English ...... Sumerian ..... Turkish

___________ ... _________ ... _____________

Tabou ........ niggig ... n>y ........ yig- (=engel olmak) [ONT]

Tail ........ Kun ........ Kuy-ruk

Taste ........ Su-Su ........ Su (=water)

Tears (crying) ........ Biz ... b>g ........ Göz (=eye)

Ten (10) ........ u ........ on (sayi "on")

Textile ........ Gada, Buz ........ Boz, bez; boz (= gray colour of textile)

Their ........ -ne-ne ........ Onlarîn, -in, -în (suffix form)

Thick (to be) ........ Gur ........ Gür (=dense, thick, robust)

Thight ........ Sig ........ Sîkî

Thing ........ nig ... g>ng ........ neng (nesne, s^ey, mal, es^ya) [ONT]

Throw (to) ........ ku ........ ko-y (birakmak, koymak, terketmek, atmak)

Time ........ ud ........ öd (zaman, mevsim, hava) [ONT]

To be extra ........ Dirig ........ Diri olmak, canli olmak

To found, establish ........ ur ........ kur (tertip etmek, düzenlemek, hazirlamak, tasarlamak) [ONT]

To guard ........ uru ........ koru-mak

To hit ........ sag~ ........ çak (çakmak, vurmak) [ONT]

To sweep away ........ ur ........ kürü- (kürek gibi bir s^eyle atmak)

to be ........ Gal ... g>b ........ bol, ol

to speak ........ di ........ di, de (demek)

Tongue ........ E-Me ........ em (=suckle); meme (=breast)

Torn ........ dirig ........ yirik , yarik (yirtik) [ONT]

Toss away (to) ........ ku ........ ko-y (birakmak, koymak, terketmek, atmak)

Touch ........ Tag ........ Deg~

Touch upon (to) ........ te(ga) ........ teg~- (deg~mek, dokunmak) [ONT]

Trail ........ Sila ........ iz, yol (keci yolu) =goat's path

Tree ........ Gis ........ Agaç

Troops ........ Eren ........ Eren (Erler, askerler)=troops

Truth, upright, just ........ zi(d) ........ çin (gerçek, gerçeklik, dog~ru) [ONT]

Turban ........ Aga ........ Aga (=Lord)

Two ........ imma ... m>k ........ ikki (iki) [ONT]

Uncle ........ Dod ... d>y ........ Dayî (=mother's brother)

Underground fresh water ........ Ab-zu ........ Su (sub, suv =Water) (5)

Uplands ........ Kur-sa ........ KIr-lar

Urine ........ kas^ ........ kas^-an-mak (atin, buyukbas^ hayvanlarin is^emesi) [ONT]

Utensils ........ kabkagag ........ kapkacak (kitchen utensils) [ONT]

Vast ........ Gal ........ Ulu, Genis^

Verdict (to render a) ........ Di-Til ........ Di, De =To speak; Til (dil)=tongue,

Vessel ........ Bur ........ Bur-mak (=to turn); buruk (=turned, rotated); burgu (=drill)

Vigorous ........ Kalag ........ Kala (=Fortified, well protected)

Village ........ E-Duru ........ Ev=house; Duran (=stays put, immobile); duran ev = immobile house

Violence ........ Erim ........ Er (=man, soldier, hero)

Virgin ........ Ki-sikil-Tur ........ Kîz

Vizier ........ Sukkalmah ........ Ak Sakal= elderman, wiseman

Washing ........ tu5 ... t>y ........ yu (yikamak) [ONT]

Waste land ........ Su ........ Sulu yer(batak)=waste land

We ........ Menden ........ Men-d-en (en is a plurality suffix in Turkish); miz, biz

What is it? ........ A-Na-Am ........ Nemene (Azeri)

Whatsoever ........ nig ... g>ng ........ neng (nesne, s^ey, mal, es^ya) [ONT]

Wheat ........ ziz ... z>ç ........ çeç (teç, samanîndan ayrîlmîs^ tahîl yîgînî) [ONT]

