Notes: Episode 2

This post includes some notes and explanations for Episode 2. As always, feel free to let us know anything else that you want to be explained.

Your requests will be noted and explained either within the comments section or in a seperate post.

Hope you enjoy reading it.

ALLAH ALLAH

I am sure that if you live on this earth, you know the meaning of Allah. But for our viewers from other galaxies, Allah is what the God or Creator is called in Islam religion.

"Allah Allah" however, is an expression of surprise in Turkish.

SELİM: I thought we might even go abroad for a few days, when we get back.

SELİM: Because, after that I'll have to get back to work.

REŞAT: Allah allah. I didn't know about that.

As seen in the example above. Reşat is suprised to hear that Selim wants to get back to work, and expresses his suprisement with "Allah Allah".

AY

In Turkish "Ay" means "Moon".

The English pronoun "I" and Turkish word "Ay" are pronounced exactly the same.

Other than that, "Ay" also used as expressions of pain (similar to "Ouch"). When someone gets hurt, he or she can say "Ay! Çok acıdı" which means "Ouch! It hurt".

And there is one other use of Ay which is more common amongst women. Adding "Ay" or "Ayol" to beginning of a sentence is Turkish women's way of adding emotion(which is generally a complaint or suprisement) to a sentence. Well, and sometimes it's used eventhough it doesn't add any emotion, just as an habit.

Since this isn't a written rule of Turkish language, we choose not to include this word in our translations, unless it is used in meaning of "Moon".

So now you'll know what it means, when next time you hear the characters (especially Mukaddes) say "Ay" (pronounced as 'I' in English).

EYVAHLAR OLSUN

This is one of Mukaddes' signature phrases. Mukaddes says "Eyvahlar Olsun" a lot, upon getting unpleasant news. She uses the phrase to express her feelings and thoughts which range between "It's very bad news to hear" and "We're screwed now!".

DOCTOR: She will tell us too if she can talk, but...

DOCTOR: For now, we just need to wait.

DOCTOR: We had to give her heavy sedatives.

MUKADDES: Eyvahlar olsun!

MUKADDES: See what happened Rahmi.

As seen in the example, Mukaddes saying Eyvahlar Olsun, after she came to the hospital and heard about Fatmagül's situation from the doctor. You can't tell though, whether she doesn't like the news because she is worried about Fatmagül or that she is worried about the reputation of their family in the town.

FATMAGÜL and ROSE

We explained it in the comments section, but for everyone to be able to read it we'll share it here as well.

"Gül" means "Rose" in Türkish, and that's why Rahmi calls his sister "Gülüm" sometimes, which means "My rose".

And her name is Fatmagül. Not Fatma.

Fatma and Fatmagül are just different names. And Fatmagül isn't the only name that is derived by adding a flower name to another name.

We also have: Ayşegül, Nurgül, Şengül... :)

DRINKING WITH MOUTH, KARAGÖZ and HACIVAT

There was this dialogue between at the dinner table:

PERIHAN: The youth! As if you never did such things in your youth.

REŞAT: I didn't, in all honesty.

REŞAT: I always knew how to drink with my mouth.

PERIHAN: Shouldn't he have fun in his own engagement party now, come on!

PERIHAN: They're father and son, like Karagöz and Hacivat...

PERIHAN: always picking on each other.

By saying "I knew how to drink with my mouth" Reşat Yaşaran criticising his son for not knowing how to drink properly. And saying "I always know how to drink with my mouth" he claims that he drinks it properly, not more than he can handle, unlike Selim.

As you see, "Drinking with mouth" is a way of saying "Drinking properly" in Turkish. Although I don't know what else you can drink with, other than a mouth...

Karagöz and Hacivat (Blackeye and Hacivad) are the lead characters of the traditional Turkish shadow play, popularized during the Ottoman period. The central theme of the plays are the contrasting interaction between the two main characters: Karagöz represents the illiterate but straightforward public, whereas Hacivat belongs to the educated class, speaking Ottoman Turkish and using a poetical and literary language. Karagöz's native wit always gets the better of Hacivat's learning (but his money-making ventures always fail). (source: wikipedia)

After Reşat's criticism towards his son, Perihan draws attention to the resemblance between "the son and father" and the fictional characters "Karagöz and Hacivat"; since they keep picking on each other like Karagöz and Hacivat.

JANDARMA / GENDARMERIE

Basically gendarmerie/jandarma is a military body charged with police duties in rural areas and small towns where the police forces can't reach.

PERUŞ

This is how Reşat called in the morning to wake his wife, Perihan, up.

I guess it can be called a diminutive. I don't know an example of this in English, but our Dutch friends will understand when I say, adding "-uş" to a name in Turkish is like adding "-tje" to a word in Dutch.

So, saying Peruş instead of Perihan is like calling her "Little Perihan", I guess.

REŞAT: Perihan...

REŞAT: Peruş...

REŞAT: Come on, get up. Our guests are probably already awake.

PERIHAN: I'm so tired. Just a little longer.

ZIKKIM (Zaqqum, Zakkum)


Zıkkım is a tree that Muslims believe grows in Hell. It's said to be poisonous, and the only thing you can find and eat there.

It's also said that "Zıkkım" is derived from "Zakkum" (Rosebay), it is a flower whose roots are indeed poisonous.

I've seen it in Turkey in white and pink colors. Beautiful flower for a poisonous one.
So as you can tell from the below examples, saying "eat zıkkım" is an ill wish, a cursing phrase.

ERDOĞAN: While he's over there enjoying himself with his fiancée and father-in-law.
ERDOĞAN: Having breakfast!
ERDOĞAN: Eat zıkkım!

MÜNİR: God damn you!
SELİM: We were so drunk, Dayı.
MÜNİR: Drink zıkkım!



I think this is all for this episode. At least for now :)