Fun facts about Turkish

[Hoppi]

You can drop most of the things when it's clear from the context. Example:

I was pacticing Spanish and this sentence came up:
Nosotras somos hermanas. = Biz kız kardeşleriz (The form accepted by Duolingo)

First thing, we don't have to mention (kız = girl) so
"Biz kardeşleriz" is OK.

Second, we don't have to use the plural suffix (-ler) so
"Biz kardeşiz" is OK.

Third, we don't have to use the personal pronoun (biz = nosotras) so
"Kardeşiz" is OK.

[Hoppi]

Turkish has a negative voice suffix, most notably -(m)A-, used to negate a verb directly at the morphological level. For example:

Code: Select all

gelmek (“to come”) → gelmemek (“to not come”)

This productive, derivational negation is common in Turkic languages but relatively rare cross-linguistically.

Only Turkic languages (like Turkish) have a clear, productive, derivational negative voice suffix. Other languages express negation, but not through a suffix that operates like a “voice” operator.

Tense suffixes can be used for any suffix but present tense suffix becomes -z intead of -r (with some irregularities) for negative voice:

gel-ir-im = I come
gel-me-m (< gel-me-z-im) = I don't come

gel-ir-sin = you come
gel-me-z-sin = you don't come

gel-ir = he/she/it comes
gel-me-z = he/she/it doesn't come

gel-ir-iz = we come
gel-me-yiz (< gel-me-z-iz) = we don't come

gel-ir-siniz = you come
gel-me-z-siniz = you don't come

gel-ir-ler = they come
gel-me-z-ler = they don't come

[Hoppi]

You can make long words by adding one suffix another to the extreme in Turkish. The following can be found in many places as an example:
Muvaffakiyetsizleştiricileştiriveremeyebileceklerimizdenmişsinizcesine (See for example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longest_word_in_Turkish)

Now, to check the other end of the spectrum, I thought about this challenge. What would be the longest sentence where no word longer than 1/2/3 letter is used?

As 1 letter words you can only use vowels. And there is only 8 in Turkish and 3 of them can be meaningfull:
"a" – an exclamation in Turkish, expressing surprise, realization, or attention (like "ah!" or "oh!").
"e" – used colloquially to mean "so" or "then" (like “well then”).
"o" - means he/she/it/that

So I asked ChatGPT about this one: "A, e o o." At first ChatGPT said:
The string "a, e o o." is not a meaningful sentence in Turkish.

Then I explained the above and then it said:
Reanalyzing your example with that in mind:
"a, e o o."

Let’s break it down with the colloquial and expressive usages you mentioned:

Code: Select all

"a" – an exclamation in Turkish, expressing surprise, realization, or attention (like "ah!" or "oh!").

"e" – used colloquially to mean "so" or "then" (like “well then”).

"o o" – could be an expressive phrase meaning “that’s it!” or a reaction like “that’s the one!”, especially when spoken with emphasis.

Interpretation:

Putting it all together, this can be interpreted as a casual, expressive sentence in Turkish, like:

Code: Select all

“Ah, so that’s it.”
“Oh! Well then — that’s the one.”

It wouldn’t be formal or standard, but it could work in dialogue or expressive text, especially in speech or informal writing.

So, to revise my earlier answer:
Yes, "a, e o o." can be a meaningful sentence in Turkish, if interpreted as colloquial speech full of nuance and emotion.

Nice catch!

With 2-letter words you have some words and verbs (in root forms). So here is an example:
Ta o an az su iç ve de ki "ya şu an bu su az da o su da az mı ki ne?"
Drink a little water right at that moment and say, "Well at the moment this water is little but is that water little too, or what?"

[Basler Biker]

Turkish has a negative voice suffix, most notably -(m)A-, used to negate a verb directly at the morphological level.

It's called the "negative aorist", a grammatical term I did not know till now.
Thx for having shared that.

[Hoppi]

Turkish has a negative voice suffix, most notably -(m)A-, used to negate a verb directly at the morphological level.

It's called the "negative aorist", a grammatical term I did not know till now.
Thx for having shared that.

Yes. Aorist tense has an irregularity that can be traced back to very early ages at time. Have you heard of r-Turkic and z-Turkic?
Present tense (Aorist) suffix should be -r but it became -z in most of the Turkic languages.

