TURKÝSH GRAMMER LESSON-6

NOUN COMPLETION - ÝSÝM TAMLAMALARI

A noun may take another one or more nouns as describing nouns in order to make its basic meaning clear. These noun groups are called Compound Nouns.

The describing nouns are called Completing Nouns - isim tamlayan (belirten) - and the Noun itself is called a Completed Noun - isim tamlanan (belirtilen).

Completing (Tamlayan) - Completed (Tamamlanan):
elçantasý - handbag ( hand + bag)
elmaaðacý - apple tree (apple + tree)
subardaðý - water glass (tumbler) - (water + drinking glass)
ortaokul - middle school -(middle + school)
baþbakan - prime minister - (head + minister)
ayakkabý - shoe - (foot + cover)

NOTE:
Vowel Harmony does not operate as each word in individual.

There are Four Forms of Noun Completion - (Ýsim Tamlamasý)

(1) - Descriptive Noun Completion - (Belirtili isim tamlamasý):

Her the Describing (Completing) Noun shows who or what is owned by the Described (Completed) Noun.

Decscribing Noun (Tamlayan isim) : is suffixed with -in, -ýn, -ün, -un
Described Noun (Tamlanan isim) : is suffixed with the third person singular -i, -ý, -ü, -u

Examples:
Konaðýin bahçesi - The garden of the mansion, The mansion's garden - Shows that - "the garden belongs to the mansion".
-un - Describing Noun Suffix
-i - Described noun Suffix
-s - Buffer Letter to keep vowels apart.
 
Çantanýn fermuarý - The zip of the bag, The bag's zip - Shows that - "the zip belongs to (is part of) the bag".
-ýn - Describing Noun Suffix
-ý - Described Noun Suffix
-n - Buffer Letter to keep vowels apart.
 
Bankanýn kapýsý - The door of the bank, The bank's door - shows that - "the door is part of and belongs to the bank".
-ýn - Describing Noun Suffix
-ý - Described Noun Suffix
-n, -s - Buffer Letters to keep vowels apart.
 
Kavanozun kapaðý - The lid of the jar, The jar's lid - shows that - "the lid belongs to the jar".
-un - Describing Noun Suffix
-ý - Described Noun Suffix
ð - Softened Consonant from -k on addition of vowel suffix
 
A Special case - su (water)
***Suyun sesi - The sound of the water, The water's sound - shows that - "the sound comes from the water".
-un - Describing Noun Suffix
-i - Described Noun Suffix
-y - Buffer Letter to keep vowels apart.
 
*** Elmanýn suyu - The apple's juice , The juice of the apple - shows that - "the juice (water) belongs to the apple".
-ýn - Describing Noun Suffix
-u - tamlanan eki
-y - kaynaþtýrma harfi

*** NOTE:
The only noun in Turkish which does not conform to Buffer Letter rules is:
Su - water. Whether as a Describing (Completeing) Noun or as a Described (Completed) Noun will take the Buffer letter -y- instead of the normal -s-. This may be for avoidiing the ugly - "susu".

NOTE:
Noun Completion Suffixes:
(a) The Describing Noun sufixes are always -in, -ýn, -ün, -un -(Vowel harmony applies)
(b) The Described Noun suffixes are always -i, -ý, -ü, -u - (Vowel harmony applies).
(c) Describing Nouns which end in a vowel always use buffer letter -n- where required.
(d) Described Nouns which end in a vowel always use buffer letter -s- where required.
(e) The single exception su (water) which takes buffer letter -y- as both a Describing or Described Noun.

(2) - Non-Descriptive Noun Completion - (Belirtisiz isim tamlamasý):

Only the Completed Noun (tamlanan isim) takes the suffix of the third person singular -i, -ý, -ü, -u .
Described Nouns which end in a vowel always use buffer letter -s- where required.

Yaz mevsimi - summer season -i - Completed Noun Suffix
Kýþ tatili - winter holiday -u - Completed Noun Suffix
Yolcu gemisi - ferryboat, traveller boat -i - Completed Noun Suffix
s - buffer letter for the third person singular.
Armut aðacý - pear tree -ý - Completed Noun Suffix
c - Softenened Consonant

(3) - Un-related Noun Completion - (Takýsýz isim tamlamasý):

In this compound neither Completing or Completed Noun take a suffix. This Compund noun is used for description of the material from which it is made:
Examples:
Plastik sandalye - plastic chair
pamuk mendil - cotton handkerchief
tahta masa - wooden table
demir köprü - iron bridge
cam bardak - glass tumbler
benzin depo - petrol dump

(4) - Chained Noun Completion - (Zincirleme isim tamlamasý):

More than two nouns can be chained together to produce a Compound Noun
Example:
incir aðacýnýn yapraðý - the fig tree leaf
paslanmaz çelik çaydanlýðýn kapaðý - the stainless steel teapot's lid
derginin kapaðýnýn resimleri - the pictures of the magazine cover
Ýngiliz consuloluðun kapýsý - the door of the English Consulate
Manisa Trafik Polis karakolu - Manisa Traffic Police headquarters
yolcu gemisinin güvertesi - the deck of the ferry boat

Paticularities of the Compound Noun

(1) - Compound Nouns can be plural:

Examples:
Portakal bahçeleri - Orange orchards
öðretmenler toplantýsý - Teachers Meeting
çocuklarýn defterleri- Childrens notebooks
evlerin kapýlarýnýn zilleri - house door bells

(2) - Compund Nouns can take Suffixes of Condition:

Kiraz bahçeleri - the cherry orchards - [subject.]
Elma bahçelerini - the apple orchards - [object.]
Portakal bahçelerine - to the orange orchards
Sebze bostanlarýnda - in the vegetable gardens
Belediye parklarýndan - from the municipal parks

Described Nouns which end in a vowel always use buffer letter -n- where required.

(3) - Personal Name Compond Nouns

If a Personal noun consists of more than one title, it is still counted as a single noun.

Example:
Mustafa Kemal Paþa Bulvarý - Mustafa Kemal Paþa Avenue - Indefinite compound noun
Mustafa Kemal Paþa - Describing Noun
Bulvarý - Described Noun