Buffer letters -- are used within Turkish words for at least three reasons:
a) to separate suffixes
b) to separate consecutive vowels
c) for general language harmonics
And sometimes,
all these reasons ‘collide’
in the same buffer letter !!
Note:
Buffer letters are only necessary if
the preceding character
in the word is a Turkish vowel:
a, e, I, i, o, ö, u, ü.
Buffer letter |
Used in what situation? |
Turkish Example |
Translation |
-s- |
For indirect 'possession' -- involving pronouns. |
karasevdasI |
his/her/its hopeless love |
-s- |
With compound nouns. |
bira fabrikasI |
beer factory |
-n- |
For direct possession -- pronouns not involved. |
Ayse’nin, arabanIn... |
Ayse’s (i.e., something belonging to Ayse), of the car... |
-n- |
With a word that already has an indirect-possession ending. |
ArabasInI kullanIn. |
Drive his/her car.
(A command...) |
-n- |
With the pronouns bu, su, o, biri. |
Onu yemeyecegim. |
I won’t eat that. |
-n- |
With a –ki ending. |
Seninkini yaptIm. |
I did yours. |
-y- |
all other situations |
RakIyI içtik. |
We drank the rakI. |
Based on ideas found in 'Turkish Grammer' and 'Teach Yourself Turkish' by G.L. Lewis
and 'Teach Yourself Turkish' by Asuman and David Pollard...