Sun Language Theory

Sun-Language Theory is a linguistic hypothesis proposed in the 1930s to explain the position and origin of the Turkish language among world languages, asserting that all languages derive from Turkish. This theory was institutionalized by the Turkish Language Association (Türk Dil Kurumu) starting in 1935 and aligned with the Turkish History Thesis, aiming to emphasize the pioneering role of the Turkish nation in world civilization. According to the theory, the earliest humans’ awe and fear toward the sun, the most dominant force in nature, led to the formation of the first vocal expressions (exclamations); from these fundamental roots, the Turkish language—and consequently all other languages—emerged.

The foundations of the Sun-Language Theory are based on an unpublished work presented by Viennese linguist Hermann Kvergić to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1935 titled “La Psychologie de Quelques Éléments des Langues Turques” (The Psychology of Certain Elements of Turkish Languages). In his study, Kvergić argued that Turkish pronouns and number words indicated that Turkish was among the oldest languages in human history. Atatürk developed these ideas further, expanding the theory into an anthropological and psychological framework and personally naming it.

The theory became the central agenda item at the Third Turkish Language Congress held in 1936. Numerous local and foreign academics presented papers on the theory, and its scientific methodology was openly debated. During this period, the theory served not only as an academic subject but also as an ideological tool supporting the language reform within the nation-building process.

At the center of the theory lies the root “Ağ,” which represents concepts such as sun, light, fire, and life. According to the theory, the earliest perceptions formed in the human mind by the sun gave rise to the first vocal units in language. It was claimed that when tracing the etymological origins of words in all world languages, one would find phonetic and semantic traces attributable to Turkish.

The methodology applied involved breaking down words according to phonetic and semantic similarities and linking these components to the fundamental roots defined by the Sun-Language Theory. For instance, it was argued that many concepts in European languages were transmitted via Turkic tribes migrating from Central Asia.

In the Sun-Language Theory, the analysis of a word follows a psychological method rather than morphosyntactic analysis. According to this method, a word is analyzed through three stages:

1. Vowel: Identification of the primary vowel sound in the word.
2. Meaning: The connection between the sound and the first concept it evokes in the mind.
3. Phonetic Change: Tracking the historical sound changes the word has undergone.

In particular, the vowel “A” is regarded as the highest-ranking sound in this system because it represents the “Sun,” the origin of all things.

The theory did not remain merely a hypothesis; it was transformed into an applied lexicographical project. Under the title “Etymologic Dictionary of the Turkish Language,” thousands of words were subjected to detailed analysis. These studies made specific claims such as that the word “culture” in European languages derived from the Turkish roots “kul” (service, action) and “türe” (law, order).

The Sun-Language Theory was seen as a solution to the impasse encountered during the most intense phase of the language reform, which aimed to purge Turkish of foreign words. If all languages originated from Turkish, then foreign loanwords in Turkish were assumed to be inherently Turkish in essence, eliminating the need to remove them. This perspective allowed the language purification process to move away from radical purism toward a more moderate approach.

Interest in the theory declined after Atatürk’s death, and from the 1940s onward, it was no longer defended in academic circles. Due to its inconsistency with modern linguistic data and the lack of sufficient etymological evidence, the theory has been regarded not as a scientific truth but as a historical initiative shaped by the conjunctural needs of its time.