Funniest Things #2 Turkish Words

According to Google Translate “mısır” means Egypt. It is true, but it also means corn! (Sorry Egyptians and corns.) Mısır (Egypt) is older than mısır (corn). It came to Istanbul from Egypt (Mısır) through Syria in 1600’s under the name of "Mısır Buğdayı (Egyptian wheat)" or "Mısır darısı (Egyptian millet)". With time, it was shortened to Mısır.

Hindistan is the Turkish word for India. Nothing strange at the first sight, right? Wouldn’t be weird at all if the stem of the word weren’t hindi, which means turkey in Turkish. So India is another turkey, should we call it Turkeystan? *Confused Confucius Confuses Confusion* Lol I really hate this Turkey-hindi-India thing.

In general o means he, she and it, and sometimes “that”. We use just one letter to describe 4 word! And it has an etymology! The oldest usage of the Turkish word “o” is found in Orkhon inscriptions (oldest Turkish writings in the world). It used as “ol” in old Turkish. Later it shortened to “o”.

This is the longest word in Turkish and one of the longest words in all Europe. I can pronounce it. It means: As though you are from those whom we may not be able to easily/quickly make into a maker of unsuccessful ones. If you want an example, here it is:

We are in a teachers' training school that has evil purposes. The teachers who are being educated in that school are being taught how to make unsuccessful ones from students. So, one by one, teachers are being educated as makers of unsuccessful ones. However, one of those teachers refuses to be maker-of-unsuccessful-ones, in other words, to be made a maker-of-unsuccessful-ones; he talks about and criticizes the school's stand on the issue. The headmaster who thinks every teacher can be made easily/quickly into a maker-of-unsuccessful-ones gets angry. He invites the teacher to his room and says "You are talking as if you were one of those we can not easily/quickly turn into a maker-of-unsuccessful-ones, right?"

Batman is a province and a city in Turkey. And there is Batman, the character. Even there is Batman University! Students are learning fight techniques! (Just kidding). And 142nd interesting fact is about Batman.

Ne means “what” in Turkish. But it is common to say “ney” instead of “ne”. And ney is also a Middle Eastern insturment. Ney is an important insturment in Turkish Folk Music. When I was 5-6 years old, my sister was trying to play the ney and I didn't know what it was. The conversation between us was as follows:

Me: O ney? (What is it?)

Sister: Ney. (Ney.)

Me: Ney?

Sister: Ney!

Me: O elinde tuttuğun şey! (What you hold in your hand!)

Sister: Neeeeeeey!

Me: Neeeeeeeeeyy!

Sister: O bir neeeeeeey! (It is a ney!)

...

Then I learned ney is a musical instrument.

I couldn’t find much word. But these are the funniest ones. Stay tuned and I’ll see you next time!