Comparison of lexis in Dede Korkut kitabı with lexis of Oghuz group Turkish dialecks

Despite the passage of almost two centuries since the discovery of the Dede Korkut Kitabı, a significant piece of Turkish literature, there is still ongoing debate regarding the specific dialect of Turkish in which this work was written. According to numerous researchers, the text is claimed to be written in Old Oghuz Turkish, specifically the Eastern group dialects of Turkey Turkish or Azerbaijani Turkish. Numerous researchers, particularly in the domain of Azerbaijan, assert that the piece of work was composed in Azerbaijani Turkish. This study presents statistical data on the Turkish dialect used in the Dede Korkut Kitabı, focusing on vocabulary. The study was restricted to written languages, excluding dialects. The introduction section of the study provides an overview of the Dede Korkut Kitabı, Oghuz Turkish, and the Oghuz group Turkish dialects spoken in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Gagauzia. In the analysis section, the entries in the Dede Korkut Kitabı were compared with those in Turkey Turkish, Azerbaijani Turkish, Turkmen Turkish, and Gagauz Turkish. The entries were analyzed collectively in a table. The examination revealed the usage of the 3272 entries in the Dede Korkut Kitabı across different dialects, highlighting variations in their meanings or instances where they were not used in certain dialects. The conclusion section of the study provides an analysis of the data obtained, indicating the specific dialect to which the Dede Korkut Kitabı is more closely related, as well as the dialects with which it has less similarity.