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Everyday Turkish Exclamations with illustrative cartoons that help you understand their meaning Last February our friend John Guise (now emigrated to New Zealand and newly-wed to his childhood sweetheart, Dorothy, who tracked him down via the Internet) provided us with a composite list of everyday Turkish exclamations -- which had been supplied to him by Ms. Burcu Dicle Yıldız. As noted at the time, we'd already addressed several of those exclamations (e.g. The Allah Idioms, Bismillah. etc. -- please see our pages at: http://www.practicalturkish.com/idioms-turkish-a.html and http://www.practicalturkish.com/idioms-turkish-b.html). But, because language-learning-strugglers can always benefit from multiple explications of the Turkish exclamations (since they can have different meanings in different unrelated situations), we included Burcu Hanım's exclamation-list as a supplement to our page at: http://www.practicalturkish.com/sounds-of-specialty-turkish.html. And then, just recently, we came across a couple of newspaper cartoons (both by Ergin Asyalı) that provide even further insight into several of the everyday exclamations in question. Let's have a look at these latest illustrative cartoons (which both appeared in Gözcü Gazetesi -- in different contexts, on separate dates)... Kaygısız Maganda (The Lout) explains the everyday 'Allah Exclamations' Click for enlargement! Thanks to Gözcü Gazetesi, Ergin Asyalı 29 September 2006 In the first panel of the cartoon... The Lout sez: Here in Turkey, we've left all our work (jobs, activities, tasks) to God. For example, before taking on a job we say 'İnşallah'. If we trust in ourselves to do the job, we say 'Evvelallah'. In the second panel, The Lout continues: As we begin any new activity, we say 'Bismallah'. If we give up on an activity, it's 'Eyvallah'. If we are ready to do our utmost to complete a job, we say 'Ya Allah'. In the third panel, The Lout concludes: If we are frustrated, bored, or fed up with a task we say 'Fesupanallah'. When we embrace a task enthusiastically with spirit, we say 'Allah, Allah, Allah'. If we finish a job successfully, we say 'Maşallah'. And if we fail at a job, we say 'Hay Allah'. And, to illustrate further -- The political cartoon below (also by Ergin Asyalı) depicts a frustrated fundamentalist Muslim mullah (and his perplexed young pupil)... At the cartoon's upper left, the symbolic voice of 'Modern Turkey' roars out, "Turkey is secular, and it will remain secular." Upon hearing the thunderous declaration, the mullah (at center) decries, "Won't this contest ever end? I'm fed up to the teeth with it (Fesupanallah)." The Contest between Secularists and Fundamentalists -- Is this Turkey's 'NeverEnding Story'...? Click for enlargement! Thanks to Gözcü Gazetesi, Ergin Asyalı 15 November 2006 Editor's Note: Can either side win outright the 'contest' between Turkish secularists and the religious-right in Turkey? Those in favor of a secular Turkish state remember that, "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." But, that editorial note aside...language-learning-strugglers wishing to more fully understand the everyday 'Allah Exclamations' may want to save (or print) a copy of this and the other, above-mentioned pages.

Related Pages: Allah Exclamations on the 'Idioms Letter-A' page All about 'Bismillah...' Collected 'Allah Exclamations' List

Other Related Pages:

Not An Exception To A Turkish Grammar Rule

Language related pages:
Translating Turkish, the basics Translating Turkish, advanced Essential Turkish Vocabulary Turkish Verbs Essential Idioms, Index Essential Suffixes, Index	Sentence Structure, Standard Sentence Structure Variations Turkish Pronunciation Turkish Accenting Numbers in Turkish Other Turkish Language Difficulties
Unrelated fun: Habibullah and the Great Cannon Caper A simple Turkish 'thing'... Turkish Belly Dancers Gossipy Turkish Who's Who Turkish Conventional and 'Erotik' Movies, Index Politically Incorrect Turkish Humor Turkish Terms Of Endearment

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