http://www.elifbatuman.net/2008/11/25/who-is-that-bearded-man/ "Writing is utter solitude, the descent into the cold abyss of oneself." Franz Kafka Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:22:40 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 http://www.elifbatuman.net/2008/11/25/who-is-that-bearded-man/comment-page-1/#comment-767 SW Foska Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:34:00 +0000 http://www.elifbatuman.net/?p=339#comment-767 "Muteferrika" seems to mean all kinds of things, deriving from 'muteferrik', separated, sundry. A muteferrika could be, as you say, a police corps, more mundanely 'the department of a police station dealing with petty offences, licences, &c., or more grandly 'a sort of young nobleman's club, where the sons of effendis, paşas and other notables got together. They often accompanied the sultan when he went out hunting.' So rather like German 'Abteilung' it can apply to various divisions of things. Some websites say Ibrahim was more like someone's 'head of household'. “Muteferrika” seems to mean all kinds of things, deriving from ‘muteferrik’, separated, sundry. A muteferrika could be, as you say, a police corps, more mundanely ‘the department of a police station dealing with petty offences, licences, &c., or more grandly ‘a sort of young nobleman’s club, where the sons of effendis, paşas and other notables got together. They often accompanied the sultan when he went out hunting.’ So rather like German ‘Abteilung’ it can apply to various divisions of things. Some websites say Ibrahim was more like someone’s ‘head of household’.

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