Turkish Words in Literature
Turkish words in Bosnian books.
How It Works
Under Ottoman rule, many words from Turkish entered Bosnian. Some are still in everyday speech, and some now feel old. Writers use them to show a place and a time.
| word | meaning |
|---|---|
| sokak | a narrow street |
| čaršija | market quarter, old town centre |
| avlija | a courtyard |
| ćuprija | a bridge (older word) |
| mahala | a neighbourhood |
Famous titles show this in action: Andrić's Na Drini ćuprija and Prokleta avlija, and Selimović's Derviš i smrt. Notice that the title word is often a Turkish-origin word.
For a learner, a good guide is this: sokak, čaršija, avlija and mahala are still in use, while ćuprija is now rare in everyday speech and mostly appears in books, songs and names, and most is the ordinary word.
When you meet a word you do not know, it may be Turkish in origin. A dictionary marks such words, and the notes in a good edition explain them.
Examples (4)
- Starci sjede na sokaku.
The old men sit in the narrow street.
Sokaku is the locative of sokak.
- Čaršija se budi rano.
The old market quarter wakes up early.
Čaršija sets the scene.
- U avliji raste vinova loza.
A grapevine grows in the courtyard.
Avliji is the locative of avlija.
- Preko ćuprije se vidi mahala.
Across the old bridge you can see the neighbourhood.
Ćuprije is genitive.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Turkish words in literature.
Related Patterns
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