Canlı bir varlık olan dil, hem biçim hem anlam yönünden değişmeler yaşayan bir unsurdur. Kullanılan araç gereçlerdeki gelişmeler, inançların ve yaşam koşullarının değişmesi, başka dillerden etkilenmeler, savaşlar, göçler dili değişime uğratan etkenlerden bazılarıdır.  Bu değişimlere paralel olarak bir dil birimi olan sözcüklerde de anlam değişmeleri kapsamında anlam daralması, anlam genişlemesi, başka anlama geçiş gibi anlam olayları meydana gelmektedir. Anlam daralması, sözcüklerin zaman içinde bir veya birkaç anlamını yitirmesi ya da genel anlamdan özel anlama geçmesi; anlam genişlemesi, sözcüklerin zamanla yeni anlamlar kazanması veya özel anlamdan genel anlama geçmesi; başka anlama geçiş ise sözcüklerin var olan anlamlarının zaman içinde değişmesi demektir. Bir süreç içinde meydana gelen bu anlam değişmeleri art zamanlı olarak incelenir.             Dil ve edebiyat çalışmalarında sözcüklerin anlam bakımından geçirdiği değişimleri görmek, incelenen metni doğru anlama ve yorumlama bakımından oldukça önemli bir husustur. Biz de art zamanlı anlam değişmelerinin tespit edilmesinin önemine binaen bu makalemizde 16. yüzyıla ait olan ve mensur Yusuf kıssası ile manzum dinȋ hikâyelerden oluşan Cevahirü’l-Ahbar fi Hasayili’l-Ahyar adlı bir yazma eseri esas alıp bu eserde geçen bazı kelimelerin günümüz Türkiye Türkçesine kadar geçirdiği anlam değişmelerini sunacağız. Ancak sadece bu esere bağlı kalmayarak Dede Korkut, Marzubanname, Harneme, Tarama Sözlüğü, Derleme Sözlüğü, Kamus-ı Türki, Osmanlıca-Türkçe Sözlük, Lehçe-i Osmani ve Türkçe Sözlük’ten de örnekler vereceğiz. Makalemiz 16. yüzyıldan günümüze anlam değişmeleri konusunda bir inceleme örneğidir.ABSTRACTAs a living organism, language undergoes changes both in form and meaning. Developments in the tools and equipments people use, changing beliefs and living conditions, exposure to other languages, wars and migrations are some of the factors that cause changes in language. In line with these changes, also words, as a unit of language, go through semantic events such as semantic narrowing, semantic extension and semantic shift as part of semantic changes. Semantic narrowing refers to a type of semantic change by which a word loses one or multiple meanings, or shifts to a specific meaning from general meaning over time; semantic extension refers to the process through which words gain new meanings, or shifts to general meanings from specific meanings over time; and semantic shift refers to a change in the meaning of a word over time. These semantic changes occurring within a process are analysed diachronically. In linguistic and literary studies, identifying the semantic changes that words undergo is highly important to understand and interpret texts correctly. Considering the significance of identifying diachronic semantic changes, this paper analyses a manuscript called Cevahirü’l-Ahbar fi Hasayili’l-Ahyar that was written in the 16th century and contains the parable of Joseph written in prose as well as poetic religious stories, and reveal the semantic changes that some of the words in this manuscript underwent until the present day Turkey Turkish. However, the study does not stick to only this work and also presents examples from Dede Qorqud, Marzubanname, Harname, Tarama Dictionary, Compilation Dictionary, Kamus-ı Türki, Ottoman Turkish-Turkish Dictionary, Lehƈe-i Osmanî and Turkish Dictionary. The paper provides an analysis of semantic changes since the 16th century to the present day.     

As a living organism, language undergoes changes both in form and meaning. Developments in the tools and equipments people use, changing beliefs and living conditions, exposure to other languages, wars and migrations are some of the factors that cause changes in language. In line with these changes, also words, as a unit of language, go through semantic events such as semantic narrowing, semantic extension and semantic shift as part of semantic changes. Semantic narrowing refers to a type of semantic change by which a word loses one or multiple meanings, or shifts to a specific meaning from general meaning over time; semantic extension refers to the process through which words gain new meanings, or shifts to general meanings from specific meanings over time; and semantic shift refers to a change in the meaning of a word over time. These semantic changes occurring within a process are analysed diachronically. In linguistic and literary studies, identifying the semantic changes that words undergo is highly important to understand and interpret texts correctly. Considering the significance of identifying diachronic semantic changes, this paper analyses a manuscript called Cevahirü’l-Ahbar fi Hasayili’l-Ahyar that was written in the 16th century and contains the parable of Joseph written in prose as well as poetic religious stories, and reveal the semantic changes that some of the words in this manuscript underwent until the present day Turkey Turkish. However, the study does not stick to only this work and also presents examples from Dede Qorqud, Marzubanname, Harname, Tarama Dictionary, Compilation Dictionary, Kamus-ı Türki, Ottoman Turkish-Turkish Dictionary, Lehƈe-i Osmanî and Turkish Dictionary. The paper provides an analysis of semantic changes since the 16th century to the present day.