Osman Delialioglu

2000 English-Turkish Proverbs & Idioms Osman Delialioglu

The Turkish language reflects one of the richest cultures in the world; it has given rise to an almost uncountable number of proverbs and idioms. Proverbs and idioms are a vital part of a country's culture which passes on from generation to generation. Proverbs arise from the past experiences of a society through a process of cultural accumulation; they provide a bridge between a society and its forefathers by reflecting past experiences in the present. Ignoring these proverbs will isolate new generations from their descendants; whereas, engaging with them will establish roots from the present to the past. Proverbs were first used by our forefathers after a long period of observation and experience; since their formation they have been used through the generations to explain or clarify specific and complicated situations. Idioms and terms explain a situation; they have their source in proverbs and stories. This book, in which I have arranged the proverbs and idioms alphabetically, has taken about six years to complete. However, I do not regret spending such a long period of work if it will be of use to linguistic students and to anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of either the Turkish or English language.