One thing we all are going to notice when sailing in Turkish waters is how many French words there are in the Turkish language. Of a total of 100’000 words, a good 5’000 are of French origin. Given Turkish history, the frequent use of Arab words like Lokum, the word for Turkish Delights, makes sense. But French words? France is 3’300 km away!
The use of French words is a rather recent phenomenon and started about 200 years ago after two dramatic clashes between Ottoman Turkey and France. When Napoleon attacked Egypt in 1798 to gain access to the richess of British India, he quickly defeated the Turkish Forces in the Battles of the Pyramides and at Jaffa. Had the British Admiral Nelson not sunk Napoleon’s fleet in Aboukir and with it the heavy siege guns, he probably would have conquered Akko, which is still proud of having repulsed him.
Napoleon at the Battle of the Pyramides 1798 Napoleon’s military skills and organisation deeply impressed the young Muhammed Ali, who later became the ruler of Egypt. He vowed to reform the Turkish - Egyptian Army with French military doctrine and hired hundreds of French instructors
Mohammed Ali, the Egyptian Ruler, by 1841 The French training had a very positive impact on the combat effectiveness of the Turkish-Egyptean troops. In the Greek War of Independence, 1821 - 1829, they were the only troops able to defeat the Greek Forces who were led by European Officers. By 1824, they had re-occupied Athens and the entire Peloppones.
Muhammed Ali’s troops in Greece 1824 However, they were still no match for the French Expeditionary Corps under Marshal Nicolas Joseph Maison. After the Turkish Fleet was sunk in Navarino in 1827 (yes! We were there last year), the French landed in 1828 on the Peloppones and made short thrift of the Turkish-Egyptian Forces. By 1829, the war was over and Greece became a free country by 1832.
The French Marshall Nicolas Josephe Maison These lessons were not lost on the Ottoman Turks who now embarked on a vast modernization program, inviting thousands of French engineers and military advisors to Istanbul. Thus, most words related to the industrial revolution in the 19th century were borrowed from the French language. Here are a few examples: Turkish French Apartman appartement Asansör ascenseur Kartvizit carte de visite Koaför coiffeur Lisans licence Lise ` `lycee (high school) Ofis office Randevu rendez-vous (meeting) Sekreter secretaire Soför chauffeur Tuvalet toilette
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