Turkish is the
national language of Turkey, and is also spoken by minority groups
in Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, and other countries. It is the most
important member of the Turkic group of languages which form a
branch of the Altaic family. There are about 55 million speakers.
Turkish was
originally written in the Arabic script which, though poorly
suited to the language, had been in use since the conversion of
the Turks to Islam. In 1928 President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
decreed the introduction of a slightly modified version of the
Roman alphabet, consisting of twenty-one consonants and eight
vowels. In Turkish the letters q, w, and x are absent, while the
letter c is pronounced like the English j (e.g., ceppocket), j
like the French j (jaledew), ç is pronounced ch
(çiçekflower.***
The English words
caviar, yogurt, and shish kebab are of Turkish origin. The word
tulip comes from a Turkish word for turban, because its flower was
thought to resemble a turban. The word meander comes from the
ancient name of the Menderes River of western Turkey which was
noted for its winding course.
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