Transfer of Technology and Formation of the Technical Language: The Case of Turkish Terminology of Architecture

Abstract

Turks are a moving nation that traveled around different geographies until they came to Anatolia 1000 years ago. During this move they met different societies and adopted different customs and phrases from these societies. At the point when they began to construct new settlements; they welcomed planners and architects from the neighboring countries. In this way, various professional terminology is transferred into Turkish along with new building types and building techniques. Turkish language became a medium for them which can give clues about this history, since it is a living thing affected by the changing environments and encountering diverse factors.

The aim of this study is to uncover these clues by using the etymological traces. Nevertheless, following the etymological traces of foreign terminology transferred from Persian, Arabic, or other languages in architecture from Turkish lexicons, would uncover the Asian, Middle Eastern, and European connections of Turkish architecture and construction sector.