Harezm Türkçesi Metinlerinde Görülen Eski Türkçe /-d, -d-/ > /-z, - z-/ Ses Değişimi Üzerine
Türkler, tarih boyunca Asya ve Avrasya’nın geniş bir bölgesinde yoğun göç hareketleri ve savaşlar yaşamış; bu süreçte hem siyasi hem de kültürel değişimlerle karşı karşıya kalmışlardır. Bu değişimler doğrudan dilsel yapıya da etki etmiş ve lehçeler arası ilişkiler çok karmaşık bir hâle gelmiştir. Hatta bazı durumlarda kimi lehçelerin tamamen kaybolmasıyla da sonuçlanmıştır. Harezm bölgesi, 6. yüzyılda Köktürklerin hâkimiyetine girmesiyle Türkleşmeye başlamıştır. 13. yüzyılda Moğol saldırılarıyla birlikte meydana gelen yeni göç dalgaları, bölgedeki Türk nüfusunu birbirine karıştırmış ve farklı Türk lehçelerinin bir arada konuşulduğu bir coğrafya hâline getirmiştir. Farklı Türk boylarının bir arada yaşayışı dilin kendine has otantik ve -bazı durumlarda- karmaşık yapısını oluşturmuştur. Zaman içerisinde Türkçe eser verme geleneği ile birlikte Harezm bölgesi önemli bir kültür merkezi hâline gelmiştir. Bu makalede Kâşgarlı Mahmud zamanında bilinen ve özellikle Suvar, Yimek, bazı Kıpçak ve Bulgar boylarında rastlanan Eski Türkçe /-d, -d-/ Harezm Türkçesi /-z, -z-/ ses değişiminin dönem eserlerindeki durumu ele alınacaktır. Harezm Türkçesine ait tüm eserler tarandığında yalnızca Anonim Tefsir ve Kısasü’l-Enbiyâ’da karşılaşılan bu değişimin fazla sayıda örnek kelimede görüldüğü saptanmıştır. Anonim Tefsir’de 25 kelimede ve 53 örnek, Kısasü’l-Enbiyâ’nın farklı nüshalarında ise toplam 24 kelimede ve 61 örnek tespit edilmiştir. Bu değişimin olası sebepleri tespit edilmeye çalışılacaktır. Ayrıca lehçeler arası temas ve eskicillik durumları bakımından meselenin farklı boyutları tartışılacaktır.
On the Sound Shift Old Turkic /-d, -d-/ > /-z, -z-/ in Khwarezm Turkic Texts
Throughout history, Turks have experienced significant migration and conflict across a wide region of Asia and Eurasia. These movements have led to considerable political and cultural changes, which have, in turn, affected the linguistic structures and the relationships between dialects. In some instances, this has even resulted in the complete disappearance of certain dialects. With the arrival of various Turkic tribes, particularly the Oghuz and Kipchak, the Khwarezm region began to adopt Turkic characteristics. Subsequent waves of migration further mixed the Turkic population, creating a landscape where different Turkic dialects coexisted. This coexistence has resulted in a unique and, at times, complex linguistic structure. Over time, Khwarezm has become an important cultural center with a rich tradition of publishing works in Turkish. This article examines the status of the Old Turkic sound change /-d, -d-/ > /-z, -z-/ as observed during the Khwarezm Turkic period, particularly noted by Kashgarli Mahmud and prevalent in the Suvar, Yimek, and some Kipchak and Bulgarian tribes. We will analyze works from this period to discuss the reasons for this change, which appears in 25 words and 53 examples in the Anonymous Tafsir, and 24 words and 61 examples in certain copies of Kısasü’l-Enbiyâ. Additionally, we aim to uncover the contact between dialects and instances of archaism.
Turks have been in a constant state of migration for various reasons since the earliest times of history. Throughout this period, significant wars and migratory movements have occurred across nearly all of Eurasia. These large and small movements have caused Turkish tribes to intermingle, leading to the gradual disappearance of some smaller tribes among dominant ones, the dispersal of dominant elements, or alliances with other tribes to subjugate stronger groups. Migrations naturally have numerous consequences, including various changes in linguistic structures. Most importantly, these movements have facilitated constant contact and interaction among Turkish tribes and dialects through the borrowing of many elements in phonology, morphology and vocabulary elements.
One sound change frequently used as a criterion for the historical and contemporary classification of dialects is the evolution of the /d/ sound in Old Turkish. The transformations that /d/ undergoes depending on its position at the beginning, middle, or end of a word delineate fine boundaries between dialects and serve as distinctive features.
Studies on Khwarezm Turkish generally report that the /d/ sound in Old Turkic transformed into /ḍ/ or /y/ during this period. Usta (1989) and Boeschoten (2022) note the presence of /z/ in Khwarezm Turkish but do not explain why it occurs. How should this sound, which theoretically should not appear in Khwarezm Turkic works, be understood? Is it merely a typographical error involving (ذ (zel / (ز (ze, or does it represent a feature of another dialect or an archaic remnant?
This study focuses on the sound change (Old Turkic /d/ > Khwarezm Turkic /z/) that, under normal circumstances, should not be present in the Khwarezm region, and tries to investigate the reasons for its occurrence. Several possible explanations can be considered.
- This change may be absent in Khwarezm Turkish. However, the primary reason for its occurrence could be that the authors of the works originated from the Suvar, some Kipchak, Yimek, and Bulgarian tribes, reflecting their dialectal features in their writings. This situation can be attributed to dialectal influences rather than being a characteristic of Khwarezm Turkish.
- Some books that circulated during Rabguzî’s lifetime have not survived to the present day. Rabguzî may have drawn from these texts, which may have been written in the azakḳ dialect in the Idyll basin. Like other Turkic tribes in Central Asia, the conversion of this region to Islam dates back to the 9th-10th century. Therefore, it is possible that copies of the Qur’an, the foundational text of Islam, or texts such as Kısasü’l Enbiyâ, which recount the lives of the prophets, were originally written in the Azakḳ dialect. As these unknown copies disappeared over time, they may have left traces that are observable in other works before their extinction.
The grammar of Khwarezm Turkish can be elucidated through contemporary text editions of works from that period. In a region like Khwarezm, where tribes have historically intertwined, intense dialectal contact disrupts homogeneity within the dialect. This situation suggests that copies of the works from this period should be published separately, with all non-standard features identified and analyzed. Determining dialectal differences through such a study will enhance our understanding of Khwarezm Turkish and may contribute to a comprehensive understanding of its grammar in future research.
