Gibrizlija
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| Gibrizlija, Western Turkic Gibrizlija, Gibriz |
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| Spoken in: | Northern Cyprus, UK, United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand. |
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| Region: | Cyprus Island | |
| Total speakers: | More than 0.5 million | |
| Language family: | Altaic Oghuz Gibrizlija, Western Turkic |
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| Language codes | ||
| ISO 639-1: | none | |
| ISO 639-2: | – | |
| ISO 639-3: | – | |
| Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. | ||
Gibrizlija, Gibrizlidja, or Kibrislica, is a Turkic language widely spoken in Cyprus. It is spoken in other English-speaking countries, in southern Turkey (Antalya, Mugla, Aydin), Silifke, and Taşucu) and in Latakia, Syria, as well.
[edit] Classification
The ascription of Gibrizlija to the Oghuz branch of Turkic languages is not shared by all linguists.
Although Gibrizlija language is often thought of as very similar to Turkish, this characterization is not accurate. For instance, phonologically, Gibrizlija is more similar to Azerbaijani than to Turkish. Strong similarities also exist with the Yoruk dialect spoken in the Taurus mountains in Southern Turkey.
Some Gibrizlija words, like many Turkic languages like Azeri, Tartar and Turkmen uses more archaic sounds. For example in consenants.
| Nasals | ñ /ŋ/ | |
Some Gibrizlija vocubulary comers from Cypriot Greek. For example. Gabira (toast), drabez (table) or bodiri (glass). Other words derive from Italian, for example istrada (street), and fundana (fountain, although it is now used to mean "tap").
[edit] History
Gibrizlija (also known as Gibrizlidja) is the vernacular spoken by Turkish Cypriots both in Cyprus and among the half a million diaspora. Strongly influenced by Kipriaki or Cypriot Greek, the Gibrizlija dialect descends from Early Anatolian Turkish (OAT).
Emanating from Anatolia and evolved over five centuries, Gibrizlija is the distinct language variety spoken by Cypriots with Ottoman ancestry, as well as by Cypriots who converted to Islam during Ottoman rule. Gibrizlija is understood by expatriate Cypriots living in the UK, U.S., Australia and other parts of the world.
Gibrizlija consists of a rich blend of Ottoman Turkish and the Yoruk dialect spoken to this day in the Taurus mountains of southern Turkey. In addition Gibrizlija has absorbed influences from Italian and English, as well as from the surrounding principal Cypriot vernacular that would have been familiar to most Gibrizlija speakers.
It is not only in pronunciation and vocabulary that Gibrizlija differs markedly from present-day official Turkish, but also in certain of its basic sounds, syntax and grammar. It is often argued that linguistic and cultural domination from Turkey has however led to Gibrizlija being regarded as an impure, backward and mangled Turkish dialect rather than a proud and expressive Turkic language in its own right.
