Abstract
ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF GORANI AND TURKISH
In Turkish Language letter “g” becomes “k” (e.g. g > k, kel- > gel-), and “r” becomes “z” (e.g. r > z, Ogur > Oğuz, sekir > sekiz). Does the word “Gora” mean “Koza”, or it carries a meaning of a “mountain or hill” as in Serbian language (e.g. Crnagora – Montenegro; Fruşka Gora – Fruşka Mountain; Kranjska Gora – Krany Mountain). With the lack of a definitive document, this issue will result in continuous confusions, the scientific sense and disputes in political ownership. Today, countries like Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia and even recently the state of Slovenia, are politically trying to convince the people of Gora to be part of their countries by voluntarily offering citizenships through giving them passports.
The Gorani people who 97 martyrs in the Battle of Galipolli in 1915 prove that they are not different from the Turks partycularly trough preserving their culture, customs, habits, traditions, music instruments (saz, divan, bağlama, cura), the folk songs that they sing following the rhyme and syllabic meter that appears in the Turkish Literature, their customs related to birth, death and wedding, as well as their tombstones and seals.
Religion is seen as the most important factor in preserving their culture given that they follow and parctice Kelima Shahadat, prayer, fasting, charity and pilgrimage which represent the five pillars of the Islamic religion. After the withdrawal of the Ottoman Empire, being exposed to all kinds of torture and oppression, the Gorani people who were exposed to all kinds of torture and oppression after the withdrawal of the Ottoman Empire, have been able to protect their culture by not compromising their Islamic beliefs despite the linguistic influence of Slavs of Serbs to the vocal and structural changes in their language.
The part that interests us is to reveal at least some characteristics of the Gorani Language and its inseparability or impossibility of separation from Turkish Language, thereby conributing to the science in general. Actually, the Gorani language should not be referred to as Bosnian Language.
Keywords
Gora, Koza, Turkish, Language