Analysing the Verb of Alış- in Turkic

Abstract

One of the prevalent verbs with the most derivatives and semantic diversity in Turkish is al-. Numerous derivatives such as alın-, altız-, and in Old Uighur Turkic alınç, alınçu, alım, alsık- etc. are taken into consideration. Some derivatives of the verb al- are frequently used metaphorically in old and contemporary Turkic dialects: alımlı, aldır-, alın- etc. One of the most notable derivatives of the verb is the Old Turkic derivative alış-, meaning “to take reciprocally” attested in Old Uighur texts only in the forms öç kek alış-/alışdur-. In the Dunhuang manuscripts, verb appears in a proverb meaning “tame, docile”. In Anatolia, from the 14th century onwards, the verb became metaphorical, meaning “to become domesticated”. This metaphorical usage is also attested in the contemporary Turkic dialects of Karaim, Kumyk and Crimean Tatar. In old and contemporary Turkic dialects, the most common verb meaning “to get used to” is öğren-. Its usage pursues for a time in Anatolia before being replaced by the Arabic loanword ‘âdet. In Ottoman Turkish, the meaning of the verb, which became widespread with the meaning of “to become accustomed” is also associated with the meaning of “to catch fire” from this period. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that during this period, the verb alış- was used in the Târîh-i Âl-i Osmân with its basic meaning of “to take” in Old Turkic, and again used in the work Revnak-ı Bustan, with the meaning “to tame the soil”. In this study, the verb alış-, its usage and figurative meanings will be examined by comparing it with old and contemporary Turkic dialects, with reference to other words meaning “to become accustomed”.