Some slang usage in 17th and 18th century Ottoman literature

ABSTRACT There are many traces of the slang and swearing words, which are a big part of social and individual life in the need of Ottoman Divan Literature. When the literary yields containing these traces are examined, it is seen that both the individual and the society in general resort to slang by making humor of what is not explained, expressing their anger, appreciation and criticism through language. The slang, which manifests itself in many genres such as city, hezliyyât, bahnâme and mesnevi, is sometimes used for entertainment purposes and sometimes for reacting purposes. However, what should be evaluated regardless of the aims of artists is the fact that all this slang needs unite them under one roof, and this roof is social morality and social life. In this study, with the contribution of some examples that have been important since the beginning of Turkish literature, slang words in some texts encountered in the 17th and 18th century classical literature have been examined and some examples have been given and interpreted in terms of the functional context of the slang. The common point of these different types of texts is that they reflect society's value judgments and privacy in slang words. The purpose of this study is to show the slang words used in these texts, to show what functions and purposes these words were used for, and to shed light on social values through these uses, to show his place in literature. Key Words: Slang, Divan Literature, Ottoman Empire