New initiative to map history and dialects of Turkish language

ANKARA

Researchers will clarify the structure of root words by linking them to elements with similar structures that have undergone the same development.

The Turkish Language Association (TDK) is preparing a series of projects aimed at documenting the roots, historical development and regional diversity of the Turkish language, including an etymological dictionary, a comprehensive dialect atlas and a Turkish language museum in Ankara.

According to the TDK’s 2026 Institutional Financial Status and Expectations Report, the association will compile an Etymological Dictionary of the Turkish Language to protect and enrich Turkish and promote its proper use.

The project will examine the origins of words by tracing them back to their forms in the earliest available sources, the changes they have undergone throughout history and, where applicable, their forms in languages with which they have been in contact.

Researchers will seek to clarify the structure of root words by establishing links with elements of similar structure that have undergone the same developments.

A total of 100 scientists from different fields of expertise and working under different job descriptions will take part in the project.

Another major initiative is the “Atlas of Turkish Dialects in Türkiye Project.” The project aims to collect data based on approximately 200 phonetic, morphological, syntactic and vocabulary criteria across the entire geographical area of Turkish spoken in Türkiye.

The data will then be entered into computer mapping programs to identify isoglosses and produce an atlas of the dialects of Turkish spoken in Türkiye.

The dialects of Turkish spoken in Türkiye constitute the largest group within the Turkic language family in terms of speakers.

The TDK also plans to transform its former building on Atatürk Boulevard in Ankara into a Turkish
Museum.

The museum will introduce visitors to the historical periods of the Turkish language and contemporary Turkic languages and dialects through documents, examples, maps and slides.