Turkish Folk Literature Terminology

Turkish Folk Literature Terminology

• Turkish folk literature goes by different names.
• Terms have changed over time.
• Terms for folk literature appeared in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
• "Halk edebiyati" is the most common term.
• It began appearing in the 19th century.
• The term was not found in 19th or 20th century Ottoman dictionaries.
• Ottoman literary history writings in the late 19th century also presented contrasting views on folk literature.
• These writings started defining Turkish folk literature after the Turks converted to Islam.
• Turkish researchers have criticized a lack of comprehensive Turkish literary history.

Turkish Popular Literature

• Turkish popular literature is a subject that academics have been slow to study.
• There was a 200-year delay between the first book on Turkish literature (Della letteratura dei Turchi, 1688) and a Turkish-language history of Ottoman literature ("Tarihi Edebiyat-ı Osmaniye," 1888).
• Turkish popular literature has been given several names including "sinif edebiyati," "Turk anonim edebiyati," "anonim halk edebiyati," "sozlu edebiyati," and "halkbilim."
• Some scholars say "anonim halk edebiyati" and "halk edebiyat" are interchangeable terms, both referring to anonymous popular literature.
• Oral traditions such as tales, epics, myths, proverbs, and riddles can be included in popular literature.
• Turkish popular literature represents the long history of Turkish thought and emotion.

Explore the various terms used in Turkish folk literature, including the changes in terminology over time. This quiz covers the historical context of these terms and how they reflect the evolution of Turkish literature from the 19th century onward.