To describe an action happening chaotically, everywhere, and all at once by a large group, Turkish uses a highly expressive double participle pattern.
The Chaotic Abundance Pattern: Take the Subject Relative Participle (verb stem + -(y)an / -(y)en) and follow it immediately with the same participle in the Dative case (-a / -e).
For example, alan alana (literally "buyer to buyer") is used to mean "people are buying left and right."
The Shopping Frenzy
This pattern is perfect for describing massive sales where crowds swarm an aisle (reyon) for a bargain (kelepir).
| At the sale aisle, people are buying left and right. | İndirimdeki reyonda alan alana. |
| People are eyeing the bargain items left and right; in the store, they are buying left and right. | Kelepir ürünleri gören görene, mağazada alan alana. |
Snatching and Tugging
When a crowd (kalabalık) acts wildly (çılgınca), reciprocal verbs like kapışmak (to scramble for / snatch up) and çekiştirmek (to tug) fit seamlessly into this double pattern to describe physical chaos.
| People are snatching left and right in the store, everyone is shouting. | Mağazada kapışan kapışana, herkes bağırıyor. |
| At the sale, people are tugging at the clothes left and right. | İndirimde kıyafetleri çekiştiren çekiştirene. |
Opportunists and Looting
In more extreme scenarios, you might see an opportunist (fırsatçı) looting (yağmalamak) items as if they were spoils of war or loot (ganimet).
| People are looting the shop left and right. | Dükkânı yağmalayan yağmalayana. |
| Everyone had found a loot; people are tugging at the bags left and right. | Herkes bir ganimet bulmuştu, poşetleri çekiştiren çekiştirene. |
Total Panic
To describe a place of absolute chaos, Turkish speakers use the phrase mahşer yeri (literally "doomsday place," but used to mean a madhouse). In a panic, people will scatter or flee (kaçışmak).
| The store is like a madhouse; people are shouting left and right. | Mağaza mahşer yeri gibi, bağıran bağırana. |
| The square was like a madhouse; people are fleeing in panic left and right. | Meydan mahşer yeri gibiydi, panikle kaçışan kaçışana. |
| The fire started; people are scattering left and right in the building. | Yangın başladı, binada kaçışan kaçışana. |