Overlapping Items in the Turkish Dictionary

Abstract

Dictionaries serve the critical function of preserving and transmitting reliable knowledge from the past to the present, as well as conveying contemporary knowledge to future generations. This process involves reinforcing established information when it is valid and correcting it when it is not. Consequently, it is the responsibility of scholars and researchers to identify and address errors, inconsistencies and deficiencies in dictionaries. Since the publication of the first edition of Türkçe Sözlük, numerous scholarly articles have examined its errors, shortcomings and areas for improvement. These studies reflect a continuous effort to enhance the dictionary’s accuracy and comprehensiveness. The present study similarly investigates various errors within Türkçe Sözlük, offering suggestions for correcting inaccuracies in the definitions of certain entries. A significant portion of these errors pertains to noun phrases. This study highlights that noun phrases do not exhibit a single uniform structure in terms of meaning and emphasizes the importance of considering this linguistic diversity when formulating definitions. The research specifically addresses the following terms, analyzing their definitions and proposing revisions where necessary: çocuk edebiyatı, divan edebiyatı, halk edebiyatı, zümre edebiyatı, kadın cinayeti, divan, halk, zümre, cinayet, katil and talk.