yanltmak

Yanltmak is a neologism used in speculative linguistics and memory studies to denote the process by which individuals or communities reinterpret past events to fit current beliefs or social norms. The term describes how retellings reorder, reinterpret, or reemphasize elements of memory to create a coherent narrative, often without altering the underlying facts. Researchers treat yanltmak as a gradual, largely nonconscious drift that arises from the interaction of social identity, media exposure, and cognitive biases such as confirmation bias and pattern-seeking.

Etymology and origin: The coinage is fictional and used here to illustrate conceptual analysis in theoretical linguistics. It borrows a Turkic-inspired morphology, with mak as a habitual or infinitive suffix, but has no official standing in any real language. In published discussions, yanltmak may appear with minor variants, such as yanltmak- or yanltmakla, depending on the glossing system.

Applications and significance: The concept is employed to analyze political rhetoric, collective memory, and cultural storytelling, particularly during periods of upheaval or transition. It helps explain why differences persist between archival records and lived memory and how communities reconcile competing narratives through gradual reinterpretation rather than explicit editing.

See also: memory conformity, narrative identity, framing effects, cognitive dissonance, information cascades.