Who ........ Ki ........ Kim

Willow ........ gis~kim ... g>y ........ yîlgîn (îlgîn agacî) [ONT]

Wind ........ Lil ... l>y ........ Yil (yel)

Wood, tree ........ gis~ ... g>y ........ yis~ (agac, orman, dag) [ONT]

Wooden house ........ Barag ........ Baraka

Wool, body hair ........ sig ... g>ng ........ yüng (yün, yün sümeg~i) [ONT]

Work ........ umus^ ........ yumus^ (hizmet, vazife, is^) [ONT]

Work ........ us^ ........ is^

Workmen ........ Erin-E ........ Eren (=men)

Write ........ Sar ........ Sür (old Turkish); yaz

Written document ........ Petka ........ Bitke

You ........ Menzen ........ Sen, Sin

NOTES

1. According to the observations of Prof. Dr. Osman Nedim Tuna, the following sound transformations take place between Sumerian and Turkish:

a. The consonant D, when at the beginning of a Sumerian word, changes to Y or drops out altogether in becoming a Turkish word. Examples in Sumerian/Turkish are: dar/yar (yarmak); dip/yip (ip); dig/yag (yag~); dir/yir (yirmek); dirig/irig (sert, kaba, has^in, gayretli, iri, kalin).

b. The consonant G, when at the beginning of a Sumerian word, changes to Y or drops out altogether in becoming a Turkish word. Examples in Sumerian/Turkish are: gamar/agir (ag~îr); garim/ar(î)k (irmak, ark, germeç, kas^, kanal); gaz/ez (ezmek); gi/i (ag~aç, ekin, bitki, orman); gid/id- (salmak, gondermek, serbest birakmak); gig/ig (hastalik, hasta); gis^/yîs^ (orman, dag~, ag~aç, çalî, ); gis^ig/es^ik (kapî); gud/ud (ox = sîgîr, öküz)

c. The consonant M, when at the beginning of a Sumerian word, changes to K in becoming a Turkish word. Examples in Sumerian/Turkish are: mal/kal (kalmak); mulu/kul (kul, köle); mus^en/kus^.

d. The consonant N, when at the beginning of a Sumerian word, changes to Y or drops out altogether in becoming a Turkish word. Examples in Sumerian/Turkish are: nad9/yad- (yaymak, dös^emek, sermek; Note: among dialects of Turkish d>y translation is common); nanga/yanga (yan, taraf, îrmagîn bir yanî); niggig/yîg- (bir s^eye engel olmak); nigin/yîgîn (yîg~în, kume, yig~îlmîs^); nurum/yaruk (îs^îk, aydînlîk, parlak).

e. The consonant S, when at the beginning of a Sumerian word, changes to Y or drops out altogether in becoming a Turkish word. Examples in Sumerian/Turkish are: sig/yig (yeg~, iyi); sig/yüng (yün, yün sümeg~i); sis^,s^is^, s^es^/ is^i (princes, lady); s^urim/yarîm (yarîm, bir s^eyin yarîsî); zag, sag/yaka (taraf, yan, cîvar); zal/yal (yalînmak, alevlenmek).

f. The consonant S^, when at the beginning of a Sumerian word, changes to Ç in becoming a Turkish word. Examples in Sumerian/Turkish are: sag/çak (çakmak, vurmak); sipad/çopan (koy buyugunun yardrîmcrîsrî, gizir, çoban); s^ab/çap (vurmak, çaptrîrmak).

g. The vovel U, when at the beginning of a Sumerian word, changes to K plus a vovel in becoming a Turkish word. Examples in Sumerian/Turkish are: ud/kün (gün, gündüz, günes^); udu/kong (koyun); umag/kömek (gömek, çamurlu bataklik yer); ur/kur (kurmak, düzenlemek, hazrîrlamak); urugan/kurgan (kurgan, mezar, kale); uru/koru (korumak).