The same (or similar) thing can be seen in other languages. For example, -s in English vs. -r in Swedish (goes vs går).

[Hoppi]

There are 8 vowels (a, e, ı, i, o, ö, u, ü) in Turkish. Each vowel has 3 attributes. There is a correspondence between the vowels in Turkish and a unit cube. A cube has 8 corners, each of which can be used for a different vowel. Each corner is neighbour of 3 faces. So each face can be defined using the attributes.

If we number the vowels as 0, 1,...,7 (totally eight) they can be written as 3-bit binary number or (x, y, z) coordinates of the corners the cube where x, y, z is equal to either zero or one.

• the vowels (letters) with x = 0, are called back vowels

• the vowels (letters) with x = 1, are called front vowels

• the vowels (letters) with y = 0, are called unrounded vowels

• the vowels (letters) with y = 1, are called rounded vowels

• the vowels (letters) with z = 0, are called wide vowels

• the vowels (letters) with z = 1, are called narrow vowels

cube.png (38.2 KiB) Viewed 509 times

[Basler Biker]

There are 8 vowels (a, e, ı, i, o, ö, u, ü) in Turkish. Each vowel has 3 attributes. There is a correspondence between the vowels in Turkish and a unit cube. A cube has 8 corners, each of which can be used for a different vowel. Each corner is neighbour of 3 faces. So each face can be defined using the attributes.

If we number the vowels as 0, 1,...,7 (totally eight) they can be written as 3-bit binary number or (x, y, z) coordinates of the corners the cube where x, y, z is equal to either zero or one.

• the vowels (letters) with x = 0, are called back vowels

• the vowels (letters) with x = 1, are called front vowels

• the vowels (letters) with y = 0, are called unrounded vowels

• the vowels (letters) with y = 1, are called rounded vowels

• the vowels (letters) with z = 0, are called wide vowels

• the vowels (letters) with z = 1, are called narrow vowels

cube.png

Are you suggesting that all Turkish speakers are good at mathematics ...
Or, when you speak, you walk along the sides of the cube, or can one "jump" also...

Is there a word with all 8 vowel-types in it?

[Hoppi]

Are you suggesting that all Turkish speakers are good at mathematics ...
Or, when you speak, you walk along the sides of the cube, or can one "jump" also...

Is there a word with all 8 vowel-types in it?

Actually it's called Deny cube. I had seen it in a grammar book. I asked ChatGPT to provide me with some code to draw a unit cube. And the picture is a screen capture of my computer screen. I like math and I like this correspondence. I don't know if any other languages have all those vowels (besides Turkic languages of course) but Hungarian is very close I guess, which has 7 of them but lacks "ı". I came across a YouTube video where someone says English has 14 vowels but they cannot be placed on the corners as in Turkish case.

And of course there is no such word. Actually vowel harmony dictates that all the vowels in words should be usually either back or front vowels.

And here is a short about this cube:

[Hoppi]

Of course, every language has hand gestures but hey it's fun to use sometimes. For example:

[Hoppi]

Also, sounds made by Turkish people may be a fun topic. For example the following video is worth watching. In the comments, people from different countries say we also use most of these sounds.

[Basler Biker]

Of course, every language has hand gestures but hey it's fun to use sometimes. For example:

I think "not too bad" is like universal "more or less".
what is the "evil eye"? is that the "blue eye" (in ceramic) we often/always see on Turkish establishments?

[Hoppi]

I think "not too bad" is like universal "more or less".
what is the "evil eye"? is that the "blue eye" (in ceramic) we often/always see on Turkish establishments?

Not exactly. The "blue eye" is called "nazarlık" in Turkish ("Nazar" = look from Arabic). So it basically means "(a protector) for the (evil) looks". It's believed that it catches the attention of someone who may look at you or someone you love (your baby child for example) in a bad way otherwise.

[Hoppi]

Turkish has a powerful question marker (mı/mi/mu/mü) that can turn any sentence into a yes/no quetion without changing the order.

• Written as mi / mı / mu / mü (depending on vowel harmony).

• It follows the element being questioned (usually the verb or a focused word).

• It is separate from the verb and behaves like a clitic (it attaches phonologically to the preceding word but is written separately).

