Held online on April 5–6, 2025, the 1st Bilsel International Congress on Scientific Research brought together academics from diverse fields, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and scholarly dialogue. Among the participants was Asst. Prof. Türkan Korkmaz Bulut from the Department of Turkish Language and Literature at Istanbul Gelişim University, who presented a paper titled “Grammatical Terms in Ottoman Turkish in the Example of Ferit Develioğlu’s Ottoman-Turkish Encyclopedic Dictionary.”
This paper focuses on the Ottoman-Turkish Encyclopedic Dictionary by Ferit Develioğlu, a foundational work frequently used in the study and instruction of Ottoman Turkish. In her analysis, Korkmaz Bulut explores not only the grammatical terms included in the dictionary but also the conceptual frameworks, explanatory methods, and linguistic sources that shape them.
She argues that the grammatical terminology in Ottoman Turkish draws significantly from Arabic grammar traditions, while also integrating structures specific to Turkish. The paper highlights how the hybrid nature of Ottoman grammar—shaped by Arabic, Persian, and Turkish influences—is reflected in the selection and explanation of terms, as well as in the pedagogical intent behind their presentation.
Through detailed examination of definitions, examples, and classification methods in the dictionary, Korkmaz Bulut emphasizes the role of historical dictionaries not merely as reference tools but as critical texts that embody the grammatical knowledge and teaching strategies of their time.
Her study contributes valuable insights to the fields of lexicography, historical linguistics, and language instruction. It encourages a rethinking of dictionaries as dynamic texts that offer a window into evolving linguistic thought and grammatical theory.
By foregrounding the historical and educational significance of grammatical terms in Ottoman Turkish, the paper paves the way for further research into the intellectual history of Turkish grammar and enriches contemporary approaches to Ottoman language education.
We congratulate our esteemed faculty member and wish her continued success in her academic endeavors.
