Search

Search Results

• AN OVERVIEW OF THE FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF TURKISH STUDIES FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE FOUNDATION OF THE ORIENTAL ACADEMY IN VIENNA IN 1754

  61-77

  István Vásáry

  Views:

  121

  Turkish studies started in Europe later than Arabic and Persian studies. While research into Arabic was mainly justified by the underlying theological context, and Persian was attractive for its rich literary heritage, studying Turks and the Turkish language was motivated by two factors. One was the ever- growing political and commercial significance of the Ottoman Empire in Europe, the other being the Christian mission. This article gives a short survey of the theme and treats only the major Turkish grammars and dictionaries that appeared in print. Having reviewed the first rudimentary attempts at describing Turkish in the 16th century, the first European Turkish grammar written by Megiser (1612) is treated, then Jakab Harsányi Nagy’s conversation book (1642) is the subject of the next analysis. Afterwards, a scrutiny of 17th-century French, Italian, and English dictionaries and grammars are analysed (du Ryer, Molino, Maggio, Bernardo de Parigi, Pietro d’Albavilla, Mascisci, Seaman, Vaughan). In the following, Turkish studies in Vienna in the 17th century are dwelt on, with a special emphasis on the works of Meninski and Podestà, two major figures of Turkish research at that time. After a short listing of a few dictionaries and grammars published in Leipzig, the foundation of the Oriental Academy in Vienna is the next topic of the paper. Finally, Turkish Bible translations are listed and a few conclusions close the article.

• The Study of Arabic language at European Universities

  Miklós Maróth

  Views:

  151

  The Study of the Arabic language on the European Universities. The study of oriental languages, among them that of the Arabic is among the oldest branches of the humanistic scholarship. In the beginning, one can see sporadic individual works, later well-organised activities that take us to the Iberian Peninsula, to Salerno and Paris. In addition to the Koran, philosophical, mathematical and astronomical works were translated from Arabic into Latin in the first half of the second millennium. Later, in the Renaissance, Italia and the Papal State became the centre of the Arabic scholarship. The main ambition of the age was to prepare the texts of the polyglot Bibles, and to investigate the Greek and Arabic medical works. In the following epoch, Leyden and Netherlands emerged from the range of the European universities. Here the aim of the Arabic scholarship was to support the international trade. The Arabic philology on modern sense have been created in Paris by S. de Sacy, who is the common ancestor of all European Arabists. In Hungary, we are attached to him by K. Czeglédy, de Goeje and his Dutch masters.