TOKATLI KÂNÎ’S HUMOROUS LETTER CONTAINING THE WORD and PHRASES of “BAŞ”

Münşeat magazines are literary works that play a crucial role in Ottoman Cultural Studies, history of literature and Ottoman biography. In these münşeat’s, one can often come across with meticulously knitted letters that comprises terms and concept, revolving around the Turkish vocabulary which comprises humorous and witticism elements. In this framework the Münşeat of Kani, a poet, a scribe and an Ottoman Bureaucrat, serves as a great collection of letters, including his diplomatic and personal correspondence, that sheds light on Kânî’s life story and his art. In this collection, there are Kani’s personal letters that takes part in Ottoman prose anthology (Letâif-i İnşâ, Nevâdirü'z-Zürefâ, Numûne-i Edebiyyât-ı Osmâniyye, Müns eât-ı Azîziyye fi Âsâr-ı Osmâniyye). Among these letters, the letter that this study scrutinizes principally focuses on the 'baş' concept. The concept is artfully knitted in proverbial and colloquial patterns while craftily blending with humorous elements. This study scrutinizes this letter in a critical way while comparatively studying the Kânî’s Münşeat written samples and Ottoman prose anthology. The letter which serves as an advisory letter, Kânî craftily exhibits his sensations with regards to loneliness, being in abroad and his opinions about faith along with the prominent place of respect to father in the framework of Ottoman composition. By artfully sprinkling all language playfulness’s into the selected sentences, Kânî has a very prominent place in Ottoman prose and humor history.