SACE Stage 2 Turkish (continuers) flashcards

31 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Agglutination

The Turkish morphological principle by which a word stem takes a chain of suffixes, each adding one grammatical meaning, for example ev-ler-imiz-de 'in our houses'.

Two-way vowel harmony

Suffix vowels are i or e after front vowels and ı or a after back vowels, as in gel-di versus yap-tı.

Four-way vowel harmony

Suffix vowels become i, ü, ı or u to match the last vowel's backness and rounding, seen in ev-i, göz-ü, kız-ı, yol-u.

Consonant assimilation

A suffix-initial c changes to ç and d changes to t after voiceless consonants, giving kitapta from kitap and gitti from git-di.

Accusative suffix

-(y)I marks a definite direct object, as in kitabı okudum 'I read the book', and distinguishes it from the bare indefinite object.

Locative and ablative

-DA means 'at, in, on' and -DAn means 'from'; both assimilate, as in okulda 'at school' and okuldan 'from school'.

Buffer consonants

The sounds y, n and s inserted between a vowel-final stem and a vowel-initial suffix, as in kapı-y-ı and onun ev-i.

Register distinction

Formal written Turkish favours long sentences, passive voice and full agreement, while informal speech drops suffixes and reduces vowels.

Formal pronoun siz

Siz addresses one person politely or several people; the verb takes -sInIz, as in 'Siz nasılsınız?'

Polite request pattern

Asking with the aorist question plus plural agreement, such as 'Yardımcı olur musunuz?', softens a request compared with the bare imperative.

Possibility suffix -Abilir

-Abilir / -ebilir expresses ability or permission, as in 'Gelebilir miyim?' 'May I come?', and harmonises with the stem vowel.

Question particle mı

A separate word that harmonises to mi, mı, mu or mü and marks yes-no questions, for example 'Geldi mi?'

Polite imperative -In

Adding -In to a verb stem forms a respectful imperative, so gel 'come' becomes gelin when addressing a stranger or elder.

Greeting pairs

'Hoşça kal' is said by the person leaving and 'Güle güle' by the person staying; 'Günaydın' is used in the morning.

Refusal formula

A polite refusal opens with 'Maalesef' or an apology, gives a reason with çünkü, and often offers an alternative with 'ama'.

Back-channelling markers

Short responses such as 'tabii', 'anlıyorum', 'haklısınız' and 'aynen' show the listener is following and keep the conversation moving.

Text type markers

News reports use -DI past and inverted sentences; essays use first person; poems use line breaks and repetition, letting readers classify a text.

Contrast connectors

'Ancak', 'fakat', 'ama', 'oysa' and 'halbuki' introduce an opposing idea and reveal where the writer qualifies an earlier claim.

Cause-effect markers

'-DIğI için', '-dAn dolayı', 'bu nedenle' and 'dolayısıyla' link a reason to a result and help map an argument's logic.

Passive voice

The suffixes -(I)l and -In remove the agent, as in 'Karar alındı'; noting the missing agent helps detect bias.

Reported speech

Indirect quotation uses '-DIğInI söyledi' or 'dedi', so readers can tell whether a claim belongs to the writer or a source.

Tone through lexis

Diminutives like -CIk, intensifiers like 'son derece' and loaded adjectives signal emotional colouring and the writer's attitude.

Main idea placement

In expository Turkish texts the thesis usually appears in the opening or closing paragraph, with examples introduced by 'örneğin'.

No grammatical gender

Turkish pronouns and nouns carry no masculine or feminine marking; 'o' means he, she or it, and gender appears only in context.

Definiteness without article

Turkish has no definite article; definiteness is shown by the accusative suffix on the object and by position before the verb.

SOV word order

The unmarked order is subject, object, verb; moving an element changes emphasis or focus but not grammaticality.

Consonant softening

Final p, ç, t and k become b, c, d and ğ before a vowel-initial suffix, as in kitap → kitabı and ağaç → ağacı.

Possessive suffixes

-(I)m, -(I)n, -(s)I, -(I)mIz, -(I)nIz and -lArI mark possession; they combine with case, as in evimizden 'from our house'.

Compound noun formation

A noun compound takes a third-person possessive on its second element, as in otobüs durağı 'bus stop' or Türkçe öğretmeni.

Postposition case government

'İle' and 'için' take the nominative, 'sonra' and 'önce' the ablative, and 'göre' and 'kadar' the dative.

National holidays

29 October marks Cumhuriyet Bayramı, 23 Nisan is Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı, and 19 Mayıs commemorates Atatürk and youth.