A Learner's Dictionary of Kazakh Idioms

by Akmaral Mukan, Akmaral Mukan (Contribution by)

Overview

Kazakh, a Turkic language that uses Cyrillic script, is the official state language of Kazakhstan and is also spoken by people in parts of China, Russia, and neighboring Central Asian countries. This unique learner’s dictionary features simple definitions, literal translations, English equivalents, full example sentences, and grammar and usage for over 2,000 Kazakh idioms.

As students progress to the upper-intermediate and advanced levels of language learning, they come in contact with cultural concepts embedded in simple words that they have learned as part of everyday vocabulary. Thus, they expand their vocabulary into idiomatic expressions. Upper-intermediate and advanced learners of Kazakh will find this extensive reference work useful to understand those culturally bound idioms.

Idioms in this reference volume are organized into categories—the human body, food, clothing, color, number, animals, and nature—that best represent the topics on which language learners focus at the beginning and intermediate levels of language study. Five indexes make finding the idiom you want—by idiom, keyword, or expression in both Kazakh and English—easier.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781589018815
Publisher:	Georgetown University Press
Publication date:	04/06/2012
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.90(h) x 1.10(d)
Language:	Kazakh
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Akmaral Mukan is a lead curriculum specialist at CyraCom International, where she develops translation and interpretation training programs. She has taught Kazakh and English at universities in Kazakhstan and the United States. She is the author of the University of Arizona's Critical Languages Series for Intermediate and Advanced Kazakh. She has developed and reviewed Kazakh language testing materials for Avant Assessment and Defense Language Institute, provided Russian and Kazakh translation and interpretation for US government agencies and European organizations, and managed educational outreach programs for the US State Department in Kazakhstan.

Table of Contents

Introduction The Dictionary

The BodyArm and Hand EarEye FaceHead Heart and LungLeg and foot Liver and Kidney Miscellaneous Mouth NeckNose Torso

Clothing

ColorBlack Blue Brown GrayMulticolorRed WhiteYellow

Food

Humans and Their Kin

Life and Death

Livestock with Beasts and Birds Beasts and Birds CamelCowDogHorseSheep and Goat

Mind and the Intellect

Miscellaneous

NatureFireMountains and RocksThe EarthThe Sky and the StarsThe Sun and the MoonWater

NumbersOne TwoThree and FourFiveSixSeven Eight and NineTen and TwelveThirtyFortyFifty and SixtyNinety, Hundred, and a Thousand

The Power of the Word

Soul and Spirit SoulSpirit

Yurt References and Further Reading

IndexesKazakh IdiomsEnglish Idioms Kazakh Key Words English Key WordsKazakh Expressions

What People are Saying About This

William Fierman

This is a valuable reference book and tool that will greatly help intermediate and advanced students learn one of the most interesting yet challenging aspects of Kazakh. The book’s index makes it convenient to search for idioms. Literal translation, along with arrangement by keyword and general topic, make the book interesting for those not studying Kazakh but wanting to gain insights into the Kazakh worldview.

From the Publisher

"This is a valuable reference book and tool that will greatly help intermediate and advanced students learn one of the most interesting yet challenging aspects of Kazakh. The book's index makes it convenient to search for idioms. Literal translation, along with arrangement by keyword and general topic, make the book interesting for those not studying Kazakh but wanting to gain insights into the Kazakh worldview."—William Fierman, Indiana University

Editorial Reviews

This is a valuable reference book and tool that will greatly help intermediate and advanced students learn one of the most interesting yet challenging aspects of Kazakh. The book’s index makes it convenient to search for idioms. Literal translation, along with arrangement by keyword and general topic, make the book interesting for those not studying Kazakh but wanting to gain insights into the Kazakh worldview.

William Fierman