Apocopation - Turkish Vowel Loss
Apocopation - Turkish Vowel Loss
- Apocopate
- To cut off or drop the last letter or part of a word.
- A Few Turkish nouns lose their final vowel
[apocopate]
when a suffix which starts with a vowel is added to the noun.
Example of Apocopation
Adding suffix -im my:
The word izin leave, time off →
izn-im my leave.
[NOT izin-im]
The final vowel of the noun root is dropped when adding a suffix which begins in a vowel.
Adding a vowel DOES affect the Noun
burun nose →
burnum my nose →
burnumda on my nose →
[burn-um-da]
ağız mouth →
ağzı his mouth →
ağzında in his mouth →
[ağz-ı-nda]
beyin brain →
beynimden from my brain →
[beyn-im-den]
kayıp loss →
kaybımızdan from our loss →
[kayb-ımız-dan]
Erkek arkadaşımın ismi Mehmet'tir.
My boy-friend's name is Mehmet
[ism-i = his name]
The suffix -i his affects the noun isim name
Ali'nin alnı terliyor
Ali's forehead is sweating
[Ali'nin aln-ı]
The word
[aln-i "forehead"]
is in the possessive relationship: this affects the noun alın shortening it to alnAdding a consonant does NOT affect the Noun
izindeyim I am on leave
[izin-de-yim]
The vowel of izin is not lost as the first suffix -de begins with a consonant.
ağızda in the mouth
[ağız-da]
beyinden from the brain
[beyin-den]
oğul from the son
[oğul-dan]
kayıptan from the loss
[kayıp-tan]
Examples Turkish vowel loss with the possessive adjective:
- fikir → fikrim my idea
- keyif → keyfi his/her joy
- oğul → oğlumuz our son
- boyun → boynu his neck
- nakil → naklin your (sing.) transport
- gönül → gönlüm my desire
- isim → ismim my name
- nakit → nakdiniz your (plur.) cash
- kayıp → kaybınızden from your loss
The rules of Consonant Mutation are still observed in the apocopated noun.
Exampled by the final consonant nakit cash has mutated to its soft form -d
kaybı his loss has apocopated from kayıp.
Some Single Syllable Words do not soften their root vowel:
vakit (arb.) time, occasion →
vaktim my time
Turkish Apocopating Noun List
The following nouns lose an internal vowel from the noun stem when a suffix beginning with a vowel is added.
Many of these words are in constant daily use.
Turkish | Direct Object Example | English |
---|---|---|
Aciz | Aczi (NOT acizi) | Impotence |
Ağız | Ağzı | Mouth |
Ahit | Ahdi | Injunction |
Akıl | Aklı | Intelligence |
Akit | Akti | Treaty |
Akis | Aksi | Reflection |
Alın | Alnı | Forehead |
Asıl | Aslı | Origin |
Asır | Asrı | Century |
Azim | Azmi | Determination |
Bağır | Bağrı | Bosom |
Bahis | Bahsi (Bahse girmek) | Bet, Wager (to make a bet) |
Beyin | Beyni | Brain |
Boyun | Boynu | Neck |
Burun | Burnu | Nose |
Cisim | Cismi | Substance, matter, object |
Cürüm | Cürmü | Crime |
Defin | Defni | Burial |
Devir | Devri | Period |
Ecir | Ecri | Reward/Wage |
Emir | Emri | Order, Command |
Fasil | Fasli | Part, chapter |
Fetih | Fethi | Conquest |
Fikir | Fikri | Idea |
Geniz | Genzi | Nostril |
Göğüs | Göğsü | Breast |
Gönül | Gönlü | Heart/Desire |
Hacim | Hacmi | Volume |
Haciz | Haczi | Distraint, confiscation, seizure |
Hapis | Hapsi | Prison |
Hasım | Hasmı | Enemy, foe, rival |
Hazım | Hazmı | Digestion |
Hışım | Hışmı | Rage/Anger |
Hüzün | Hüznü | Grief |
İlim | İlmi | Science |
İsim | İsmi | Name |
İzin | İzni | Leave/Time off |
Kadir | Kadri | Worth/Value |
Kahır | Kahrı | Anxiety |
Karın | Karnı | Stomach |
Kasıt | Kastı | Intention, purpose |
Kayın | Kaynı | Brother-in-law |
Kayıp | Kaybı | Loss |
Kesir | Kesri | Fraction (in maths) |
Keşif | Keşfi | Discovery |
Keyif | Keyfi | Pleasure |
Kısım | Kısmı | Part (of) |
Metin | Metni | Text |
Nabız | Nabzı | Pulse |
Nakil | Nakli | Transport |
Nakit | Nakdi | Cash |
Nazım | Nazmı | Verse, poetry |
Nefis | Nefsi | Self, personality |
Nehir | Nehri | River |
Nesir | Nesri | Prose |
Neşir | Neşri | Publication, broadcast |
Nutuk | Nutku | Speech, oration |
Oğul | Oğlu | Son |
Resim | Resmi | Picture |
Sabır | Sabrı | Patience |
Satıh | Sathı | Superficie, plane |
Seyir | Seyri | Motion |
Sıkıt | Sıktı | Miscarriage |
Şehir | Şehri | City |
Şekil | Şekli | Form/Shape |
Şükür | Şükrü | Gratitude |
Tavır | Tavrı | Mode/Manner |
Ufuk | Ufku | Horizon |
Vakit | Vakti | Time, occasion |
Vasıf | Vasfı | Characteristic |
Zehir | Zehri | Poison |
Zihin | Zihni | Intellect |
Zulüm | Zulmü | Tyranny, cruelty |
Many of these words, especially the parts of the body are in constant daily use.
Execption to Apocopation for Proper Names
The word şehir city itself does apocopate.
However actual town names do not apocopate as they are Proper Nouns.
Eskişehir'e gidiyorum.
I am going to Eskişehir.
Nevşehir'imiz çok güzel.
Our Nevşehir is very beautiful.