Follow a historical text by identifying its period, its sources and the political structures it discusses. These examples describe imaginary reading and research situations, not particular historical events.
The idea
Group the vocabulary by what it names: dönem and yüzyıl locate events in time; belge, arşiv and kaynak concern evidence; imparatorluk and cumhuriyet name political forms. Context decides whether tarih means history or a date: compare tarih araştırması with belgenin tarihi. Learn useful combinations such as imparatorluğun kuruluşu, cumhuriyet dönemi and antlaşma imzalamak as units.
| Turkish word | Meaning in historical texts |
|---|---|
| tarih | history; date |
| dönem | period; era |
| yüzyıl / asır | century |
| kaynak | source used in research |
| belge | document |
| arşiv | archive |
| devlet | state |
| hükûmet | government |
| imparatorluk | empire |
| cumhuriyet | republic |
| kuruluş | founding; establishment |
| bağımsızlık | independence |
| savaş | war |
| barış | peace |
| antlaşma | treaty |
| sınır | border; boundary |
Examples
- Bu bölüm imparatorluğun kuruluşunu anlatıyor.This chapter describes the founding of the empire.
- Arşivde eski bir antlaşma bulduk.We found an old treaty in the archive.
- Bu derste cumhuriyet dönemini inceliyoruz.In this lesson we are examining the republican period.
- Metinde devletin kurumları ile hükûmetin kararları ayrı ayrı ele alınıyor.The text discusses the state’s institutions and the government’s decisions separately.
- Belgenin tarihi silinmiş, ancak kullanılan dil dönemi anlamamıza yardımcı oluyor.The date on the document has faded, but the language used helps us identify the period.
- İki tarihçi aynı kaynağı farklı yorumluyor.Two historians interpret the same source differently.
- Bu harita savaş öncesindeki sınırları gösteriyor.This map shows the borders before the war.
- Sergide bağımsızlık ve barış temaları öne çıkıyor.The themes of independence and peace stand out in the exhibition.
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No Turkish device voice is available. You can still read the text.
Watch out
Do not replace hükûmet with devlet automatically. Hükûmet değişti says that the government changed; it does not say that the state collapsed. In a historical text, kaynak can be a document used as evidence, not a water source.
Try it yourself
We checked its ___ to find out when the letter was written. Choose tarihini or sınırını.
Show answer or example answer
tarihini
tarihini: the question is when the letter was written, so its date is relevant. Sınırını would mean its boundary and would not answer that question.
The text concerns the ministers serving at that time, rather than all state institutions. Choose devlet or hükûmet.
Show answer or example answer
hükûmet
hükûmet: the clue narrows the subject to the ministers in office at a particular time. Devlet would refer to the broader political structure.
Write one Turkish word meaning a century: a period of one hundred years.
Show answer or example answer
yüzyıl / asır
yüzyıl / asır: either word names a century. Dönem alone gives no duration, so it does not express the specified hundred years.
A peace document signed by two states: choose antlaşma or arşiv.
Show answer or example answer
antlaşma
antlaşma: the clue describes a signed agreement between states. An arşiv may preserve that document, but it is not the agreement itself.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
We checked its ___ to find out when the letter was written. Choose tarihini or sınırını.
The text concerns the ministers serving at that time, rather than all state institutions. Choose devlet or hükûmet.
Write one Turkish word meaning a century: a period of one hundred years.
A peace document signed by two states: choose antlaşma or arşiv.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write a four-sentence description of an imaginary history exhibition. Name a period, describe a source and use two political terms. Make clear whether each use of tarih means history or a date.