Formation of Basic Theological Terms in the Turkmen Language in Central Asia Based on the “Our Father” and “Hail Mary” Prayers

Abstract The paper is the first attempt at theo-linguistic research into the formation of basic theological terms in the Turkmen language based on the “Our Father” and “Hail Mary” prayers. The formation of these basic terms is not yet finished. It is a process known in Christianity since the very beginning to explain the mysteries of the Christian faith in a new language. Often it also changed the original meaning of the existing words. It might be noted that in the Turkmen language the biblical parts of the “Our Father” and the first part of the “Hail Mary” have a relatively established nomenclature. The translation of the second part of the “Hail Mary” is still the work of amateurs, who use the language on a daily basis but have no linguistic training. Certain concepts may, therefore, still evolve.