Demir-

Demirkol is ‘iron arm’: someone whose arm is as strong as iron. The name shows well how demir works in first position. The name of the metal lends hardness and endurance to the second element.

The Güncel Türkçe Sözlük lists demir first as the metal. Its figurative use is common too: demir gibi ‘like iron’ means ‘very solid, strong’. In Old Turkic the word had the form temir or temür. The modern form arose when word-initial t became d.

This two-syllable noun does not change shape in a compound. Its own vowels are front vowels, but a back-vowel element may follow it: Demirkan, Demirhan. Endings added later agree with the last element. One says Demirkan’ın, but Demirel’in.

The centre of meaning is the second element, which demir qualifies. Demirtaş is ‘iron stone’, Demirkaya ‘iron rock’ and Demirdağ ‘iron mountain’. In these three the idea of hardness is stressed twice. Demiralp means ‘hero firm as iron’ and Demirhan ‘iron khan’. Demirbağ is explained as ‘iron bond, an unbreakable tie’. In Demiröz the second element is öz, so the surname reads ‘the core of iron’ or ‘iron core’.

In two names the second element can be explained in two ways. The kan of Demirkan is usually read as ‘blood’; some writers link it with the title han ‘khan’, a view that is disputed. The el of Demirel may be read as ‘hand’ or connected with the old word el ‘country, people’. Sources do not agree on a single reading for this name.

Some common names that start with these letters are not compounds. Demirci is built from demir with the occupational suffix -ci and means ‘blacksmith’. Demircioğlu adds -oğlu to that word. Demirbaş is a headword of its own, ‘fixture, item of inventory’. Demirli is formed with -li, and Demirler with the plural suffix.

Demir is also frequent at the end of surnames; names such as Özdemir and Aydemir are covered on the -demir page.