For example take this sentence:
O dün İstanbul'a gitti. = He went to İstanbul yesterday. This can be made a yes/no question in 4 ways:

• O mu dün İstanbul'a gitti? = Is it him who went to İstanbul yesterday?

• O dün mü İstanbul'a gitti? = Is it yesterday that he went to İstanbul?

• O dün İstanbul'a mı gitti? = Is it İstanbul that he yesterday went to?

• O dün İstanbul'a gitti mi? = Did he go to İstanbul yesterday?

Many languages have similar markers but they usually go at the end. Bulgarian is similar to Turkish though, in which it can be used in forming yes–no questions after the verb or focused word.

“est-ce que” in French is very much like a question particle (or question phrase), though it's grammatically more complex than the single-particle examples like Turkish mi or Chinese ma. Literally it means "Is it that ....?" but in modern French, it's not usually analyzed semantically. It simply functions as a neutral yes–no question marker.

Değil = not
Değil mi? = not?
In english this can be done changing the order and the modal verb accordingly.

İyi. = It's good.
İyi mi? = Is it good?
İyi değil. = "It's not good.", or "It isn't good.".
İyi değil mi? = Isn't it good?

İyi idi. = It was good.
İyi mi idi ? = Was it good?
iyi değil idi = "It was not good", or "It wasn't good".
İyi değil mi idi? = Wasn't it good?

In summary, Turkish's question particle mi/mı/mu/mü is not just for forming questions — it’s also a focus marker that can shift the emphasis depending on where it appears in the sentence.

[antonmo]

The same (or similar) thing can be seen in other languages. For example, -s in English vs. -r in Swedish (goes vs går).

@Hoppi Do you know Swedish?

[Hoppi]

@Hoppi Do you know Swedish?

I'm just a beginner. But the similarity between -(e)r in Turkish and Swedish (The same form and the same functionality) makes it a little easier for me as a native Turkish speaker.

[Basler Biker]

[...] that can turn any sentence into a yes/no question without changing the order. [...]

Adding one of these will probably (I know nothing about Turkish) change the overall intonation of the sentence.

In Dutch - without changing word order, nor by adding words - one can and will rather change the intonation to the word under focus.

Hard to show here, by writing, I could use bold (no time to create audio, and we're on Turkish, not Dutch here )

But of course the overall intonation remains like any question. Higher at the end.

Jij gaat morgen naar Istambul? (they told me your wife would go)
Jij gaat morgen naar Istambul? (you wonder, you thought he was driving or flying)
Jij gaat morgen naar Istambul? (you thought is was next week)
Jij gaat morgen naar Istambul? (you thought it was Paris, or you wanted to go also, but were not ready/prepared to go)

Like in French - Tu vas à Paris - "(Est-ce que) tu vas à Paris? vs "vas-tu à Paris?"

[Basler Biker]

Sorry, I keep quoting myself. Removed this post, as the other one is okay.

[Hoppi]

[...] that can turn any sentence into a yes/no question without changing the order. [...]

Adding one of these will probably (I know nothing about Turkish) cause a change in the overall intonation of the sentence.

In Dutch - without changing word order, nor by adding words - one can and will rather change the intonation to the word under focus.

Hard to show here, by writing, I could use bold (no time to create audio, and we're on Turkish, not Dutch here )

But of course the overall intonation remains like any question. Higher at the end.

Jij gaat morgen naar Istambul? (they told me your wife would go)
Jij gaat morgen naar Istambul? (you wonder, you thought he was driving or flying)
Jij gaat morgen naar Istambul? (you thought is was next week)
Jij gaat morgen naar Istambul? (you thought it was Paris, or you wanted to go also, but were not ready/prepared to go)

Like in French - Tu vas à Paris - "(Est-ce que) tu vas à Paris? vs "vas-tu à Paris?"

I see what you mean. Intonation works in every language I guess.

Even we can do it Turkish but it's not preferred. That said, some other Turkic languages favor intonation. In azerbaijan for example intonation is preferred. Also the Turkish spoken in Cyprus favors intonation.

I have realized I have not covered the question marker in full.

First thing to notice is the similarity of the particles in Turkish (mı/mi/mu/mü) and Chinese (ma). Chances are the two are related.

