asrlarda

Asrlarda (standard Turkish spelling asırlarda) is a Turkish temporal expression formed from the plural noun asır (century, era) plus the locative suffix -da, yielding asırlarda. The meaning is “in the centuries” or “throughout the centuries,” used to situate actions, developments, or phenomena within a broad historical timeframe. In translation, it often corresponds to phrases like “in the centuries” or “over the centuries.” When diacritics are omitted, asırlarda is sometimes written as asrlarda.

Etymology and form: asır comes from Arabic asr meaning era or time, with Turkish adaptation through Persian and Ottoman Turkish. The plural is asırlar, and the locative plural suffix -da/-de combines to asırlarda, with vowel harmony producing the form used in standard Turkish. The non-diacritic variant asrlarda reflects the same pronunciation and meaning, commonly found in older texts or simplified orthography.

Usage: asırlarda is typical in historical and literary discourse. It often appears with phrases such as asırlar boyunca (throughout the centuries) or asırlar süren gelenek (a tradition that lasts for centuries). It can mark long-duration continuity or highlight events that span many centuries. While common in formal writing, the construction can also appear in scholarly works, chronicles, and encyclopedic descriptions.

See also: asır, asırlar, yüzyıl, asırlar boyunca, Turkish grammar, Turkish Language Association (TDK) resources.