Academician, linguist, writer
(B. 1861, Istanbul – D. 1935, Istanbul). The writer's real name was Mehmed Ali,
however, he was known with his signature, Ali Nazîmâ, which he used in his
works. He took Yiğit as his surname after the surname law. He was son of Dr.
Lt. Ahmet Servet Bey, who was one of the founders of Hilâliahmer, (T.N. the Turkish
Red Crescent). He was also the brother of İbrâhim Süreyyâ Yiğit, who was a
widely known figure at the time of the Independence War. He was from an Abkhazian
family, who had immigrated to Ottoman Empire during the Caucasian-Russia Wars.
After having completed his primary and secondary education in Üsküdar, he was
accepted to the Galatasaray High School. After having graduated from high
school, he studied in the Mekteb-i Mülkiye (T. N. Faculty of Political Sciences)
for two years. In 1881, he was appointed to Galatasaray High School as a
Turkish and Arabic teacher. Between 1885 and
In 1894, Ali Nazîmâ quit his
job in Galatasaray High School and was appointed to the Aşiret Mektebi (T.N.
The school of tribes) as the principal. After a short period, he was appointed
to the Mekteb-i Mülkiye as the vice principal. Besides teaching French in this
school, he taught French and Translation Methods in Mercan Secondary School
(1900). He was also the vice principal in Dârülfünun Ulûm-i
Tıbbîiyye ve Dîniyye Branch (T.N.
Istanbul University's Medical and Religious Branch) (1895) and he taught
French in Dârülmuallimîn (T.N. Teacher’s High School) and Vefa
High School (1906) from time to time. At the very beginning of 1909, he
resigned from his job as the vice principal in the Mekteb-i Mülkiye. In the same
year, he was appointed to Istanbul University's (Dârülfünun) Philology
department as teacher of Turkish Language. He was also appointed to the School
of Cadastre as the principal. Upon the closure of the School of Cadastre, and
removal of his lessons in Istanbul University, he became unemployed. After a
period, he was appointed to newly founded İnâs Ottoman University as the principal.
He was also appointed as the teacher of Kavânîn-i Câriye (T.N. Law of Bondswoman).
(1916). In 1919, he was assigned to the membership of Ministry of National
Education, the Commission of Copyrights and Translation and he was appointed to
Nişantaşı High School as the principal and French teacher in
In 1925, Ali Nazîmâ was
rewarded with the "Award of Honor" by Istanbul Teachers Association
and took his place among eight teachers and mudarrises who received this award.
Mükemmel Osmanlı
Lügati (with Fâik Reşad, 1320), Lugat-ı Nazîmâ (1901),
Lugat-ı Tefeyyüz (1910), Mini Mini Lugat-ı Tefeyyüz (1912), Çukulata
(1309), Çay (1309), Mükellim (Translated from Ahn, 1303), Nevâbigu'l-kelîm
(Translated from Zemahşerî, 1303), Yeni Müntehabât-ı Gülistan (Translated
from Sa'dî-i Şîrâzî, 1326), Muhtasar Yeni Hesab, Nasihat-ı Hükema, Muhtasar
Lisan-ı Osmani, Haritalı Küçük Tarih-i Osmanî.
REFERENCE: Hüseyin
Namık Orkun / Ali Nazîmâ Bey (Milli Mecmua, sy. 9, s. 139-140, 1340), İbrahim Alaeddin Gövsa / Türk
Meşhurları (1946), Ali Çankaya / Yeni Mülkiye Tarihi ve
Mülkiyeliler (1968), A. Fidarok / İçimizden
Birkaç İsim (Kafkasya
Gerçeği, sayı: 3, s. 25, 1991),
Sefer E. Berzeg / Kafkasya Diasporası’nda Edebiyatçılar ve Yazarlar Sözlüğü
(1995), Nuyan Yiğit / Atatürk’le Otuz Yıl İbrahim Süreyya Yiğit'in Öyküsü
(s. 14-18, 2004), Alim Kahraman/ TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi (C. 32, s.453,454, 2006), İhsan
Işık / Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları
Ansiklopedisi (2006, 2007) - Ünlü Fikir ve Kültür Adamları (Türkiye Ünlüleri
Ansiklopedisi, C. 3, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013).