First Known Grammar Book of Kurdish Published in Turkey

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The first known grammar book of the Kurmanji dialect of Kurdish, which is entitled "Tesrîfa Teremaxî", has been published in Turkey for the first time by Nuhibar Publishing House.

The book was written in Kurdish by Mela Eliyê Teramixî in the 17th century. Having already been published in Europe, the book has come out in Turkey for the first time.

"Tesrîfa Teremaxî" was intended as a source for the students studying at the traditional educational institutions of the time called madrasa.

The book, whose full name is "Tesrîfa Teremaxî / Yekemîn Gramera Kurdiya Kurmancî" (The Grammar of Teremaxî / The First Grammar Book of the Kurmanji Dialect of Kurdish), has been edited by Merdan Newayî.

In "Tesrîfa Teremaxî", where Newayî has also analyzed the texts in the book, the Kurdish grammar is compared with those of Arabic and Persian.

About Mela Elî Teremaxî

Mela Elî Teremaxî was born in 1591 in the province of Hakkari and died in 1653. He was a Kurdish author, Islamic scholar and linguist.

Elî Teremaxî was educated, first, at the Kurdish madrasas, then, at the madrasas in Egypt, Baghdad and Mosul.

He wrote several books in Kurdish to give Kurdish education to Kurdish students at the Kurdish madrasas. However, his only book which could reach the present day is his book of Kurdish grammar.

His other works:

* Qewlê Yekane, (Unique Story)

* Moriya Yaqut (The Bead of Yakut)

* Kurêd Wetan (Welad), (The Sons of Homeland)

* Jiyîna Heqîqet û Xewn (Real Life and Sleep)

(FD/HK/SD)