The Intriguing “Gossip Tense” in Turkish Language

In a captivating social media trend that has caught the attention of linguists and gossip enthusiasts alike, a post circulating on X highlights the so-called “gossip tense” in the Turkish language. As its name suggests, this linguistic feature is utilized in Turkish to engage in gossip or discuss events that the speaker has not personally witnessed, underscoring that the information being shared is merely hearsay.

Interestingly, while this feature does exist in Turkish, labeling it as a “gossip tense” may not fully capture its essence. In reality, it functions more as a suffix than a tense, as explained by Nicholas Kontovas, the Nizami Ganjavi subject librarian and manuscript curator for the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Turkey at the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford. He elaborates, “Turkish grammar is predominantly composed of suffixes. This particular suffix can take the form of -mış, -miş, -muş, or -müş, depending on vowel harmony.”

According to Kontovas, “While it’s accurate that if you were to gossip about something you didn’t witness firsthand, particularly an event in the past, you would likely employ this suffix, the reality is much more nuanced.” The -mış suffix can be approximately translated into English as “I heard that.” For instance, the phrase “Ahmet yapmış” means “(I heard that) Ahmet did it.”

These suffixes belong to a broader category known as “evidentials,” which are linguistic structures that convey how a speaker acquired the information they are relaying. Kontovas explains, “Generally speaking, an evidential can indicate whether the speaker gained knowledge firsthand, secondhand, or through hearsay.” Evidentials can also express varying degrees of belief regarding the truthfulness of the propositions. For example, a speaker might convey, ‘I heard this, but I have my doubts.’

Importantly, the use of the -mış suffix is not restricted to gossip; it applies to any knowledge obtained indirectly or that the speaker harbors doubts about, among other applications. Additionally, it can function as a perfect tense, indicating a completed action, akin to the English phrase “I have seen the film.”

Kontovas emphasizes, “It is a significant oversimplification to assert that -mış is solely for gossip, as it serves a much broader array of functions.” Furthermore, if a speaker intends to convey complete disbelief in the proposition they are sharing, they may use the suffix redundantly, creating what could be referred to as a “dubious tense.”

Similar structures are not exclusive to Turkish; other languages, such as Mongolian and Tajik, also feature analogous evidential systems.

Usage in Reporting and Journalism

Languages vary in their approaches to reporting news and disseminating information. Kontovas notes, “Studies have been conducted examining Turkish legal cases and journalistic writing to determine whether native speakers view communication with -mış as a sort of ‘get out of jail free card’ or as a means of saying, ‘I didn’t actually know that, so who knows?'” The findings remain inconclusive, as individuals naturally adapt their language to suit different contexts.

In formal Turkish journalism, it is common practice to specify the source of information. Kontovas explains, “A responsible journalist will typically use phrases like ‘according to the report’ before providing a direct quote or employing a verb form that does not clarify whether the information was obtained directly or indirectly.”

• Related Topics:
• European Day of Languages celebrates the continent’s linguistic diversity
• Endangered languages study wins top British Academy Global Cultural Understanding Prize
• Which EU country has the most people learning multiple languages?

However, much like in other languages, there exists a considerable amount of poor journalism in Turkish. Kontovas remarks, “You can often sense when a journalist conveys information with an unwarranted level of certainty, especially when they employ the direct past tense for events they did not witness.” In an ideal world where fake news was held accountable, it is easy to envision scenarios where journalists might be scrutinized for misrepresenting their knowledge and authority.

While the -mış suffix can lend some credibility to the information being reported, as it signifies that the speaker acknowledges the information’s origin, it creates a “catch-22” situation. Kontovas asserts, “In responsible journalism, the -mış suffix is typically avoided because authoritative journalists refrain from using it.”

He concludes, “The best journalism in Turkish steers clear of situations where information is conveyed through verb forms that are either ambiguously direct or indirect.” In some cases, the use of -mış in journalism can even be perceived as sarcastic, as it defies audience expectations.

Kontovas adds, “When a journalist employs -mış to intentionally cast doubt on the truth of a statement, the audience will infer that skepticism based on pragmatic understanding, recognizing that the journalist is carefully choosing verb forms to avoid committing to the veracity of the information.” While this approach may not constitute poor journalism, it certainly reflects a particular style where the author seeks to question the validity of the propositions being reported.