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Drop by drop, a lake is formed.

Turkish proverb

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This Turkish proverb is very old: a form of it, tama tama köl bolur, appears in the Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk, the dictionary of Turkic languages that Mahmud al-Kashgari compiled in the 1070s. It means that small amounts, patiently added up, become something large, and it is said about saving money, learning or any slow, steady effort. English says 'many a little makes a mickle', and French 'little by little, the bird builds its nest'.

Türkçe oku
Damlaya damlaya göl olur.
Türk atasözü

Çok eski bir Türk atasözüdür: Kaşgarlı Mahmud'un 1070'lerde derlediği Dîvânu Lugâti't-Türk'te “tama tama köl bolur” biçiminde geçer. Küçük birikimlerin sabırla bir araya gelince büyük bir şeye dönüştüğünü anlatır; para biriktirmekten bir şey öğrenmeye kadar, yavaş ama düzenli her çaba için söylenir. İngilizcede “many a little makes a mickle” (azar azar çok olur), Fransızcada “petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid” (kuş yuvasını azar azar yapar) denir.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk
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