Gerhard Doerfer
Encyclopedia
Gerhard Doerfer was a German
Turkologist, Altaist, and philologist best known for his studies of the Turkish language
.
Doerfer spent his childhood in Konigsberg
and Berlin
. After release from captivity following the World War II
, from 1949 to 1954 he took in Berlin courses in Turkic and Altaic languages
, Islamic and Iranian Studies. In 1955–57 he was an assistant professor in Mainz University, in 1960 he moved to the Göttingen University, where in 1966 he became an associate professor. Between 1968 and 1973 he conducted several expeditions to research the Turkic Khalaj
and Oguz
languages in Persia. In 1970 Doerfer became a professor of a newly founded for him Chair of Turkic and Altaistic Studies at the Georgia Augusta Göttingen University; in 1975-1976 Doerfer served a tour of a Visiting Professor at Istanbul University
. In his extensive and multi-faceted studies, Doerfer investigated Mongolian
and Turkic
elements in Persian
language, culture, and folklore, wrote his four-volume Türkische und mongolische Elemente im Neupersischen (1963–75), and contributed greatly to the study of Persian-Turkic language contacts (1967).
Doerfer dismissed the validity of the Altaic language family concept, demonstrating that the words and features shared by Turkic, Mongolic, and Tungusic were cultural borrowings, and any other similarities should be attributed to chance resemblances, because while there are lexical elements shared separately by Turkic and Mongolic, separately by Mongolic and Tungusic, and some elements shared by all three languages, there are few elements shared by the Turkic and Tungusic but not Mongolic language. If all three languages were genetically connected, the losses should be random, not limited to the geographical fringes of the family; the observed patterns exactly match the effects of borrowing.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Turkologist, Altaist, and philologist best known for his studies of the Turkish language
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
.
Doerfer spent his childhood in Konigsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. After release from captivity following the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, from 1949 to 1954 he took in Berlin courses in Turkic and Altaic languages
Altaic languages
Altaic is a proposed language family that includes the Turkic, Mongolic, Tungusic, and Japonic language families and the Korean language isolate. These languages are spoken in a wide arc stretching from northeast Asia through Central Asia to Anatolia and eastern Europe...
, Islamic and Iranian Studies. In 1955–57 he was an assistant professor in Mainz University, in 1960 he moved to the Göttingen University, where in 1966 he became an associate professor. Between 1968 and 1973 he conducted several expeditions to research the Turkic Khalaj
Khalaj
Khalaj may refer to:* Khalaj language* Khalaj people* Khalaj, Afghanistan, in Helmand Province* Khalaj, Armenia* Khalaj, Iran...
and Oguz
Oghuz languages
The Oghuz languages, a major branch of the Turkic language family, are spoken by more than 110 million people in an area spanning from the Balkans to China.-Linguistic features:...
languages in Persia. In 1970 Doerfer became a professor of a newly founded for him Chair of Turkic and Altaistic Studies at the Georgia Augusta Göttingen University; in 1975-1976 Doerfer served a tour of a Visiting Professor at Istanbul University
Istanbul University
Istanbul University is a Turkish university located in Istanbul. The main campus is adjacent to Beyazıt Square.- Synopsis :A madrasa, a religious school, was established sometime in the 15th century after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. An institution of higher education named the...
. In his extensive and multi-faceted studies, Doerfer investigated Mongolian
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
and Turkic
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
elements in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
language, culture, and folklore, wrote his four-volume Türkische und mongolische Elemente im Neupersischen (1963–75), and contributed greatly to the study of Persian-Turkic language contacts (1967).
Doerfer dismissed the validity of the Altaic language family concept, demonstrating that the words and features shared by Turkic, Mongolic, and Tungusic were cultural borrowings, and any other similarities should be attributed to chance resemblances, because while there are lexical elements shared separately by Turkic and Mongolic, separately by Mongolic and Tungusic, and some elements shared by all three languages, there are few elements shared by the Turkic and Tungusic but not Mongolic language. If all three languages were genetically connected, the losses should be random, not limited to the geographical fringes of the family; the observed patterns exactly match the effects of borrowing.
Selected works
- 1954 "Zur Syntax der Geheime Geschichte der Mongolen" (The syntax of the Secret History of the Mongols), ZDMG 113, 1963, S.87-111.
- 1963 "Der Numerus im Mandschu" (The number in the Manchu), Wiesbaden
- 1963 "Bemerkungen zur Verwandtschaft der sog. altaische Sprachen", (Remarks on the relationship of the so-called Altaic languages), In Gerhard Doerfer, Türkische und mongolische Elemente im Neupersischen, Bd. I: Mongolische Elemente im Neupersischen, 1963, 51–105, Wiesbaden, Franz Steiner Verlag.
- 1963-1975 "Türkische und mongolische Elemente im Neupersischen", Bd. I-IV, Wiesbaden, Franz Steiner Verlag, 1963 – 1975.
- 1967 "Türkische Lehnwörter im Tadschikischen" Wiesbaden [Abhandlungen für die Kunde des Morgenlandes XXXVII, 3].
- 1973 "Lautgesetze und Zufall: Betrachtungen zum Omnicomparativismus", Innsbrucker Beiträge zur Sprachwissenschaft 10.
- 1974 "Ist das Japanische mit den altaischen Sprachen verwandt?" Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft 114.1.
- 1985 "Mongolo-Tungusica"/Tungusica. 3, Wiesbaden, Otto Harrassowitz
- 1988 "Grundwort und Sprachmischung : eine Untersuchung an Hand von Korperteilbezeichnungen", Munchener ostasiatische Studien, vol.47, Stuttgart, Franz Steiner Verlag