The impact of Turkish on the English language – An overview of borrowing in the manifold lexical domains influenced by Turkish over the centuries

Abstract

The present article sets out to shed light on the Turkish influence on the English vocabulary over the centuries. The results provided by this study rely on a close analysis of a comprehensive lexicographical sample of Turkish borrowings listed in the Oxford English Dictionary Online. This study will provide an overview of the diversity of subject areas and spheres of life influenced by Turkish down the ages, which has as yet been considered little in existing investigations. On the basis of their meanings, the various Turkish-derived items have been grouped into several different semantic domains, ranging from the natural sciences, gastronomy, people and everyday life to faith and religion. A number of typical examples of borrowings will be given, in order to illustrate the impact of Turkish on the English lexicon from a historical point of view.