# Değiş tokuş



## 123xyz

What do the words "değiş" and "tokuş" mean? I've only ever encountered them together in the phrase "değiş tokuş", meaning "exchange", but what does each signify on its own, if anything? I suppose that "değiş" means "change", coming from the verb "değişmek", although the customary word for change is simply "değişim", but I have no clue as to "tokuş". 

Thank you in advance


----------



## enderiskender

"Tokuş-turmak" means hitting things to each other, like with beer. "değiştokuş" means exchange. It is an expression of changing equally valued things.


----------



## 123xyz

Thank you for "tokuşturmak" - I find it to be a most delightful verb. However, my question still hasn't been answered. I already knew that "değiş tokuş" means "exchange" - I was actually asking about the individual components of the phrase. 

Should I assume that "tokuş" doesn't mean anything and has been spontaneously invented as a word that runs smoothly with "değiş" (even rhyming to a minimal extent), just for the compound phrase to be created? It doesn't seem likely - "tokuş" looks to me like the noun form of some verb "tokmak" (which I also cannot find; I've only found the noun "tokmak" meaning "knob" or "mallet"), derived with the "-Vş" suffix, just like "bakmak" > "bakış". Then again, it might also be reciprocal.


----------



## enderiskender

I don't know exact word in english for this but it is local expression,historical word. "tokuş" probaly had a meaning in "değiştokuş" long time ago we still use it that way.It is what it is actualy accapted this way. "değiştokuş" also means swap. And "tokmak" is wooden hammer. Are you a student of turkish litarature? if you are not than my advice don't mind that much. Because i am turk and i don't know for sure why we use "tokuş" in this expression and i searched online nobody else knows or cares about it much. İf it is so important for you i can search deeper though.


----------



## 123xyz

Interesting - the meaning of "tokuş" is not known even to the average Turkish speaker, and the word is simply regarded as a component of "değiş tokuş" (which I believe should be written separately). Anyhow, I'm not a student of Turkish literature or the like - I'm simply studying Turkish for personal amusement and am asking about "tokuş" out of pure curiosity. Otherwise, I do realize that I don't _need _to know what it means. So, I would still like an answer, from you (after you've searched deeper  ) or from whomever else.


----------



## Asr

123xyz said:


> Interesting - the meaning of "tokuş" is not known even to the average Turkish speaker, and the word is simply regarded as a component of "değiş tokuş" (which I believe should be written separately). Anyhow, I'm not a student of Turkish literature or the like - I'm simply studying Turkish for personal amusement and am asking about "tokuş" out of pure curiosity. Otherwise, I do realize that I don't _need _to know what it means. So, I would still like an answer, from you (after you've searched deeper  ) or from whomever else.


We have nouns like that; it might seem like there are two separate components, hence two meaningful words; but that is not always the case. Tokuş doesn't mean anything on its own.  
Çer çöp is another one that comes to my mind now. Çöp has a meaning, so does "çer çöp" but try figuring out what çer is


----------



## enderiskender

"Tokuş" has a meaning i said at first reply but what i don't know why it is used in "değiştokuş" and what meaning "tokuş" carried out in "Değiştokuş". So it is different than "çerçöp".

Note: I will let you know if and when i found something about this expression.


----------



## 123xyz

> We have nouns like that; it might seem like there are two separate components, hence two meaningful words; but that is not always the case. Tokuş doesn't mean anything on its own.
> Çer çöp is another one that comes to my mind now. Çöp has a meaning, so does "çer çöp" but try figuring out what çer is



That makes sense; thank you.


----------



## turgayevski

i think that the word "tokuş" may not come from the verb "tokuşturmak"  maybe comes from another verb, "tokalaşmak" means " shake hands".  Sometimes use as "toka etmek". 

Maybe the word "tokuş" means the"agreement" come after "değiş- change".


----------



## algomir

I think tokuş comes from tokuşturmak and it emphasizes head to head nature of the exchange. You give something and you get another one equally valued.
Otherwise you can say değiştirmek and changed objects dont have to be equal


----------