In Turkish, "değil mi?" is a simple, catch-all way to turn many statements into questions for confirmation. Though it may be ambigous at times. For example:
iyi = it's good
iyi değil = it isn't good
iyi değil mi? = isn't it good? ("iyi değil" is the sentence and made a question by adding "mi")
iyi, değil mi? = it's good, isn't it? ("iyi" is the sentence and "değil mi?" is the tag question)

In contrast, English tag questions can feel complicated because they have to match the tense, subject, and whether the statement is positive or negative.

Turkish:

• O yaptı, değil mi? = He did it, didn't he?

• Sen geldin, değil mi? = You came, didn't you?

• Bu doğru, değil mi? = This is true, isn't it?

"Değil mi?" stays the same — very efficient!

English:

English question tags change depending on:

• The verb tense

• Whether the main clause is positive or negative

• The subject pronoun

Examples:

• She is here, isn't she?

• They weren't ready, were they?

• You've seen it, haven't you?

• He doesn't know, does he?

In English also there are alternatives:
"Geldin, değil mi?"

• "You came, didn’t you?" (formal/correct)

• "You came, right?" (simple/neutral)

• "You came, yeah?" (casual)

• "You came, okay?" (checking understanding)

So depending on tone and context, “right?” is your best, all-purpose English equivalent to “değil mi?” — especially in conversation.

In Portuguese, just like in Turkish, there's a simple and flexible way to ask for confirmation:
“Né?” (short for “não é?”)

Examples:

• Você fez isso, né? = You did it, right?

• Ele vai chegar, né? = He’s going to arrive, right?

• Tá tudo certo, né? = Everything’s okay, right?

It works across:

• Different subjects (você, ele, a gente, etc.)

• Different tenses (past, present, future)

• Both formal and informal speech (though “né?” is more informal)

[Hoppi]

The etymology of the Turkish words "Evet" (yes) and "Hayır" (no), both of which have interesting and somewhat complex linguistic histories.

1. "Evet" (Yes)
   Etymology:
   "Evet" comes from Ottoman Turkish and ultimately derives from Arabic.
   It is believed to come from the Arabic word "’īwa" (إِيْوَ), an interjection meaning something akin to "yes" or "indeed", often used in classical or formal contexts.
   However, in Arabic today, "’īwa" is not the standard for "yes"—"naʿam" (نَعَم) is. "’īwa" might have been a regional or dialectical usage, perhaps from Levantine or Egyptian Arabic.

Development:
The word passed into Ottoman Turkish in slightly altered form, and then evolved into "evet" in modern Turkish.
The "-et" ending may be a Turkic morphological addition or a result of phonological adaptation.

1. "Hayır" (No)
   Etymology:
   "Hayır" also comes from Arabic, specifically from the word "khayr" (خَيْر), which actually means "good," "better," or "goodness".
   In Arabic, "khayr" is a positive term and doesn’t directly mean “no.”

How it came to mean “No”:
In Islamic or religious contexts, "hayır" (goodness) was often used in response to avoid directly saying "no," especially when rejecting something that is seen as bad, harmful, or sinful.
For example: "Would you do X?" → "Hayır" (i.e., "That is not good / I won’t do it").

Over time, in Turkish usage, "hayır" evolved to be a polite or formal way to refuse or deny something, essentially functioning as "no."

So: In Turkish, "hayır" means "no," but its original meaning in Arabic was "good", not "no."

[Hoppi]

You can drop most of the things when it's clear from the context. Example:

I was pacticing Spanish and this sentence came up:
Nosotras somos hermanas. = Biz kız kardeşleriz (The form accepted by Duolingo)

First thing, we don't have to mention (kız = girl) so
"Biz kardeşleriz" is OK.

Second, we don't have to use the plural suffix (-ler) so
"Biz kardeşiz" is OK.

Third, we don't have to use the personal pronoun (biz = nosotras) so
"Kardeşiz" is OK.

I came up with another one during my Spanish exercise today.
"Ella es la hermana?" (Is she your sister?)
I entered the following and it was rejected: "o kız kardeşin mi?".
It expected this instead: "o senin kız kardeşin mi?"

All of the followings must be accepted actually:
"O senin kız kardeşin mi?"
"O kız kardeşin mi?"
"Kız kardeşin mi?"
and even "Kardeşin mi?"

They can all be correct translation with a proper context.