Proper nouns are not merely linguistic units used to distinguish the entities they denote from others in communication. They are cultural elements that embody the history of the language in which they are formed, as well as the history, lifestyle, beliefs, customs, and traditions of the nation that uses that language. They are living witnesses to cultural continuity and social memory. Due to these characteristics, onomastics, which has always garnered significant interest, often intersects with various social sciences—such as history, geography, ethnology, folklore, sociology, and anthropology—and even, at times, certain natural sciences.
General Turkic onomastics has achieved notable successes to date. A large number of researchers investigating almost every corner of the Turkic world, along with a vast body of valuable research produced by them, are among these successes. Alongside these achievements, there are significant shortcomings; foremost among them is the absence of an institution to plan and encourage the collection, analysis, and publication of onomastic materials from a common perspective. Another significant deficiency is the lack of a scientific journal where researchers can discuss the problems of the field and publish their scholarly work.
Established in İzmir at the beginning of this year, the "Ad Association" was founded as a result of the needs arising from these shortcomings, and the Adbilim journal was launched to serve as the official publication organ of this association.
Our journal aims to feature theoretical and applied research on the proper nouns (personal names, place names, community names, celestial bodies, flora, fauna, etc.) of Turkic peoples. Furthermore, it will welcome studies that discuss theoretical issues in the field, employ comparative methods to examine naming processes across different languages and cultures, and provide new perspectives through interdisciplinary approaches. We believe that the further development of Turkic onomastics will be possible not only through the collection of data and traditional analysis methods, but also through the advancement of the theories and methods that explain them. Therefore, Adbilim aims to bring together onomasticians working in different countries on a common scientific ground, to evaluate the common onomastic heritage of Turkic peoples from a holistic perspective, and thus to contribute to global onomastics. Our ultimate goal is to be a reputable scientific publication organ where academic freedom is fully exercised, and constructive scientific criticism is transformed into knowledge, without compromising scientific principles.
On the occasion of our inaugural issue, we would like to express our gratitude to all our members who contributed to the establishment of our association and journal, as well as to the scholars and our editorial board whose research articles and peer-review evaluations have made this issue possible. We wish Adbilim great success in contributing to Turkic onomastics, Turkology, and the international world of onomastics, and we hope for its long-lasting scholarly journey.
We respectfully greet all our colleagues and readers at this first step of a new venture and journey.
On behalf of the Ad Association, Prof. Dr. İbrahim ŞAHİN