The Origins of the Székely People
Historical Linguistic Research into the Origins and Eastern Connections of the Székely People
A lecture by Dr Hakan Aydemir
with the participation of Dr Éva Csáki
About the Lecture
The Origins of the Székely People explores the origins of the Székely people and their possible Eastern connections through the methods of historical linguistics.
In his research, Turkish linguist Dr Hakan Aydemir examines ethnonyms, historical sources and geographical data to trace possible connections in the early history of the Székely people, from Inner Asia to the Carpathian Basin.
One of the starting points for this research is the work of linguist and Turkologist Dr Éva Csáki and several decades of scholarship on Hungarian–Turkish linguistic and cultural connections. By bringing together linguistic history, historical sources and Eastern cultural connections, the lecture presents one possible approach to understanding the early history of the Székely people.
The Speakers
Dr Hakan Aydemir
Turkish Linguist and University Professor
A Turkish linguist, researcher and university professor, Dr Hakan Aydemir studied in Ankara and Heidelberg and completed his doctoral dissertation at Heidelberg University. During his academic career, he has also conducted research and taught in China and the United States. His main fields of research include historical linguistics, the history of the Turkic languages, and linguistic connections among the peoples of Eurasia. In his research into the origins of the Székely people, he combines the analysis of historical sources, ethnonyms and geographical data.
Dr Éva Csáki
Linguist and Turkologist
A linguist and Turkologist specialising in Hungarian–Turkish linguistic and cultural connections, Dr Éva Csáki’s research focuses particularly on the Turkic connections of the Hungarian language and the points of contact between Hungarian and Turkish folk cultures. Her academic and teaching career has been closely connected with Turkey as well as Hungary. It was through her scholarly encouragement that Hakan Aydemir began his historical linguistic research into the origins and Eastern connections of the Székely people.
Tracing Eastern Connections
Research into the Eastern connections of Hungarian culture spans multiple disciplines and generations of scholars. From Béla Bartók’s folk music collections in Turkey, through the linguistic and ethnomusicological research of Dr Éva Csáki and Dr János Sipos, to the historical linguistic studies of Dr Hakan Aydemir, the same question continues to emerge: what historical, linguistic and cultural connections link Hungarians to the peoples of Eastern Eurasia?
The Origins of the Székely People forms part of this continuing research tradition. By bringing together findings from different academic disciplines, the lecture contributes to the exploration of a question that remains open today and has been part of Hungarian historical and cultural thought for centuries.