right to left, but from left to right is due to the circumstance that, in Arabic, the smaller numbers are read as well as written first. Thus an Arab would read 1. two and nine hundred and a thousand'. however, a Turk does not do. (§ 691.) This, § 14. If the Arabic alphabet is arranged according to numerical values, there appeares the ancient order, which is still used for notation and numeration. In this order, that of the old Phoenician, Hebrew, Syriac, Greek and Latin alphabets: the first nine letters represent the units; the second nine the tens; the third nine the hundreds and the last one one thousand; compare وغ ابجد ؛ هوز ؛ حطى ؛ كلمن ؛ سعفص ؛ the Table of the Alphabet ؛ ضظغ & ¿bo::~~ÿ Ebjéd, hév véz, houť ti, kélémén, safés, qaréshét, sakhéz, dazighi. Therefore the numeration by letters, is called Ebjéd hisabi. § 15. The method of numeration by the letters of the alphabet was a great task; it is fast going, if not entirely gone, out of practice, as puerile; but formerly great significance was attached to any combination of letters that expresses in one or more words an event or date. Thus the Hejira date when Timurleng laid Damascus in 'ruins'; and b béldéyi tayyibé is 2 + 30 + 4 + 400 + 9102 400 857, date of the year when + the 'Beautiful City', Constantinople, was taken by the Ottomans. kharab is 600 + 200 + 1 + 2 = 803, = Exercise a. Write and give the names of the following letters; they are arranged according to their numeral value: د ه ه و ز ژ؛ ح ط ی ؛ ك گ ل م ن ؛ س ع ف ص ؛ ق ر ش ت ؛ ث خ ذ ؛ ض ظ غ . Division of the Letters. § 16. The Ottoman alphabet is divided into four classes: vowels; hard, soft, and neuter letters. Vowel letters: S.,, which are vowels generally, when they are the second letter of the syllable. ح خ ص ض ط ظ ع غ ق : Hard letters . ت س ك ه :Soft letters ث ج چ د ذ ر ز ژ ش ف ل م ن : Neuter letters ب پ and, when at the beginning of the syllables; as is the case with y and w in the English language. B1. Pronunciation of Letters. § 17. All the Ottoman letters in the Alphabetical Table are considered to be consonants, except S., which are often used as vowels, and call for further elucidation. (§ 29 ff.) We now proceed to the phonetic value of the consonants: J bé has the value of English b, as: béd bad, s birader brother. But when ending a syllable or word, it sometimes, anomalously, takes the value of p, as: ✰ sharap wine, iptida beginning. Especially is this the case with the Gerunds in gidip, Šī alîp. (§ 435.) وب گیدوب as: ➡ pé is the English p, as: pédér father. té is the German t, as: tt tatar a Tartar; courier. It is sometimes changed into d in derivation when it is originally final; as: git go, gidér he goes. .dépé a hill (دیه) تپه demir iron (دمير) تیمور Also sé is found in Arabic words only, and is pronounced as s; as: sabit firm, Jémsal proverbs. ج jim is pronounced as j, as: ¿ jan soul. E chim has the value of the English ch, in church; as: cham the pine, chali bush. (§ 8.) چالی,cham چام ha has the harshly aspirated sound of English て h, in horse. It is chiefly used in Arabic words; as: .haji pilgrim حاجی khê has no equivalent in English. It is the counterpart of the Scotch ch in loch and German Rache. It is generally transliterated kh. But there are a good many words in which it is commonly pronounced as h, .hane house خانه hoja teacher خواجه as > dal is German d, as: ♪♪ dérd. szal is found in Arabic words alone; its value is z, as: zér'ré atom. ر ré is in all positions a distinctly articulated lingual ras in rain. There are two important remarks, however, which is necessary for the English student to bear in mind with respect to this, to him, peculiar letter. Firstly, it must always be pronounced and accented (never dropped or slurred over, as in the pronunciation of part, pa't); and secondly, the value of the vowel before it in the same syllable must never be corrupted (as when it is pronounced pot pat; for far; cur car), but always kept pure, as with any other consonant; thus, qor', ♫ qîr', 'j zar'; not qo', qi, za'. (§ 49 V.) jzé is English ≈, as: géz. zhé is only found in Persian and French words; it is of the value of the English 8 in treasure, and is transliterated zħ; as: ɔ múzhdé tidings, › dragon, J, zhour'nal journal. It is often pronounced azh ́dér ژاندارمه,jiva quicksilver ژیوه ,jenger verdigris زنگار : j, as jandarma a county policeman. س sin is a soft s, always followed by a soft vowel in all Ottoman words, as: j seoz word. shin is English sh, as: ish work. as: sad is a hard s, it designates a hard vowel, ¿ sagh right, Jo sol left. dad is used in Arabic words only. It is generally pronounced as a hard ≈, but sometimes as a hard d; thus: razee content, a zaptiyé a gendarme, khidir élyas St. Elias. qadi judge, ↓ tî is pronounced as t, thus: top ball. But sometimes in Turkish words it is pronounced as d. .oda room (اودا) اوطه ,dagh mountain (داغ) طاغ zi is used in Arabic words only, as a very hard ≈, thus: zalim cruel. ε ayn, & ghayn, 3 gaf, kéf. See §§ 33-36. mim is the English m, as: J. mal. féna. & noun is like the English n, as: t nan bread. But before bé ب it is pronounced as m. pémbé light rose colour, (Stambul). نه Thus istambul Constantinople § 18. Note. The reason why so many s and z sounds occur in Ottoman is that Arabic words intro duced into the language have to be written as in Arabic. and س ، ث In the latter tongue the sounds of ص again those of '';'s are quite distinct from one another, as are those of and of and A, て these distinctions are not observed by the Ottoman. C1. The Orthographic Signs. ع But § 19. There are five kinds of orthographic signs used in Ottoman-Turkish. The vowel signs, Jezma, Medda, Shedda and Nunation. These are put under or over the letters. The Vowel Signs. § 20. There are three kinds of vowel signs: ústún, ésré, éôtré. These are named haréké 'movements'; but by the Europeans they are commonly called vowel points. § 21. These three vowel signs have two values each. I. With a soft or neuter consonant, ústûn has the value of é; and with a hard consonant a. II. With a soft or neuter consonant, ésré has the value of i; and with a hard consonant î. III. With a soft or neuter consonant, eôtré has the value of û, eo; and with a hard one o, ou. a) Hard Vowels. § 22. Hard vowels are used with hard letters. I. Üstün is a diagonal stroke drawn from right to left, placed above the letter thus; it indicates that the hard letter over which it is placed, is to be followed in pronunciation by a, as in English bar, star. Key. Ha ûstûn ha, khî ûstûn kha, ayn ûstûn á, etc. II. This sign is called és-ré, under hard letters it is pronounced ê, as e in heaven. Key. Ha és-ré hi, khi és-ré khi, sad és-ré sí, etc. |