Plant names in Turkish

Introduction

Ottoman Turkish was written in Arabic script, whereas modern Turkish is written in a Latin script with some diacritics, since the 1928 reform. Modern Turkish names are currently reproduced as they are written, but Ottoman Turkish is classically transcribed using a standard used for Arabic. The consequence is that the same name may appear in two (or more) different spellings.

Another aspect of Ataturk's reforms was the will to expurgate Turkish of the many Arabic and Persian terms, which were particularly abundant when dealing with policy and culture. Plant names seem not to have been touched by those changes. One possible change is the name for grapes, which is now üzüm, and was ‘ineb - ءنب (Redhouse).

Particular features

In Turkish, tree names are formed by adding to the fruit name the word "tree" in its definite form, ağacı.

Turkish has no article, but names follow declension. A name in a list comes in the absolute (nominative) form. But when a qualifier is added (but only if this qualifier is a noun other than the noun of a material, such as gold, stone...), it comes in the "definite-accusative" form. If the qualifier is an adjective, the base name remains in its absolute form.

The suffix used (i, ü, ı, u) may change the ending of the name.

See as an example the list of Corylus species in Turkish Wikipedia.

Names ending with a consonant

In priciple, no Turkish word can end with b, c, d, but instead by p, ç, t. Due to the principle of euphony, the words ending with p, ç, k change their ending into b, c, g (or ğ) before a vowel.

e or i as dominant vowel

• biber biberi - pepper
• incir inciri - fig

ö or ü as dominant vowel

• gül / gülü - rose
• üzüm / üzümü - grapes

a or ı as dominant vowel

• kamış / kamışı - reed
• kiraz / kirazı - cherry

with a change

• ağaç / ağacı - tree
• fındık / fındığı - hazelnut
• fıstık / fıstığı - pistacchio, peanut
• kabak / kabağı - pumpkin

o or u as dominant vowel

• kavun / kavunu - melon
• limon / limonu - lemon
• mağdanos / mağdanosı - parsley ?
• ot / otu - herb
• armut / armudu - pear

• turp / turpu - radish is an exception (it should be turbu]

Names ending with a vowel

• elma / elması - apple
• bakla / baklası - broad bean
• darı / darısı - millet
• fasulya / fasulyası - bean
• lahana / lahanası - cabbage
• buğday / buğdayı- wheat

Grammars say that the termination in such cases is yi, yü, yı or yu, but I failed to find such plant names.

References

• Bedevian, Armenag K., 1936. Illustrated polyglottic dictionary of plant names in Latin, Arabic, Armenian, English, French, German, Italian and Turkish languages. Including economic, medicinal, poisonous and ornamental plants and common weeds. Cairo, Argus & Papazian Press. 644 p. of text, 456 p. of index and 8 p. in Arabic pagination. Reprint Cairo, Medbouly Library, 1994.
• Redhouse James, 1890. Turkish in English Lexicon. reprinted in 1974 and 1987, Beirut, Librairie du Liban. 2224 p.