Request for pardon

Origin

The word entered Turkish from Arabic اِستدعاء (istidʿāʾ). This term is derived from the Arabic root dˁw and is the masdar form of the verb dāʿa, meaning “to call, request, or appeal,” in the istifʿāl verbal pattern. In Turkish, it was especially used during the Ottoman period for written and official applications.

Areas of Use

• Ottoman bureaucracy: It was used to denote written petitions submitted to state authorities.
• Legal and administrative language (historical): It corresponds to the modern concept of “dilekçe.”
• Literature: It was used in contexts conveying meanings of request, plea, or appeal.