Turkish Language Reform and Social Identity

Atatürk’s reform of the Turkish language in the 1920s has offered an example of the social impacts of extensive language planning. Previously, Ottoman Turkish had borrowed vocabulary prolifically from Persian and Arabic (Lewis, 1999, p. 8). In an effort to unify the national identity of Turkey, as many non-Turkish words as possible were replaced with new, native Turkish words (Göksel & Kerslake, 2005, p. xi). The process was largely successful; however, the language continued to change even after the reform was “finished.” This has had substantial effects on social perception and identity.

Successive generations began to be distinguished by their word choices, with older generations tending to use more words from Ottoman Turkish. Consequently, older works (often between the 1930s and 1950s) are frequently translated into “modern Turkish” and “simplified editions” for the younger populace to understand them (Lewis, 1999, p. 143). This separation needs to be taken into account when addressing multiple generations. Often, a speaker needs to use multiple words to express a given concept: the modern Turkish term, the older Ottoman term, and occasionally a loanword from another language (Lewis, 1999, p. 3). Ottoman words can also suggest political ideology. A recent study found that liberal politicians tended to use more words of Turkish origin, while conservative politicians tended toward those of Arabic and Persian origin (Uzam & Uzam, 2010, p. 222).

Despite this divide, interest in Ottoman Turkish among the younger generations is growing. Changes to public education have given greater access to Ottoman instruction, and, more informally, social media is being used to promote the maintenance and use of Ottoman (Yazan, 2015, p. 340). The language reform served to unify Turkey under a single linguistic identity. Perhaps the reintroduction of Ottoman could serve to unify social identities as well.

References

Göksel, A. & Kerslake, C. (2005). Turkish: A comprehensive grammar. New York, NY: Routledge.

Lewis, G. (1999). The Turkish language reform: A catastrophic success. Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press.

Uzum, B., & Uzum, M. (2010). The historical and linguistic analysis of Turkish politicians’ speech. International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society, 23(4), 213-224. Retrieved from Springer database.

Yazan, B. (2015). Adhering to the language roots: Ottoman Turkish campaigns on Facebook. Language Policy, 14(4), 335-355. Retrieved from Springer database.