{"id":2846,"date":"2024-10-17T06:00:34","date_gmt":"2024-10-17T06:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thisisdimashq.com\/?p=2846"},"modified":"2024-10-16T10:41:40","modified_gmt":"2024-10-16T10:41:40","slug":"shami-expressions-you-didnt-know-came-from-turkish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thisisdimashq.com\/en\/2846\/shami-expressions-you-didnt-know-came-from-turkish\/","title":{"rendered":"Shami Expressions You Didn\u2019t Know Came from Turkish"},"content":{"rendered":"
Did you know that many words we use daily in Sham have Turkish origins? Various civilizations passed through, leaving their mark on our daily language. One of the most influential languages on our dialect is Turkish, especially during the Ottoman rule, which lasted around 400 years.<\/p>
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Let\u2019s take a tour of some of these words and see how they became a part of our lives:<\/h3>
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First, \u201cMarhaba<\/strong>,\u201d the greeting we use every day, comes from the Turkish word \u201cMerhaba<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p><\/p>
\u201cYabraq<\/strong>\u201d is something we all know \u2013 the delicious stuffed grape leaves with meat. The word comes from the Turkish \u201cYaprak<\/strong>,\u201d meaning \u201cleaf.\u201d If you stuff grape leaves with rice but no meat, we call it \u201cYalanji<\/strong>,\u201d which means \u201cfake\u201d in Turkish, from \u201cYalanc\u0131<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>
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When we say \u201cOda<\/strong>\u201d to refer to a room, this word also comes from the Turkish \u201cOda<\/strong>.\u201d A nice expression we use, \u201cDuzbara<\/strong>,\u201d meaning “accurately,” also has Turkish origins from \u201cD\u00fczbari<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p><\/p>
Did you know that when you dry your hands, you say you need a \u201cBishkir<\/strong>\u201d? This word comes from the Turkish \u201cPe\u015fkir<\/strong>,\u201d meaning a cloth towel. And we say \u201cBelki<\/strong>\u201d or \u201cBarki<\/strong>\u201d many times a day, which also comes from the Turkish \u201cBelki<\/strong>\u201d!<\/p>
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If someone offers you tea and says \u201cAkrok Ajam<\/strong>,\u201d it means the tea was made in a Turkish teapot, without a smoky flavor fancy and well-made. This phrase originates from the Turkish \u201cA\u00e7\u0131k ak\u015fam \u00e7ay\u0131<\/strong>.\u201d And the word \u201cAfandi<\/strong>,\u201d originally used to show respect, now we say it sarcastically to someone who thinks they\u2019re important. It comes from the Turkish \u201cEfendi<\/strong>.\u201d Hey, Afandi!<\/p>
When you say \u201cAywa<\/strong>\u201d to agree, this also comes from the Turkish \u201cEvet<\/strong>.\u201d And when we talk about a \u201cBaltaji<\/strong>,\u201d originally it was for someone who worked with an axe, from the Turkish \u201cBalta\u00e7\u0131<\/strong>,\u201d but now we use it for a troublemaker.<\/p>
And if everything\u2019s fine, say \u201cTamaam<\/strong>,\u201d a word also from the Turkish \u201cTamam<\/strong>,\u201d meaning \u201cokay\u201d or \u201cgood.\u201d Even \u201cKhalas<\/strong>,\u201d which we say to finish something, is of Turkish origin from \u201cKhalas<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>
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We call the brakes in our cars \u201cFram<\/strong>,\u201d which comes from the Turkish \u201cFren<\/strong>.\u201d And when driving, we hold the \u201cDireksion<\/strong>,\u201d which is the Turkish word for \u201csteering wheel,\u201d from \u201cDireksiyon<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>
The word \u201cDolab<\/strong>,\u201d meaning wheel or cupboard, also comes from Turkish \u201cDolap<\/strong>.\u201d If you want to drink something cold, you might say \u201cKazoza<\/strong>,\u201d which is a soda drink, from the Turkish \u201cGazoz<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>
Long ago, people would say \u201cBabur<\/strong>\u201d for something used to cook or heat that emitted steam. It comes from the Turkish \u201cVapur<\/strong>.\u201d Remember Su\u2019ad Khanom\u2019s joy when her husband brought her a silent Babur in Bab El Hara?<\/p>
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By the way, \u201cKhanom<\/strong>\u201d also comes from Turkish \u201cHan\u0131m<\/strong>,\u201d meaning \u201clady.\u201d<\/p>
And what\u2019s better than cooking \u201cShurba<\/strong>\u201d? The word for soup comes from Turkish \u201c\u00c7orba<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>
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If you\u2019re craving kebab, you go to the \u201cKebabji<\/strong>,\u201d the person who makes kebabs, from the Turkish \u201cKebap\u00e7\u0131<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>
Before you head out, don\u2019t forget your \u201cJizdan<\/strong>,\u201d meaning wallet, from the Turkish \u201cC\u00fczdan<\/strong>,\u201d and your \u201cKendara<\/strong>,\u201d or shoes, from the Turkish \u201cKundur<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>
Even the pain we express with \u201cAkh<\/strong>,\u201d comes from the Turkish \u201cAh<\/strong>,\u201d and to affirm something, you might say \u201cEy wallah<\/strong>,\u201d just like they do in Turkey with \u201cEyvallah<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>
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And when you shorten something to \u201cEy<\/strong>,\u201d you\u2019re actually using the Turkish word \u201cEvet<\/strong>.\u201d If you love ice cream in summer, you should know that \u201cBoza<\/strong>\u201d comes from Turkish \u201cBuz<\/strong>,\u201d meaning ice.<\/p>
When you say \u201cDughri<\/strong>,\u201d meaning straight or direct, it comes from Turkish \u201cDo\u011fru<\/strong>.\u201d And the strong person is called \u201cAbadai<\/strong>,\u201d also from the Turkish \u201cKabaday\u0131<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>
If you\u2019re carrying a \u201cShanta<\/strong>,\u201d remember that it\u2019s a Turkish word \u201c\u00c7anta<\/strong>.\u201d And if you\u2019re wearing boots or \u201cJazma<\/strong>,\u201d this too comes from Turkish \u201c\u00c7izme<\/strong>,\u201d meaning long boots. Even \u201cGomrok<\/strong>\u201d for customs comes from Turkish \u201cG\u00fcmr\u00fck<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>
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And when you eat \u201cShish Tawook<\/strong>,\u201d know that the word originates from the Turkish \u201c\u015ei\u015f Tavuk<\/strong>,\u201d meaning chicken skewer. When we say \u201cHareem<\/strong>\u201d to refer to women, it\u2019s also from Turkish \u201cHarem<\/strong>.\u201d And when you call a waiter \u201cGarson<\/strong>\u201d at a caf\u00e9 or restaurant, remember that this word is Turkish too, from \u201cGarson<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>
Finally, \u201cHabis<\/strong>,\u201d meaning prison, is from Turkish \u201cHapis<\/strong>,\u201d and \u201cJarabe<\/strong>\u201d for socks comes from Turkish \u201c\u00c7orap<\/strong>.\u201d Even \u201cDukkan<\/strong>,\u201d which we visit daily, comes from Turkish \u201cD\u00fckkan<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>
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Now that we\u2019ve taken a tour of these Sham words with Turkish roots, we can see how civilizations have shaped our language. Languages, like cultures, blend together and make life richer and more beautiful.<\/p>
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