HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE TURKISH LANGUAGE AND THE INFLUENCE OF THE ARABIC SCRIPTURE ON THE TURKISH LANGUAGE

Abstract

The Anatolian geography has hosted various civilizations throughout the centuries. The influence of the Arabic language on the Turkish language became visible especially from the 10th century onwards, with the spread of Islam among the Turks. In particular, terms related to religious, legal, philosophical, and scientific matters were taken from Arabic. This influence was also seen in the form of writing. The Turkish language was written with the Arabic alphabet, and the writing styles in this alphabet were also adapted to Turkish texts. In particular, the nesih, sülüs, and rik'a scripts were often used in Turkish manuscripts and official documents. The art of calligraphy, which developed with Arabic writing styles, had a profound impact on the culture and art of the Turks. Tablets written with scripts such as Tulut and Divani were used as decorative elements in mosques, palaces, and official documents. Rika, in turn, found a place in Turkish texts as a practical type of writing in everyday correspondence. The Talic style of writing was preferred for writing poetry and literary works in Turkish literature. This influence increased even more during the Ottoman period, and Turkish words were mixed with Arabic and Persian, creating a rich written language called Ottoman Turkish. However, with the language revolution carried out during the republican era, an attempt was made to purify the Turkish language of this influence by giving preference to pure Turkish words.