Language and Social Class in Demirciler - 1208 Words

In the Life in a Turkish Village, Joe E. Pierce discusses the culture of the village, Demirciler, located in Turkey. He studies the social structure, the religious practices, the political system, and other aspects of this village’s culture. In his ethnography, Pierce expounds on the societal segregation of the men and women and its translation into social class. While the separation of both genders is prominent in the societal practices, it is also reflected in their native tongue. To demonstrate the relationship between language and social class, I will analyze and review how the Turkish language of Demirciler is a linguistic representation of the social structure with a thorough examination of the societal practices and a semantic†¦show more content†¦This hypothesis can be applied to the native tongue of Demirciler. In the Turkish language, Pierce notes, â€Å"Men and women are labeled differently for relatives older than ego, but not for those younger† (Pi erce 81). Ego’s uncles of his father’s lineage are referred to as amca and Ego’s aunts of his father’s lineage are referred to as hala. Ego’s uncles of his mother’s lineage are called dayz, while aunt’s on his mother’s side are called teyze (Pierce 80). Ego’s grandfathers are both referred to as dede and his grandmothers are both called ebe. Because these kin terms individually identify the male and female members of the family readers gain insight into the citizens’ perspective and can comprehend their view on the social status of men and women. This kinship terminology also illustrates that social status is defined by not only sex, but age as well. While males and females have different kin terms, this only applies to members of an older generation. The gender of young children is not specified in the Turkish language; there is one term used to identify young children: kardes. If Ego had older brothers and siste rs, they would be recognized by separate terms, however, if Ego had younger siblings they would be labeled by the same kin term. Pierce sates, â€Å"The kinship terms illustrate . . . the sharp distinction between males and females as well as the sharp