An Examination about the Koranic Background of the Semantic Restriction of the Word Cezâ
Cezâ Sözcüğünün Anlam Daralmasına Uğramasının Kur'anî Zemini Hakkında Bir İnceleme

Author : İsmail SÖKMEN
Number of pages : 264-276

Abstract

The word cezâ which was borrowed from Arabic into Turkish language means “feedback” in the usages of Koran. The factor brings it a polysemic structure is context. The word means “reward” when it is used in a positive context, but it means “recompense” when in negative context. It can be understood that the word cezâ was borrowed into Turkish language through Koran translations when the vocabulary of the arts of Karakhanid Turkish period in which Turks adopted Islam religion, are examined. The word yanut which means “feedback” in Turkish language in this period and has a very high usage frequency, has almost same semantic field with the word cezâ was borrowed from Arabic. In addition, the word yanut also gains “award” and “punishment” contextual meanings like cezâ. The word cezâ which is used in the meaning both “reward” and “recompense” for a while after borrowing, then underwent a semantic restriction and then evolved to mean only “recompense”. It can be understood that borrowing had played a role in this semantic change as a linguistic factor. It can be asserted that the word cezâ is a prestige borrowing considering that it has a rival as yanut which has almost same semantic field with it and is used commonly in Turkish language. The interaction between two words which have semantic field determines the type of the semantic change. The word cezâ could hold on to language under favour of either being a prestige borrowing due to be borrowed from a holy writ or being pushed into the meaning “punishment” which is gained depends on the context. The dominant role in this pushing belongs to the negative connotation occured in the source text Koran. This negative connotation created by some factors in the Koran. In this paper, it is asserted that being in interaction with the word yanut had a role in beginning the semantic change process in Turkish language as a “borrowing factor”, and one of the main reasons of completing this process with semantic restriction is the negative connotation of the word cezâ developes out of the elements as context, frequency, discourse etc. in the source text Koran.

Keywords

Cezâ, semantic restriction, Koran translations, context, connotation, discourse

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