ananalar

Ananalar is the Turkish plural form of ana, the word for mother. The term can refer to mothers collectively within a family or community, or be used more poetically to describe motherhood as a social or cultural concept. In modern Turkish, the standard word for mother is anne; ana is older or literary and appears mainly in idioms, historical texts, or poetic contexts.

Etymology and grammar: Ana originates from older Turkic roots and remains a native Turkish word for mother. Ananalar is formed by adding the plural suffix -lar to ana. Other inflected forms follow Turkish declension patterns: ananaların (genitive/plural), ananaları (accusative), ananalarında (locative/plural), etc. In everyday speech, the term ana is less common than anne for referring to one’s mother.

Usage and cultural context: In Turkish literature and folklore, ananalar can be used to evoke maternal figures or to describe motherhood as a social group. The term may appear in discussions of family life, kinship, or cultural memory, rather than in casual conversation. Its use tends to be more historical, poetic, or formal.

Related terms: anne (modern standard for mother) and analık (motherhood).