American Journal Of Philological Sciences
275
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajps
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue06 2025
PAGE NO.
275-278
10.37547/ajps/Volume05Issue06-72
About Artistic Features of Folk Proverbs and Poems in
The Work “Devonu Lugoti
-T-
Turk”
Dоctоr оf Philоlоgicаl Sciеncеs, Prоfеssоr, Department of Oriental Languages, Oriental University, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Received:
26 April 2025;
Accepted:
22 May 2025;
Published:
24 June 2025
Abstract:
The article is devoted to the analysis of the artistic features of Uzbek folk proverbs from the work
"
Devonu lug‘ati
-t-
turk". It is based on the active use of such arts as saj’, iyjoz, ishtiqaq, tazod, takrir, which serve
to strengthen and emphasize the meaning in folk proverbs.
Keywords:
F
olk proverbs, artistic arts, saj’, iyjoz, ishtiqaq, tazod, takrir
.
Introduction:
Mahmud al-
Kashgari’s Dīwān Lughāt al
-
Turk is of exceptional scholarly significance as the
oldest extant work in the field of Turkology. Academic
research has demonstrated that this work contains
valuable information regarding the language,
literature, culture, spiritual life, politics, and economy
of Turkic peoples. Furthermore, it confirms that
Mahmud al-Kashgari was the first linguistic scholar in
world science history to apply comparative-historical
and contrastive methods, establishing himself as the
founder of Turkological studies.
The Dīwān Lughāt
al-Turk includes numerous examples
of oral folk literature aimed at elucidating the meanings
of words. The incorporation of eloquent expressions,
proverbs, and poetic fragments has substantially
enriched the work in both form and content (Rustamiy,
2016;
Rustamiy, 2021). The author himself states: “I
adorned this book... with wise sayings, rhymed prose,
proverbs, songs, rajaz verses, and narrative fragments”
(Mutallibov, 1960, p. 44). The skillful and appropriate
use of folk oral expressions within the lexicographic
structure of the work attests to the author’s
outstanding linguistic competence.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
The human inclination toward beauty is inherent in
nature and becomes a driving force for creative
expression. As in other domains of life, in language as
well there arises a need to convey meaning in
aesthetically
pleasing
forms.
This
aesthetic
requirement is realized through the available
expressive tools of a language. In this regard, scholars
have noted: “The structure and behavior of all be
ings
—
especially humans
—
exhibit a high degree of perfection,
including beauty. Beyond natural beauty, humans also
create artificial beauty… All such beauty, and its
aesthetic qualities, are reflected through language. This
is one of the functions of language
—
to express beauty.
At the same time, language itself is utilized by poets
and the general populace as a material of beauty. For
language is a refined phenomenon, encompassing all
the attributes necessary for beauty… On the one hand,
it serves as a mirror of natural and human beauty; on
the other hand, it embodies the very essence from
which beauty is created… When we approach language
as a substance of beauty, we find in it a level of
perfection that evokes astonishment… This perfection
of language constitutes its beauty and provides the
foundation for the oratorical or literary skill of its
users
—whether speakers or writers” (Rustamiy, 2022,
pp. 239
–
242).
This expressive skill first found manifestation in the
forms of oral folk literature. Works of oral folklore
emerge as a result of the keen and insightful
observations of common people about the world and
human existence, expressed in artistically appealing
forms. These works convey the didactic wisdom of the
people, accumulated through generations of lived
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
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American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2273)
experience.
Among such works, proverbs in particular resonate
with the collective consciousness of the people due to
their thematic and formal affinity with everyday
experience. They offer guidance for responding wisely
to the wide range of events encountered in life,
encouraging the rejection of evil and the pursuit of
virtue. This functional relevance constitutes a
foundational element in their enduring vitality.
Yet, another crucial factor underlying the vitality and
popularity of folk proverbs, riddles, poems, and songs
is their linguistic eloquence
—
what might be termed
“balāgha” in Arabic, “aesthetic” in Western
terminology, or simply “chechanlik” (expressiveness) in
Turkic tradition. Their enduring resonance lies in the
high degree of this expressive power.
If the meanings (arising from essential human needs)
and the qualitative expressions (beautiful states) of
speech are universal among all peoples, the methods
by which these meanings are expressed differ
significantly. On one hand, such differences are related
to each people’s history, customs, culture, and
spirituality; on the other hand, they are determined by
the grammatical properties and aesthetic capacities
inherent in each language. For example, Turkic peoples,
based on both these universal and particular features
of their languages, have acquired a refined skill in
expressing thoughts deeply and eloquently.
ANALYSIS
As noted earlier, samples of oral folk literature
—
particularly proverbs and poetic fragments
—
fulfill
multiple functions, including an aesthetic function that
impacts the emotional state of the listener, evokes
unique sentiments, and leaves various impressions. In
crafting persuasive speech, rhetorical devices and
poetic artistry serve as important tools.
To illustrate this, we may briefly examine the artistic
qualities of select proverbs and poetic lines found in
Dīwān Lughāt al
-Turk:
For instance, in the entry “ашыч,” Mahmud Kashgari
records the saying:
“ашыч айур түбүм алтун қамыч айур мән қайда мән”
(Mahmud Kashgari, 2017)
Translated as:
"The cauldron says: My bottom is gold; the ladle says:
Where am I?"
(Dīwān Lughāt al
-Turk-1, 2016, p. 55)
In this example, the words “ашыч” and “қамыч” form
a paronomastic rhyme (sajʿ), while “қамыч” and
“қайда” in the second hemistich reflect tawziʿ
(phonetic symmetry), and “айур” and “мән” are
examples of repetition (takrīr). This proverb is used to
mock someone boasting in front of one who knows
them well. The underlying thought is conveyed
succinctly, reflecting the rhetorical device of ījāz
(economy of expression), a common feature across
many proverbs and maxims.
