Newsletters
For centuries, the Turkish language has reached far beyond the borders of Anatolia leaving traces of its words in nearly every corner of Eurasia. From the Balkans to the Steppes of Central Asia and even into the vocabularies of Chinese and English, Turkish has quietly woven itself into the linguistic fabric of dozens of cultures.
According to the Dictionary of Turkish Loanwords, in Turkish (Turkce Verintiler Sozlugu), more than 20,000 words of Turkish origin have entered the vocabularies of over 20 world languages, illustrating the far-reaching influence of Turkish throughout history.
Prepared under the guidance of the Turkish Language Association (TDK) and authored by Dr. Gunay Karaagac, the Dictionary of Turkish Loanwords brings together more than 8,500 main entries and thousands of additional word forms. The project is considered the first of its kind to systematically document Turkish words that have spread into other languages rather than focusing on foreign influences in Turkish.
Linguist Dr. Recep Toparli emphasized that while previous studies have cataloged Arabic and Persian words borrowed into Turkish, this research reverses the direction of inquiry, showcasing Turkish as a source language that has enriched many others. “Such a work has never been done before,” Toparli noted, highlighting its contribution to both Turkish and global linguistic research.
Over time, Turkish words have traveled along trade routes, through imperial expansion, and into the daily speech of neighboring peoples. Many remain in active use today. In Serbian, for instance, words like balta (axe), yorgan (quilt) and ajva (quince) are direct borrowings from Turkish. Russian includes ajva (quince) and kurdjuk (tail fat). Greek has adopted cadir (tent) and cakmak (lighter), while English has absorbed kiosk and yogurt both originating from Turkish roots.
Even distant languages such as Chinese and Urdu contain Turkish-derived terms, a reflection of the far-reaching contact between civilizations over the centuries.
The Dictionary of Turkish Loanwords lists the approximate number of Turkish-origin words present in various world languages:
Dr. Karaagac explains that Turkish’s role as an imperial and regional language was key to this diffusion, “As the language of administration, trade, and daily life across vast territories, Turkish naturally shared its vocabulary with neighboring peoples.”
From household terms like baba (father) and kosk (pavilion) to technical and culinary words, Turkish expressions became part of other languages’ everyday lexicons. The dictionary also notes subtle shifts in pronunciation and meaning as words adapted to new linguistic environments.
1 min read
