Ahmet Cevat Emre

Linguist, writer. (B. 1887, Girit- D. 1961, Ankara). He completed his secondary school in his hometown. He was graduated from Kuleli Military High School. When he was a student at Military School, he and his seventy eight friends were accused for politic crime and they were banished to Tripoli (1895). He escaped to Europe and attended the political activities of Young Turks. After the declaration of second Constitutional Monarchy (1908), he returned to Istanbul and began to work as a journalist. He wrote for Şura-yı Ümmet and for the Siper-i Saika, of which he was also the director. As from 1909, he taught Turkish Linguistic and Turkish Literature (1912) lectures in Istanbul University.

After the proclamation of Republic, he has participated in language and letter reform studies; he was in the letter commission (1928). After the establishment of Turkish Language Institution, he worked in different branches of the institution until his death. He was elected as a congressman from Çanakkale for the 5th term. He also published the opinion and art journal titled as Muhit (1928-32), Ahmet Cevat’s opinions and political behavior changed in times and had conflicts within self.  During the armistice years he was against letter reform and made critics about Turkism but after the proclamation of Republic he was among the leading supporters of letter and language reform.

WORKS:

Lisan-ı Osmanî / Sarf ve Nahiv (1912), Muhtasar Türkçe Gramer (1928), Türkçenin Hint-Avrupa Dilleriyle Mukayesesi (1933), Türkçede Kelime teşkili Hakkında Bir Anket (1933), Türkçenin Etimolojisi İçin Metod Araştırmaları (1934), Eski Türk Yazısının Menşei (1938), XIV. Asır Betikleri (1942), Türk Dil Bilgisi (1945), Osmanlı Edebiyatına Hazırlık Dersleri (1947), Türk Lehçeleri Mukayeseli Grameri I / Fonetik (1949), İki Neslin Tarihi (anılar, 1960).

REFERENCE: Şükran Kurdakul / Şairler ve Yazarlar Sözlüğü (ed. 6., 1999), İhsan Işık (TEKAA, 2009).