jan
/dʒan/
Definitions
1. soul, the immaterial part of a human being
- adamnı janı tazadı — the person's soul is pure
- janım jılı sözden quwanadı — my soul rejoices at a warm word
- janı bla süydü — he loved with all his soul
2. life, the vital principle that keeps a body alive
- tende janı bardı — there is life in the body
- janın qutharırğa küreşdi — he struggled to save his life
- janı çıqdı — his life went out of him
3. living creature
- har jannı aşı başhadı — every creature has its own food
- jerde qança jan bardı? — how many living creatures are there on the earth?
4. person counted as one member of a household or population
- üyde on jan jıyıldıla — ten persons gathered in the house
- elde eki jüz jan jaşaydı — two hundred people live in the village
5. person who inspires and animates an undertaking
- ol işni janı oldu — he is the moving spirit of that work
- toynu janı qart jırçı edi — the life of the feast was the old singer
6. the side or lateral part of a person or thing
- eki janı da jiti — both sides are sharp
- jol janı — the side of a road, the roadside
- ters janı bla keldi — he came from the wrong side
7. the area beside or near something
- üy janı ışıq boladı — the area beside the house is sheltered from the wind
- suwnu janı bla — along the riverbank
- üy ullu oramnı janında edi — the house was beside the main street
8. a direction relative to a place or point
- qaysı janına? — in which direction?
- sol janına — towards the left
- tört janına — in all four directions
9. an aspect or respect in which something is considered
- har janı bla da — in every respect
- bir janı bla igidi — in one respect it is good
- söznü başha janına bururğa — to turn the conversation to another subject
10. one of two opposing people, groups, or parties
- eki janı da küreşedile — both sides are fighting
- eki janı da hazırdıla — both sides are ready
- eki janı da kelişdile — both sides agreed
Origin
Two unrelated words share this spelling. The soul/life word is a Persian loan, from Persian jān 'soul, life', continuing Middle Persian gyān. The side/direction word is inherited Turkic, from Proto-Turkic *yan (Siemieniec-Gołaś 2000, p. 109).Feedback
or .Cases
| Singular | Plural | When to use it | |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | janthe soul | janlathe souls | the plain dictionary form — the doer of the sentence |
| genitive | jannıthe soul's | janlanıthe souls' | the owner — whose it is |
| accusative | jannıthe soul (as the object) | janlanıthe souls (as the object) | a specific, known object — whom or what |
| dative | jangato the soul | janlağato the souls | direction or recipient — to where, to whom |
| locative | jandaat / in the soul | janladaat / in the souls | where it is; also having — mende bar, "I have it" |
| ablative | jandanfrom the soul | janladanfrom the souls | where it comes from; also "than" when comparing |
When to use each case
- nominative
- the plain dictionary form — the doer of the sentence
- genitive
- the owner — whose it is
- accusative
- a specific, known object — whom or what
- dative
- direction or recipient — to where, to whom
- locative
- where it is; also having — mende bar, "I have it"
- ablative
- where it comes from; also "than" when comparing
The endings are the same ones the pronouns wear — that page explains when each case is used.
With an owner
| One owned | Several owned | |
|---|---|---|
| my | janımmy soul | janlarımmy souls |
| your | janıngyour soul | janlarıngyour souls |
| his / her | janıhis / her soul | janlarıhis / her souls |
| our | janıbızour soul | janlarıbızour souls |
| you all's | janığızyou all's soul | janlarığızyou all's souls |
| their | janlarıtheir soul | janlarıtheir souls |
The overlap in the last rows is real, not a mistake: janları can mean "his / her souls", "their soul", or "their souls" — context decides.