Another proverb:
“Ағылда оғлақ туғса арықда оты унәр”
(Mahmud Kashgari, 2017, under “арық”)
Translated as:
"If a kid goat is born in the shed, its dung appears in the
canal."
(Dīwān Lughāt al
-Turk-1, 2016, p. 63)
Here, ījāz conveys the deep idea that one should not
overly worry or strive for provision
—
what is destined
will manifest naturally. The parallelism of “ағылда” and
“арықда” in rhyme (sajʿ) enhances the proverb’s
aesthetic appeal.
Similarly, the proverbs:
•
“Алын арслан тутар күчүн ойуқ тутмас”
—
“With cunning, a lion is caught; with strength, not
even a fox.”
•
“Күч алдын кирсә төрү түңлүктән чықар”
—
“When force enters through the door, justice
escapes through the
skylight.”
•
“Тилин түгмишни тишин йазмас”
—
“What the tongue has tied, the teeth cannot untie.”
(in Dīwān Lughāt al
-Turk, 2016
–
2018)
all demonstrate the rhetorical device of tibāq
(antithesis) through word pairs like “тутар–тутмас,”
“кирсә–чықар,” “түгмиш–йазмас.”
In the proverb:
“Бир қарға бирлә қиш кәлмәс”
—
“Winter does not arrive with just one crow.”
(Dīwān Lughāt al
-Turk-2, 2016, p. 24)
the morphological relationship between “бир” and
“бирлә” reflects ishtiqāq (derivational linkage).
In:
“Ула болса йол азмас, билиг болса сѳз йазмас”
—
“With signs, the path is not lost; with wisdom,
speech is not mistaken.”
(Dīwān Lughāt al
-Turk-1, 2016, p. 79)
the words “азмас” and “йазмас” form a paronomastic
pair (tajnīs), while the repetition of “бoлса” indicates
ta
krīr.
In poetic fragments, we also observe frequent uses of
tajnīs, ishtiqāq, and tawziʿ. For example:
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American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2273)
Қуйды булут йағмурын
Кəрип тутар ақ торын
Қырқа қозты ол қарын
Ақын ақар əӊрəшүр
(Mahmud Kashgari-
3, 2018, under “йамғур”)
Translated:
“The cloud spread
its rain,
and held the white net in the sky.
It cast snow over the mountain slopes.
A flood flows roaring from the mountain.”
(Dīwān Lughāt al
-Turk-3, 2016, p. 29)
In this quatrain, “йағмурын,” “торын,” and “қарын”
exemplify tajnīs (homonymic rhyme), “ақын” and
“ақар” demonstrate ishtiqāq, while the third and
fourth lines use alliteration in “q” and “a” sounds
(tawziʿ).
Another poetic example:
Кәлди әсин әснәйү
қаҙқа түгәл үснәйү
кирди бодун қаснайу
қара булыт көкрәшүр
(Mahmud Kashgari-
3, 2018, under “қаҙ”)
Translation:
“The wind blew turbulently,
resembling a fierce storm,
the people trembled in fear,
black clouds thundered.”
(Dīwān Lughāt al
-Turk-3, 2016, p. 99)
Here, “әснәйү,” “үснәйү,” and “қаснайу” reflect tajnīs,
and “әсин” with “әснәйү” reveal ishtiqāq.
Another vivid instance:
Йағмур йағип сачылды
түрліг чәчәк сучулды
йинҗу қабы ачылды,
чындан йыпар йуғрушур
(Mahmud Kashgari-
2, 2018, under “сучул
-
”)
Translation:
“The rain poured and spread,
diverse flowers blossomed,
pearl cases opened,
truly, fra
grant scents wafted.”
(Dīwān Lughāt al
-Turk-2, 2016, p. 84)
Here, “сачылды,” “сучулды,” and “ачылды” exemplify
tajnīs, while “йағмур” and “йағип” reflect ishtiqāq.
A final example:
Тәгмә чәчәк үгүлди
буқықланып бүкүлди
түгсүн түгүн түгүлди
йазлыб йана йѳргәшүр
(Mahmud Kashgari-2, 2018, under
“б
ۇ
ق
оқ”)
Translation:
“
Various flowers clustered,
buds formed,
knotted and tied in corners,
then unwrapped and re-
tied.”
(Dīwān Lughāt al
-Turk-2, 2016, p. 188)
Here, “үгүлди,” “бүкүлди,” and “түгүлди” illustrate
taj
nīs. Uniquely, the second, third, and fourth lines are
entirely structured with words beginning with “b,” “t,”
and “y” respectively, demonstrating advanced tawziʿ.
Additionally, in the phrase “түгсүн түгүн түгүлди,” each
word derives from the same root “түг,” showcasing a
refined application of ishtiqāq.
Such examples of rhetorical and stylistic devices occur
abundantly in Dīwān Lughāt al
-Turk, attesting to its rich
literary and aesthetic dimensions.
CONCLUSION
As is well known, the oral folk literature examples cited
in the work contain frequent occurrences of rhetorical
and stylistic devices such as tajnīs (paronomasia),
ishtiqāq (morphological derivation), tawziʿ (phonetic
symmetry), takrīr (repetition), iqtibā
s (allusion or
quotation), and ījāz (brevity
with depth). A deeper
rhetorical analysis of the Dīwān text contributes not
only to understanding Mahmud al-
Kashgari’s linguistic
mastery but also to appreciating the creative genius of
Turkic-speaking peoples more broadly.
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American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2273)
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