An Evaluation on the Vocabulary of the Food Names in Ibrahim Tırsî’s Divan

Abstract

Trying to understand the environment and the existence as it exists is one of the most primary needs of the human nature and this brought together the name and naming tradition. Naming about feeding, which is essential for the existance of life, is especially interesting. Food and drink vocabulary which is created by not only naming what exists but it is also created by what they are made of is very rich in material in terms of the cultural elements which it reflects. Because Traditions, social lives of nations, as well as the place they live, in short, all of their cultural materials take part in the creation of the naming proccess of their foods and drinks.
Literary products are without doubt is among the other works where we can easily acquire an idea about a nation‟s social life. In our literature, especially in divans, which divan poets lay information about nearly everything related to their relevant periods, are rich research areas for researchers.
In this study, food names which take place in the divans of the 18. Century writer Ġbrahim Tırsî‟s divan, are examined. The study only consists of food materials. “Food and drink names” in general, are not included. In Ġbrahim Tırsî‟s divan, a total of 55 different food names are categorised under 9 sub-categories including; “Soups, meat meals, meaty vegetable meals, vegetable meals, pilaffs, böreks, bread, çörek, pides, pickles, salads and the vocabulary of these sub-categories‟ usage in our contemporary lives is also mentioned. In light of this example from Tırsî Divan, the usage of the food vocabulary in the divan tradition is tried to be determined.