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A modest Estağfurullah

We paraphrase our giant-sized Redhouse Turkish to English Dictionary that gives the meaning of this tongue-twisting Turkish word as...

Estağfurullah; Don't mention it; don't say so; not at all.
And it's pronounced: eh-STAH-foo-rool-lah



Around where we live it's used [modestly] by Person B in response to Person A's expression of (excessive) thanks or (high) praise --
or
by Person B in response to Person A's self-critical remarks.

For example...

Person A: I can't thank you enough, Person B...
You saved my life!
Person B: Estağfurullah, Person A. Don't mention it.
I'm glad I could help...


Ahmet: You speak Turkish like a native, Maureen...
I'm very impressed.
Maureen: Estağfurullah, Ahmet...
Don't say such a thing. Perhaps one day...

Marvin: I was such an idiot, Mabel...
for dropping my false teeth into your bowl of soup.
Mabel: Estağfurullah, Marvin. Not at all...
They added a special tang to the broth. burp ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸,ø¤°



And Kathryn K likes it especially for its
Turkish crowd-pleasing attributes.
She says...

"My all time favorite heart-melting Turkish expression is 'estağfurullah'. It's original Ottoman meaning was, I ask the pardon of God -- and it was used to convey the idea, I'm sorry, but it's true...

Nowadays, of course, it can be used to show modesty,
while accepting someone's compliments...
Once, when I was in a supermarket check-out line, I struck up a conversation with the cashier who praised my Turkish --
to which I replied 'estağfurullah'.
The elderly gentleman in line behind me overheard and
interrupted politely to ask how I'd learned the expression.
When I was able to specify its Ottoman roots,
he showered me with even more praise...
(this time about my  'complete and accurate knowledge')
to which I again replied
'estağfurullah'.
My second correct usage of the word
(in the space of less than a minute)
brought smiles and nods of approval from the man, the cashier --
and everyone else within eavesdropping distance !

You can not miss with this word...
I teach it to all my recently arrived foreign friends.
"



And when (in June 2003) the American ambassador to Turkey was caught on video-tape using this word correctly at an informal gathering of Turkish well-wishers, well by golly,
it made the Evening News
on every major Turkish TV channel...
all gushing in praise of
his Turkish fluency.


To which we say...
rule estağfurullah!
Language-Learning Related Pages:
  • Translating Turkish, the basics
  • Essential Turkish Vocabulary
  • Turkish Verbs
  • Essential Idioms, Index
  • Essential Suffixes, Index
  • Sentence Structure, Standard
  • Turkish Pronunciation
  • Turkish Accenting
  • Numbers in Turkish
  • Other Turkish Difficulties
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