THREAD: Turkish honorifics and their nuances

Sayin: most formal; coined in early 20th c; gender-neutral, used only with/always precedes last name; most frequent usage at ceremonies, on airport announcements, and in invites; conveys tremendous respect if used out of such context

2. Bay-Bayan (m-f): coined in early 20th century; formal; elegant; gender-specific; used with/precedes last name; old-fashioned when written in lieu of “sayin”; dropping usage in recent years; can be pejorative if attached to first name, implying person is foreigner or from 1920s

3. Bey-Hanim (m-f): literally sir-ma’am; traditional; from Ottoman-era; gender-specific; used with/follows first name; easy; warm; displacing “bay-bayan”; can imply relaxed formality or sarcasm, depending on context, if used with last name; most common; what everyone is

4. Beyefendi-Hanimefendi (m-f): literally lord-lady; classy; often used without name to convey politeness and distance; but can suggest deeper respect if with name; follows name; common in service sector; polite way to refer to someone in their absence; what everyone wants to be

5. Efendi-Hanim (m-f): often reserved for Christians in historic novels; helps drop class innuendo; Downtown Abbey; always with first name; comes after first name; can suggest, with stiff-upper-lip “warmth”, that addressee is lower rank/class; rude if without name; provincial

6. Kucukbey-Kucukhanim: literally little lord-lady; proper way to address children of adults considered beyefendi-hanimefendi; can lead to spoiled behavior ; most common in 1950s films; can be snarky if used by parents to address their kids; but warm if used by grandparents

7. Amca-Teyze (m-f): literally paternal uncle-maternal aunt; for addressing strangers; can be bossy/low-class if not followed by name; but warm if with name; follows name; acceptable in kid speech, even without name; cozy if used with profession (ie butcher “amca”/tailor “teyze”)

8. Dayi-Hala (m-f): literally maternal uncle-paternal aunt; used when addressing strangers; terse; hierarchy; can mean “take a step back”; conveys compassion, if also hinting at superiority, when used with name; follows name; not acceptable in kid speech; country; uber informal

9. Abi-Abla (m-f): literally older brother-sister; street (and often direct) when addressing strangers; but conveys warmth with friends; and informality with colleagues; acceptable for kids to use with strangers who aren’t yet “amca” or “teyze”; compliments to your age if you’re