Suffixes in Turkish (Case Endings of Nouns)

Abstract

In Turkish, transitional suffixes are important morphemes that simultaneously fulfill both inflectional and derivational functions, demonstrating the morphological flexibility of the language. The suffix +CA adds meanings of equality, similarity, and manner, while deriving new adjectives and adverbs such as aptalca (“foolishly”) and doğruca (“directly”). The suffix +lA expresses relations of instrumentality, companionship, and manner; for example, kalemle yazmak (“to write with a pen”) or arkadaşımla gelmek (“to come with my friend”), and it also creates new words with the meaning of “with an instrument.” The +A dative case shows the direction and target of an action; in sentences like okula gitmek (“to go to school”) or eve dönmek (“to return home”), it serves an inflectional role, while in fixed expressions it functions derivationally to form adverbs or adjectives. Expressions such as bahçede oynuyor (“playing in the garden”) or gençliğinde çok çalışmıştı (“he worked hard in his youth”) convey spatial and temporal relations. Likewise, evden çıktı (“he left the house”) or sabahtan beri bekliyorum (“I have been waiting since morning”) illustrate the transitional nature of the suffix. Examples like benimki (“mine”), dünkü haberler (“yesterday’s news”), and şimdiki durum (“the current situation”) show how suffixes can serve both inflectional and representational functions. These suffixes, while organizing semantic relations, also have the ability to generate new words. Therefore, transitional suffixes are regarded as key components in Turkish that reveal the flexibility of morphological boundaries, the variability of their functions, and the productive structure of the language.