INTRODUCTION. 
/ 
its signification. The language, therefore, con¬ 
sists not of individual words, hut of whole 
phrases ; and a flower or fruit expresses an idea 
suggested by the word with which its name 
happens to rhyme. Thus, for instance, the word 
Armonde (Pear) rhymes among other words 
with Omonde (hope) ; and this rhyme is filled 
up as follows :—“ Armonde — Wer bana bir 
Omonde (Pear—Let me not despair). 
The Turkish dialect, being rich in rhymes, 
presents a multitude of words corresponding in 
sound with the names of flowers, or any other 
objects that may be selected ; but these rhymes 
are not all admitted into the language of flowers, 
and the knowledge of this language consists in 
being acquainted with the proper rhyme. The 
vocabulary is not extensive, for the whole lan¬ 
guage scarcely exceeds a hundred signs and 
phrases. The celebrated orientalist, Mr. von 
Hammer, collected from the Greek and Ar¬ 
menian women who are permitted to visit the 
harems many of the phrases of this curious 
language, which have been published, with a 
French and German translation, in the Mis¬ 
cellany entitled, “ Mines of the East.” 
