Breakdown of Hain, onuru pahasına krala meydan okuyordu.
kral
king
pahasına
at the cost of
hain
traitor
onur
honor
Questions & Answers about Hain, onuru pahasına krala meydan okuyordu.
How does the word pahasına break down to mean "at the cost of"?
The root is paha, meaning "price" or "value". It takes the compound/possessive suffix -sı, the buffer letter -n-, and the dative case -a (which gives the sense of "at" or "to"). So, pahasına essentially translates to "at its price."
Why is there an -u on the end of onur (honor)?
The -u is the 3rd person singular possessive suffix, making it "his honor." When using pahasına to talk about sacrificing something that belongs to a specific person, you attach the matching possessive suffix to that noun. If you were talking about your own honor, it would be onurum pahasına (at the cost of my honor).
Why is the king in the dative case (krala) if he is the one being defied?
This is due to the requirements of the verb phrase meydan okumak. In Turkish, you don't challenge a direct object; you issue a challenge to someone. Therefore, the target of the defiance always takes the dative case (-a or -e).
What is the literal meaning behind the idiom meydan okumak?
It literally translates to "to read the square" or "to call out to the square." Meydan refers to a public square, open space, or battlefield. Historically, stepping into the town square and calling out your opponent's name was how you initiated a public duel or battle, which is how the phrase came to mean "to challenge" or "to defy."