lalelerin

Lale means tulip in Turkish. Laleler is the plural form, and lalelerin is the genitive plural, meaning "of the tulips" or "the tulips’." This inflection is used to express possession or association, as in lalelerin bahçesi (the tulips’ garden) or lalelerin renkleri (the colors of the tulips).

Etymology and history: The Turkish lale originated from Persian laleh and entered Turkish through Ottoman Turkish. Tulips have held cultural significance in Turkey for centuries, culminating in the era known as the Lale Devri or Tulip Era in the early 18th century, a period associated with courtly gardens and artistic exchange.

Taxonomy and horticulture: Tulips belong to the genus Tulipa and are bulbous flowering plants cultivated for ornamental use. In Turkey and elsewhere, laleler are grown in gardens and fields, and the term appears frequently in horticultural writing, poetry, and signage to evoke the color and beauty of spring.

See also: Lale (tulip); Turkish language morphology; Lale Devri.