# Serbian (BCS): sijaset



## ThomasK

is there anyone who could throw light on the origin of this Serbian word, apparently meaning 'many'? Could it be of Arabic origin ? (This point was raised at the All Languages forum) 

(Thanks)


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## Awwal12

My Serbian-Russian dictionary doesn't contain this word for some reason. Anyway, we must wait for native speakers.


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## Duya

It is spelled _sijaset_, and is of Turkish and ultimately Arabic origin indeed. It is rarely used nowadays, typically when one wants to make an expression more lively (marked).

http://hjp.srce.hr/index.php?show=search_by_id&id=d19kUBg%3D:



> _tur._ siyaset: politics, management, punishment ← _arab._ siyāsä: manage, judge


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## ThomasK

But is the Serban meaning 'many' ? Can you explain the link ? unfortunately my knowledge of Slavic languages is inexistent, I am sorry !

Or no, in the meantime Google Translate has helped, and I am quite impressed about the variety of meanings. Any comment as for that variety/ complexity, which does probably not exist in Turkish?


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## phosphore

The two meanings marked with "reg." are regional and I know of this word only used as an adverb meaning "many" as in "imamo sijaset problema" that means "we have a whole bunch of problems".

I don't have an etymological dictionary at hand now but I found some information on the Internet and allegedly this meaning comes from the fact that punishments in Turkey were public with many people watching them so the word that meant punishment came to design the mass that watches and then just a mass, a multitude.


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## ThomasK

I see... Quite interesting, again. And just strange to see how meanings develop...


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## Ironic90

Correct English translation for "sijaset" would be "various".


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## Duya

Ironic90 said:


> Correct English translation for "sijaset" would be "various".



No it wouldn't. Let's leave it at that.


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## DenisBiH

Nešto što je donekle povezano sa značenjem riječi _sijaset_. Skoro sam pitao neke ljude u čemu je razlika između _sijaset_ i _hejbet_, jer mi se činilo da se oboje u bosanskom koristi u značenju mnoštva.  Pored ovoga da _sijaset_ može imati i neka druga značenja (meni je rečeno _kazna_, _velika nevolja_) dato mi je i ovo da kontrastira to dvoje:

_ma to je kao u engl much vs many,,,,sijaset ljudi,,hejbet mahana,,_

Nisam siguran da ovaj primjer stoji, ali sudeći po ovome, i ako bi htjeli ići u detalje, _sijaset_ možda ima značenje mnoštva koje je prebrojivo ili tako nešto.

RBJ daje sljedeće:



> sijaset pril. (ar.) - mnogo, velika množina čega, silesija; nešto krupno, neprikladno
> hejbet pril. (tur.) - mnogo, gotovo previše; neograničeni broj


Evo još jedne definicije ("Govor grada Sarajeva i razgovorni bosanski jezik")



> sijáset - m. r.; ar. množina, mnoštvo (mnoštvo, velika množina
> nečeg; sijaset; kazna; bijeda, nevolja, stradanje,
> napast - Jahić, 1999:477)


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## dark_helmut

ThomasK said:


> I see... Quite interesting, again. And just strange to see how meanings develop...



Many loanwords from Turkish (or from Arabic/Greek/Persian via Turkish) developed and altered their meaning. _Sijaset_ is today used in the meaning of plenty, a bunch, too much of something, and sometimes as various.


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