Nam-ı Kemal jokes () are a variety of dirty jokes in

Turkish folk literature Turkish folk literature is an oral tradition deeply rooted, in its form, in Anatolian traditions. However, in its themes, Turkish folk literature reflects the problems peculiar to a settling (or settled) people who have abandoned the nomadic life ...

that originated during the

Ottoman era The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Central Euro ...

. In the archaic

Ottoman Turkish language Ottoman Turkish (, ; ) was the standardized register (sociolinguistics), register of the Turkish language in the Ottoman Empire (14th to 20th centuries CE). It borrowed extensively, in all aspects, from Arabic and Persian language, Persian. It ...

, the phrase ''nam-ı Kemal'' means " mannamed Kemal", i.e. a generic and unconventionally humorous everyman. However, due to the phrase's vocal similarity with the name of one of the most foremost figures in

Turkish literature Turkish literature () comprises oral compositions and written texts in the Turkish language. The Ottoman form of Turkish, which forms the basis of much of the written corpus, was highly influenced by Persian and Arabic literature,Bertold Sp ...

, the poet and playwright

Namık Kemal Namık Kemal (, ; ; 21 December 1840 – 2 December 1888) was an Ottoman writer, poet, democrat, intellectual, reformer, journalist, playwright, and political activist who was influential in the formation of the Young Ottomans and their stru ...

(1840–1888), the jokes underwent an evolution. With the growing obscurity of Ottoman terms among most speakers of modern Turkish, "nam-ı Kemal jokes" became, more often than not, "Namık Kemal jokes", an example of a

mondegreen A mondegreen () is a mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase in a way that gives it a new meaning. "A misunderstood or misinterpreted word or phrase resulting from a mishearing, esp. of the lyrics to a song". Mondegreens are most often create ...

. The obscenity of the "nam-ı Kemal jokes" tradition is based mainly on

phallic A phallus (: phalli or phalluses) is a penis (especially when erect), an object that resembles a penis, or a mimetic image of an erect penis. In art history, a figure with an erect penis is described as ''ithyphallic''. Any object that symbo ...

exaggerations.

References

Off-color humor Culture of Turkey {{Turkey-culture-stub