Or 16143

This volume contains a Persian-Ottoman Turkish encyclopaedic dictionary by Riyazi Mehmed Efendi (died 1054 AH/1644 CE). The work is not to be confused with Katib Çelebi’s short treatise of the same name.

Riyazi Mehmed was a pupil of Ebüssuud Efendi (died 982/1574), a religious scholar in his own right, and an accomplished poet and man of letters. He was best known for his Tezkire of 400 poets and his Divan. He was born in 980 AH/1572 in Mecca, where his father was a kadı. After completing his medrese education, he served as a müderris in various institutions beginning in 1010 AH/1601 CE, and beginning in 1022 AH/1613 CE, as a kadı in locations across the Empire. He retired in Cemaziyülahır 1034 AH/March 1624 CE, and died on 29 Sefer 1054 AH/May 7 1644 CE (see Açikgöz, ‘Riyâzî’).

Riyazi Mehmed composed the Düsturü’l-amel in around 1016 AH/1607 CE. The work defines and/or explains 1050 Persian phrases and expressions in Ottoman Turkish. Points of Persian grammar are also elucidated in several cases. The phrases and expressions are illustrated by verses from Persian poets.

Düsturü’l-amel is divided into numerous bablar according to the alphabetical order of the initial letter and vocalization of the first word of the phrase; thus the first phrase begins with Āb der dehānesh āmed. The work ends with the word Yūgh.

Begins:

Besmele, Sipas-i feravan o Mütekellim-i bi-zebana erzanidir ki ifa-yi sana-yı bi-payan için her dehana bir lisan ve her lisana bir beyan verdi ... Babü’l-Elif el-meftuha: Āb der dehānesh āmed, Ağzı sulandı. Kemal-ı İsfehani, Nazm: Chū dīd ṭal‘at-i khaṣm turuş liqāyat-rā * niyam-i tīgh-i tu-rā āb der dehān āmed. O ṣuyạ āb-ı hasret derler

Other contents of this work include an Arabic poem in twelve couplets on 1r, headed Kaside mühmeletü’l-huruf noktasız but in fact copied in fully vocalized nesih. On 53v, there is an anecdote in Arabic concerning a man's desire to eat a francolin (derrac) flying overhead.

The work is dated 1161 AH/1747 CE.