Abstract
MULEMMA AS AN ELEMENT OF HUMOR IN TURKISH JOKES FROM NASREDDIN HODJA TO TEMEL
Various sentences, word groups, words and word attachments taken from other languages -Arabic, Persian, English, etc.- are observed in some Turkish jokes. It is realized that these elements are used to create humor since the the initiation of recording Nasreddin Hodja jokes to today. The languages that take place in jokes other than Turkish and the use of them in creating humor is a fact encountered today as well. The use of phrases from other languages than the main language of the literary product that carries an aesthetic value, is expresses by the word “mulemma” with Arabic origin, which means “medley of colors” “multicolored”.
Regarding Turkish literature and culture, it is observed that the use of mulemma was not limited with Divan poets; it takes place in minstrelsy and in many type of anonymous literature as well as in daily conversations and even in contemporary music products.
Many researchers noticed that materials belonging to Arabic, Persian, and other languages (English, French, German, etc.) are used as a humor element in numerous jokes, including Nasreddin Hodja jokes in the first place. Among these researchers, Ali Duymaz considered this fact that we encounter with Nasreddin Hodja jokes as “surrealism”, and cited it is as an example showing that surrealism is used as an element of humor creation in Nasreddin hodja jokes. İlhan Başgöz considered the Arabic and Persian expression that takes place in the jokes as a criticism of high-class literature. Esma Şimşek interpreted mulemma jokes referred to Nasreddin Hodja as a product of his poet identity.
This study addresses the use of mulemma as an element of humor creation, including Nasreddin Hodja jokes in the first place as well as Temel and other types of joke.
Keywords
Nasreddin Hodja, Temel, joke, type of joke, mulemma, humor.