cevap

Cevap is a Turkish noun meaning "answer" or "response." It denotes both the content of a response and the act of answering. In everyday language, it appears in questions and replies, exams, interviews, and dialogues. Common phrases include cevap vermek (to answer), cevap almak (to receive an answer), and cevap vermeye çalışmak (to try to answer).

Etymology and cognates: Cevap comes from the Arabic jawab (جواب), meaning "answer," via Persian and Ottoman Turkish. Related forms exist in other Turkic languages, notably Azerbaijani cavab, reflecting regional phonological differences. The word’s semantic range is closely tied to communication and clarification.

Forms and grammar: The plural form is cevaplar. Possessive and case forms include cevabı (its/your/the answer as a direct object), cevabın (your answer), and cevaplara (to/into the answers). The verb form cevap vermek means "to give an answer." In formal writing, cevap can be used in fixed expressions such as "cevap dilekçesi" (the answer petition) in legal contexts.

Usage notes: Cevap is widely used in everyday Turkic speech and writing. It tends to be a general term for a response, while yanıt is often considered more formal or technical and may appear in official or analytical prose. The word is also used in education, media, and public discourse to refer to replies to questions, objections, or challenges.

See also: yanıt; cevaplar; cevap dilekçesi.