özgün

Özgün is a Turkish adjective that denotes originality, authenticity, or a distinctive quality that is inherent to something rather than copied. It is used to describe ideas, works of art, designs, or styles that express novelty or uniqueness in concept or execution. The term also conveys genuineness or intrinsic character.

Etymology and usage notes: The word is built on the Turkish root öz, meaning self or essence, emphasizing a quality that originates from the thing itself. Özgün is commonly used in academic, cultural, and media contexts to praise originality and distinguish original work from imitation or copying. A related noun is özgünlük, which means originality or authenticity.

Common collocations include özgün fikir (original idea), özgün tasarım (original design), özgün sanat (original art), and özgünlük (the quality of being original). It can be contrasted with orijinal, another Turkish term meaning original in a broader sense; özgün often carries a nuance of intrinsic novelty and distinctiveness rather than simply being the first in a sequence or a faithful reproduction.

Grammatical notes: Özgün is an attributive adjective and, like other Turkish adjectives, precedes the noun it modifies and is not capitalized unless it appears at the beginning of a sentence or in a title. The term is widely used in cultural criticism, journalism, branding, and everyday speech to commend originality and authenticity.