yatıyo" (he eats from the lake and sleeps in the soup kitchen) is said of lazy people who settle into what is ready-made and do nothing to improve their situation. "Her köyün bir soğan doğraması olur" has the same meaning as the widespread Anatolian proverb "Her yiğidin bir yoğurt yemesi vardır"; it says that everyone has a way of his own. "Bıçağın önü de arkası da kesiyor" describes a person who justifies himself in every situation and, finding support from everyone, takes no one into account. "Benden yemlen yumurtayı başkasına bırak" means "I am feeding you, yet you let others eat your earnings." "Yıl da azdı kul da azdı" is said of girls who run off with a husband. "Muhtarın karısı muhtarın yarısı" says that the matter does not end with that person alone and that others will also have a say. "Kumanın gemisi yürür, elti gemisi yürümez" says that where there is a co-wife, the sister-in-law's word does not carry.

Some sayings describe the small situations of daily life. "Hışırım çıktı" means being very tired, "Hiç aşkım yok" lack of spirits, "Kafam dalgalı" a muddled head, "Kafam fenikti" dizziness, and "Karnım şiş" a troubled mind. "Döklüm döşek" describes untidiness, "Kül haşaş oldu" something broken and scattered, and "Lo taşı gibi yuvarlandı" a plump person falling to the ground. "Dereyi görmeden paça sıvamak" means to act hastily, "İki ayağını bir pabuca sokmak" to become flustered, "İki lafın belini kırmak" to chat for a while, and "Şöyle bir kazınalım" to talk over one's troubles. "İt ayağından paça yemiş gibi gezmek" and "gezgüç" are said of someone who wanders a great deal. The remark that they walked side by side as they crossed the bridge is used of people who behave like relatives although they are not, or who are only very distant relatives. The question "Fahridin mi?" means "Have you grown old?"

Sayings that give advice and counsel are also part of this vocabulary. "Bilmeden göle düşme" means do not undertake what you do not know, "Bu ne biçim gayda, büyüklerde olur fayda" means consult a knowledgeable elder before doing a job, and "El eli yur el de döner yüzü yur" means that a kindness or a wrong done will not go unanswered. "Seni omzuna alınca ayakların yere değmesin" is the wish that the person one marries will not be poor and will leave one in need of nothing. The saying "Seversen esmer sev, sevdikçe bağlanır; pek sevme beyazı, üç günde bir kirlenir" is an example of the humour of daily life. "Sel ağzından kütük kapmak" describes opportunism, and "Kulp takmak" finding fault with everything. "Kokmuşluk yapma" means do not gossip. "Kesüyü bekit" is an agricultural expression meaning to direct the water coming from behind.

Another saying passed from mouth to mouth appears in the answers given to questions about literacy. When asked "Do you know how to read and write?" people answer "Kayseriliyiz" (we are from Kayseri), which means "we cannot read or write." The answer "anadan doğma yaşıyoruz" (we have lived since birth), given when someone is asked in which year he was born, is an example of the same smile-provoking, evasive way of speaking. Such examples from daily life show the wit of the people of the region in a more concrete way.

Prayers and Curses

The prayers collected from the region are short and heartfelt. "Allah ömrün uzun etsin" (may God lengthen your life), "Tuttuğun altın olsun" (may whatever you touch turn to gold) and "Allah sana oğul ekmeği, gelin ekmeği yedirsin" (may God let you eat the bread of a son and a daughter-in-law) are among the foremost. The curses mostly rest on images taken from the objects of daily life. "Allah sana parmak versin de tırnak vermesin" means may God give you no opportunity. "Elma yerken dişin gırılsın inşallah" is said half in jest. "Allah sende oğlundan gızından bul" is a heavy curse that wishes a person to be made to suffer at the hands of those he loves most. "Gıcır gıcır devrilesice" was born from the creaking sound made when a tree is felled, and it is a saying that wishes a painful death. "Allah kapına kara kilitler asılsın" describes the wish that one's line will not continue, that the family will fall apart and that the hearth will not smoke. The k turning into g in these sayings (gırılsın, gızından) is a living example of the sound features described earlier.

Words of Taşova and Its Surroundings

Taşova was attached to Tokat in the years when the Derleme Sözlüğü was prepared, and some of the words slipped there come from it. Among them are emişlik (foster brother), bürük (headscarf), kadinge (sister-in-law), sevindirik (excitement), çen (fog), aşlık (a soup made from grains) and ağyel (a wind blowing from the southeast). To these can be added the words that were once widespread in Taşova and now live on in the speech of the elderly. Some of these words are common to a wide area of Anatolia, while others belong wholly to the region. To tell which falls into which class, the recordings of Silahşör and Erdem would have to be compared with the village and district notes in the Derleme Sözlüğü.

Problems of Preserving the Dialect

In the preface of their book, Silahşör and Erdem state that dialect material in and around Amasya is in danger of disappearing with every passing day. One reason for this warning is the declining number of elderly speakers, and another is migration from villages to cities. That recordings could not be made in some settlements, because there was no means of reaching them or no one was left living there, is itself a direct sign of this loss. Efe likewise proposes that the Amasya words in the Derleme Sözlüğü be re-examined in terms of sound, form and meaning, and that all the features of the Amasya dialect, which bears traces of Old Turkish, be brought to light.

The way to keep a dialect alive does not end with storing words in a dictionary. Every word collected is the name of a village, a season or a work process. Examples such as calling the heap of grain prepared for winnowing on the threshing floor tığ or tınaz, calling the game played around a fire simsim or sinsin, and calling a job that is in good and orderly shape "tak düzen" show that this vocabulary is tied to a living regional culture. To collect, record and remember the Amasya dialect is therefore not merely a linguistic task but also a way of passing the daily life of the city to the future.

Sources

Academic studies

  • Silahşör, Ebru. "Amasya Merkez Ağzı'nın Ses Bilgisi Özellikleri". Diyalektolog - Ağız Araştırmaları Dergisi, no. 1, 2010, pp. 47-84.
  • Efe, Kürşat. "Derleme Sözlüğü'ne Göre Amasya Söz Varlığının Sözlük Bilimsel ve Ad Bilimsel Sınıflandırılması". Amasya Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, Amasya Special Issue, September 2022, pp. 215-285.

Official sources

  • Amasya Directorate of Culture and Tourism, "Amasya Ağzı" word list (amasya.ktb.gov.tr).

Books

  • Erdem, Mehmet Dursun - Silahşör Öztürk, Ebru. Amasya ve Yöresi Ağızları (Giriş-İnceleme-Metinler) I. ASOS Yayınları, 2023.

Other sources

Online sources