Littera Turca Journal of Turkish Language and Literature

Abstract

Münşeat magazines, which are among the important types of works of Turkish literature, provided many examples in the 19th century, the last century in which the Ottoman Empire continued its existence. One of these is the münşeat magazines called Tercümânnâme, whose author is unknown. Completed on July 8, 1834, Tercümânnâme was written to teach foreign mission chiefs and translators who wanted to learn Turkish how to write letters and official correspondence in the Turkish language. The content of the work, the unique copy of which is in the American Philosophical Society Library in Philadelphia, consists mainly of drafts of letters and petitions written by a foreign official such as an ambassador, consul or a bailiff to Ottoman state officials such as the sheikh-ul-islam, vizier, governor, chamberlain, customs officer, judge, etc. In addition to drafts, it contains examples of memorandums, memoranda, treaties and petitions written by foreign embassies or by Ottoman authorities regarding foreign missions. In some places, for the benefit of non-Muslim translators or foreign bureaucrats, it reports daily dialogue patterns in Turkish such as greetings, asking after people's health and prayers, and includes examples of Turkish sentences that can be used to open up a conversation. It is an original work as it shows that münşeat magazines were also used in teaching Turkish to foreigners. Tercümânnâme also provides important data for the history of Turkish diplomacy, as it contains many documents such as treaties, decrees, memorandums, etc. between the Ottoman Empire and foreign countries. In this article, the münşeat of magazines called Tercümânnâme was introduced, the importance of Tercümânnâme for teaching Turkish as a foreign language and the history of Turkish diplomacy was examined, and the written text of the first 47 pages, which are specific to teaching Turkish to foreigners, was shared with the scientific community.