Turkish Language

The webpages like google and blogspot, have all the background information in Turkish until you sign in. That makes sense. Well, while trying to sign in to write this entry I accidentally clicked the flag this blog for inappropriate content. I figure the sign in button would be on the upper right, but I was wrong. Ha ha.

One of the things that is interesting about Turkish is that they use a variation of the Latin alphabet. When the founder of modern Turkey, Ataturk, kicked out the Greeks and formed the modern state, he switched the written language from Arabic script to a variation of the Latin alphabet. (This was part of his drive to westernize Turkey). Evidently the country supported him so much that it went over relatively smoothly. Imagine that, the entire country being turned functionally illiterate over night.

The other thing that is interesting is that Turkish uses lots of American/western words for things that they I know there was a historical root for. Like music (musik), clearly there was a Turkish word for it because the Sultans made their harems learn music 1000 years ago. And barber (berber) where brings me to my next blog entry.

(Caption - Maybe they should have stuck with Turkish)