h. The consonant D following the first vovel of a Sumerian word, stays as D in becoming a Turkish word. Examples in Sumerian/Turkish are: adakur/adak (ayak, içki kadehi, çanak, kase); gid/id (koku, misk); gud/ud (sîg~îr, öküz); ud/od (zaman, vakit, mevsim, hava); udi/udi- (udimek, uyumak); nad/yad (yaymak, dös^emek, sermek).

i. The consonant M following the first vovel of a Sumerian word, changes to K in becoming a Turkish word. Examples in Sumerian/Turkish are: amas^/agîl (ag~îl, koyun yatag~î, koyun pislig~i); geme/eke (abla); imma/ikki (iki); umus^/ukus^ (akîl, anlayîs^).

j. The consonant R following the first vovel of a Sumerian word, changes to Z in becoming a Turkish word. Examples in Sumerian/Turkish are: bur/boz (bozmak, yîkmak); har/kaz (kazmak); mir/kîz- (îzmak); sar/yaz- (yazmak, s^as^mak, çözmek, yanîlmak); ur/öz (can, ruh, gönül).

k. The consonant S^ following a vovel of a Sumerian word, changes to L in becoming a Turkish word. Examples in Sumerian/Turkish are: amas^/agîl (ag~il, koyun yatag~î); as^s^a/altî; gis^ge/kölige (gölge); us^/ul (duvar temeli); us^2/öl- (ölmek)

l. The consonant D at the end of a Sumerian word, changes to N in becoming a Turkish word. Examples in Sumerian/Turkish are: dugud/yogun (kalîn, yogun); kid2/kün (gün, günes^, gündüz); sipad/çopan (çoban).

m. "ae" at the end of a Sumerian word, changes to "an" in becoming a Turkish word. Examples in Sumerian/Turkish are: mae/men; zae/sen; s^ulpae/çolpan (Çoban yîldîzî); ulia/öleng (sulak yer, bataklîk, ot, çayîr, çimenlik).

n. "g" at the end of a Sumerian word, changes to "ng" in becoming a Turkish word. Examples in Sumerian/Turkish are: as^a(g)/alang (alan, düz, açîk yer); dag/tang (tan, sabah vakti); nig/neng (nesne, s^ey, es^ya, mal) m. "m" at the end of a Sumerian word, changes to "k" in becoming a Turkish word. Examples in Sumerian/Turkish are: alim/elik (geyik, elik, kiyik); alim/ilig (hükümdar, kîral); izim/isig (sicak, sicaklîk).

2. For the English - Sumerian dictionary, sources by Adapa and Ott Kostner as given below in References ESD and SSMM below were used.

3. In this list of Sumerian and Turkish correspondence words, I went trhough a large number of words in the referenced dictionaries and and marked those Sumerian words that I believe are related to or are direct correspondence to the word or words shown in the Turkish column.

4. Some of the correspondences that I located were also given in Dr. Osman Nedim Tuna's book, so in the list above, I marked them with [ONT].

5. In Sumerian writing the word "abzu" is in fact written in the form of "zuab". Why ist it read as "abzu" has no bases for its rendition as "abzu". If it was read as "zuab" as written in Sumerian, it would have a direct correspondence with the Turkish "sub, suc, su" meaning water, fresh water.

REFERENCES

ONT ..... Prof. Dr. Osman Nedim Tuna, "Sümer ve Türk Dillerinin Tarihi Ilgisi ile Türk Dilinin Yasî Meselesi",

..... ..... Atatürk Kültür, Dil ve Tarih Yüksek Kurumu, Türk Dil Kurumu Yayînlarî : 561, Ankara, 1990.

ESD ..... Adapa, "English - Sumerian Dictionary", Twin Rivers Rising Homepage, Internet, 1996.

SSMM ..... Ott Kostner, "Some Sumerian Morphemes and Moder U-A Words", ott@zzz.ee (Ott Kostner), 1996.

To get section A to G please click here

To get section H to S please click here