# Yeniçeri



## Jana337

A couple of centuries ago, Europe used to be a popular tourist destination among Turks, so that the word "_yeniçeri_" exists in many European languages. 

A couple of questions:
I sometimes see _yeni çeri _but usually _yeniçeri._ Which one is correct? And should it be capitalized in this context?
Is the meaning "new soldier" or "new troop"? 
And what is the correct pronunciation?

Thanks, 

Jana


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## ukuca

It is "yeniçeri" and you don't have to capitalize it. Yes you're right, it means "new soldier". But notice that in Turkish we don't use "çeri" as "soldier" anymore. Soldier is "asker". "Çeri" is an old version I guess.
The prononciation, aah, çeri = *cherry *[Eng]


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## Chazzwozzer

Yeniçeri (compound word: _yeni_ and _çeri_) is the correct spelling and you don't have to capatilize _y_ unless you write "Yeniçeri Ocağı" (Janissary Barrack)

Yeni means new and çeri is an archaic word meaning soldier. So we get new soldier.

Correct Turkish pronunciation is attached as an audio file. (recorded by one of the members of seslisozluk.com, I believe.)

Here you can take a look at a _yeniçeri_, as well.


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## Jana337

Thank you! 

A follow-up question: Is it typical of Turkish to form compound words from adjective and nouns?

Jana


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## Honour

Jana337 said:
			
		

> Thank you!
> 
> A follow-up question: Is it typical of Turkish to form compound words from adjective and nouns?
> 
> Jana


 
Yes Jana, there are many compound nouns which are either composed as adjective+noun or noun+noun.


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## Jana337

Turk said:
			
		

> Yes Jana, there are many compound nouns which are either composed as adjective+noun or noun+noun.


You say many, so it cannot be a general rule.  What are the criteria, then?

Jana


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## Honour

Jana337 said:
			
		

> You say many, so it cannot be a general rule.  What are the criteria, then?
> 
> Jana


 
I am not sure that i understood the question well . 
What i wanted to mean is that there are some/many nouns in turkish which are composed of two words like _yeniçeri_.
E.g. 
Eskişehir, eski+şehir (old city), name of a city
Çanakkale, çanak+kale (bowl/pot + fortress), turkish name of Gallipoli city
Delgeç, del+geç (penetrate+pass), perforator.

I didn't understand your question about the criteria for compound words.


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## Jana337

OK, again: 

If "new soldier" is one word, would "new house", "pretty girl", "expensive car" be one word as well? 

Jana


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## Honour

Jana337 said:
			
		

> OK, again:
> 
> If "new soldier" is one word, would "new house", "pretty girl", "expensive car" be one word as well?
> 
> Jana


I get it now, 
There isn't a general rule about it. Those are considered as individual words and learnt as they are. Nobody thinks them as an old city,a new soldier,a pot shaped fortress  etc. For example, we don't tend to break the verb "understand" into pieces as under+stand or "therefore" as there+fore. Similarly when you say eskişehir in turkish everone recall the city and in the same manner when you say yeniçeri everyone remembers the ottoman soldiers. 
In short, they have to be memorized just like other words.


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## Jana337

Ah, so yeniçeri is simply a terminus technicus, got it. 

Sağol,

Jana


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## Honour

Rica ederim.


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## Chazzwozzer

Jana337 said:
			
		

> You say many, so it cannot be a general rule.  What are the criteria, then?
> 
> Jana


 Actually, we have 30 rules on forming a compound word and whether spell it seperately or not.



			
				Jana337 said:
			
		

> OK, again:
> 
> If "new soldier" is one word, would "new house", "pretty girl", "expensive car" be one word as well?
> 
> Jana


 New house (yeni ev), pretty girl (güzel kız) and expensive car(pahalı araba) are examples of _sıfat tamlaması_ (Not sure how to call it in English. Adjetive clause, maybe?) Those can form a compound only when they refer to a certain thing, you might say. When we say güzel kız, anyone may think of any girl. But when we say yeniçeri, we only think of those Ottoman soldiers. That's why yeniçeri is a compound but güzel kız is not.



			
				Jana337 said:
			
		

> Sağol


 According to first rule of "Compound words written seperately", it should be sağ ol, not sağol.  I really want to tell you why, but I don't know English words for those gramatical terms.


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## Jana337

Chazzwozzer said:
			
		

> According to first rule of "Compound words written seperately", it should be sağ ol, not sağol.  I really want to tell you why, but I don't know English words for those gramatical terms.


Could you attempt a literal translation of the grammar terms? 

Jana


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## Chazzwozzer

OK, here it is Turkish: (You can find 10 rules about seperate compund words and for otherwise, click here then you'll find other 20 rules.)

_*Etmek, edilmek, eylemek, kılmak, kılınmak, olmak, olunmak yardımcı fiilleriyle kurulan birleşik fiiller herhangi bir ses düşmesine veya türemesine uğramazsa ayrı yazılır: alt etmek, arz etmek, azat etmek, boş olmak, dans etmek, el etmek, göç etmek, ilan etmek, kabul etmek, kul etmek, kul olmak,  not etmek, oyun etmek, **sağ olmak, söz etmek, terk etmek, var olmak, yok etmek, yok olmak.*

_And here's my attempt:

*Compound verbs that made up with auxiliary verbs etmek, edilmek, eylemek, kılmak, kılınmak, olmak, olunmak are written seperately if they don't get vowel dropping or multiplying: alt etmek, arz etmek, azat etmek, boş olmak, dans etmek, el etmek, göç etmek, ilan etmek, kabul etmek, kul etmek, kul olmak,  not etmek, oyun etmek, sağ olmak, söz etmek, terk etmek, var olmak, yok etmek, yok olmak.*


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