How to Learn Ottoman Turkish
The Ottoman Empire was one of the world's great empires. At its greatest extent, the Empire controlled most of Eastern Europe and the modern Middle East and dictated trade throughout the Mediterranean Sea. The main language of this empire was Ottoman Turkish. While related to modern Turkish, there are several key differences between Ottoman Turkish and modern Turkish that you need to keep in mind if you want to learn the older language. Ottoman Turkish is not spoken today, but you can access centuries of literature, poetry and history if you take the time to learn it.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Challenging
Instructions
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1
Learn the Arabic alphabet. While modern Turkish uses a modified Latin alphabet, Ottoman Turkish was written entirely in slightly modified Arabic characters.
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2
Get a good Ottoman Turkish dictionary. You will need this as a reference at every stage of your language study.
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3
Look for Ottoman Turkish and modern Turkish resources online. Most online resources focus on modern Turkish, so make sure you search for Ottoman Turkish resources specifically.
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4
Get an Ottoman Turkish textbook. The standard text is Routledge's "Introduction to Literary Ottoman," although you may want to look around for other textbooks that suit your interests.
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5
Search for courses on Ottoman Turkish. This language is not taught at all colleges and universities, so look for universities with strong Middle Eastern Studies and Turkish Studies programs.
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6
Consider programs at universities in Turkey. Turkish universities offer exchange and study-abroad programs and are more likely to offer courses in Ottoman Turkish than universities in other countries.
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1
Tips & Warnings
While the written languages are different, spoken Ottoman Turkish and spoken modern Turkish are quite similar. Look for online audio and video files in modern Turkish to hear the sounds. Compare what you learn in Ottoman Turkish to modern Turkish to clarify grammar and to see the differences.
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Comments
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it will be very difficult for the people wanting to learn ottoman turkish, but if you know modern turkish, it is easy for you :)
