Syntactic and Semantic Aspects of Postpositions in Old Anatolian Turkish

Fikret TURAN 297 SYNTACTIC AND SEMANTIC ASPECTS OF POSTPOSITIONS IN OLD ANATOLIAN TURKISH INTRODUCTION P ostpositions are certain lexical items that functionally establish semantic relationships between the noun and other elements of the sentence by following nouns and nominal units. In this respect postpositions in Turkic languages are the counterparts of the prepositions in other languages. Being an intermediary between the major elements of the sentence, postpositions present an important syntactic unit because they help making the sentence to be a meaningful combination of words. Old Anatolian Turkish shows a rich and curious class of postpositions which are essential for the understanding of overall syntax of pre-Ottoman Anatolian Turkish and its successor dialects such as Ottoman Turkish, modern Turkey Turkish and Azerbaijan Turkish. Therefore, in this study, for the purpose of showing and explaining the morpho-syntactic structure and functions of the postpositions in Old Anatolian Turkish, I analyze selected prose and poetry works written roughly between thirtheenth and fifteenth centuries in and around Anatolia. In Old Anatolian Turkish certain postpositions may require certain cases of the noun that they follow and establish postpositional phrases. They require case suffixes especially when they are used with pronouns. For instance, the postposition gibi (as, like) requires genitive case when it creates a postpositional phrase with a pronoun. In this case, it becomes bunuñ gibi (like this), anuñ gibi (like that), etc. However, this postposition requires no case suffixes from a noun∞: Agaç gibi (like a tree), etc1. 1 In Old Turkic, certain postpositions required the accusative case instead of the genitive when they were used together with pronouns as in munı teg (like this), anı içün (for that reason), sizni birle (with you), etc. However, in Old Anatolian Turkish as well as Modern Oghuz dialects these postpositions require the genitive in the given positions∞: Dr. Fikret Turan is an assistant professor teaching Turkish language and literature at East- ern Mediterranean University. Turcica, 30, 1998, pp. 297-308 298 FIKRET TURAN Postpositions in Old Anatolian Turkish are mainly of Turkic origin except for the Arabic qadar (as, as much as) and gayrı (except for). Although these last two postpositions are rarely encountered in Old Anatolian Turkish texts, they were used more often later in Ottoman Turkish. In a sentence, postpositional phrases may explain nouns, adjectives, adverbs or verbs in terms of time, place, direction, manner, quantity, cause, purpose, result, similarity and instrumentality. In this respect, postpositions function like case suffixes and adverbs in the sentence. Postpositions by themselves have no meaning, and their syntactic value derives from the phrase that they make together with other nominal units2. However, there are certain adverbs that govern case suffixes in certain contexts and function as postpositions such as qar≥u (front), öte (beyond), üzer/üzeri (on, over), etc. Morpho-syntactic structures and semantic values of the postpostions in Old Anatolian Turkish are as fol- lows∞: POSTPOSITIONS GOVERNING THE NOMINATIVE OF NOUNS, AND GENITIVE OF PRONOUNS a. gibi rarely bigi∞: The form bigi is derived from gibi as a result of a metathesis between the consonants /g/ and /b/ 3. The form bigi has a very restricted usage. Both gibi and bigi denote similarities or likeness meaning “∞like∞”, “∞as∞”, and after finite verbs “∞as if∞”∞: Eyitdi uÒlu ‘âqil gi≥i benüm qatumda ≥unuñ gibi geleci nite söyledi dédi, “∞tâ Ìaddi oglan- cuqlar anuñ gibi Òarîh yalan söylemeye∞” dédi. QN (28b-5) He said “∞how did [this] smart and reasonable person say words like that. In a way even children would not tell lies as open as he does.∞” Ya‘nî geleci incü dizer gibi söylemek gerek kim la†îf ve tam ola. QN (27a-11) In other words one should say words in a way of stringing pearls so that they become elegant and complete. Mugaylân agacı gibi gölgesi var yémi≥i yoq. QN (13b-1) Like the Egyptian thorn it has shadow but it does not have fruit.DaÌı niçe bunuñ gibi eyü adlar qazandılar. QN (14a-1) And they earned many good names like this. Biz daÌı qaçar gibi olavuz. MN See A. von GABAIN, Alttürkische Grammatik, 2nd ed., Leipzig∞: 1950, pp. 135-143∞; Muharrem ERGIN, Türk Dil Bilgisi, Istanbul∞: 1958. pp. 350-351. 2 The question of postpositions and postpositional phrases in Turkish has been exten- sively debated in a series of articles by Turkish linguists since the 1960s. The main question was on whether or not the certain postpositional phrases could be considered adverbial phrases because of their semantic values. See especially, Baki AKGÜL, “∞Edat Tümleçleri,∞” in Dilbilgisi Sorunları II, TDK Yay. 1972, pp. 158-162, Tahir Nejat GEN- CAN, “∞Edat Tümleçleri,∞” in op. cit., pp. 167-173∞; Kemal DEMIRAY, “∞Edat Tümleçleri Konusunda Dogan Dü≥ünceler,∞” in op. cit., pp. 174-177. 3 About the etymology of ∞gibi∞ and its versions used in Turkish dialects, see M. ERGIN, ibid., p. 371. SYNTACTIC AND SEMANTIC ASPECTS IN OLD ANATOLIAN TURKISH 299 (50b-14) We will be seen as if we are running. Anuñ bigi geleci i≥ide. MN (59a-3) He will hear words like that. Ocaguña bunuñ gibi ‘avrat gelmesün. DQ (9-3) May your house never have a woman as her. [lit. May a woman like her not come to your hearth.] b. içün∞: This postposition denotes aim, cause and purpose meaning “∞for∞”, “∞for the purpose of∞”, “∞in order to“∞∞: Sözüñ Ìaqq içün olsun, garez ve ri≥vet içün olmasun. MN (34b-5) Words should be said for the purpose of truth, not for the purpose of a hidden goal or bribe. Meliklere yaqınlıq istemegüñ fâyidesi derece yüksekligi-çün olur ve dôstlara eylük eylemek ve dü≥mânları qahr eylemek içün olur. KD (26a-6) The benefit of wishing to be close to kings is that one may get higher ranks, may give his friends favors and destroy his enemies. Éy ana her ne kim dédüñse benüm dınçlıgum ve râÌatlugum içün dérsün. MN (34a-12) O mother, everything that you said all was in purpose of my well-being and my comfort. Qanqı ≥u kim i≥e dutılmı≥ olsa âbdest içün ya qurbet içün ya farîza dü≥megine ol Òuya müsta‘mel dérler. G (6b-10) The water that has been used for ablutions or bodily cleaning [which is] necessary according to the religious rules is called “∞mustamel∞” (the used thing). Sen da ı mîrâÒ almag-içün atañuñ anañuñ ölümin dilemegil. QN (12b-2) You also should not wish your father and mother die in order to get inheritance. The suffixed form of this postposition is +(y)çün∞: Eger diler iseñ kim alâyıq senüñ-çün eyü söyleyeler evvel sen Ìalâyıq Ìaqqında eyü söyle. QN (33a-12) If you wish people to say good words about you [then] first you say good words about people. Eger pâÂi≥âh kimseye ‘uqûbet éderse ra‘iyyet edeblemek-çün ve ≥erî‘at cârî olmaq-çün éde, gendü hevesi ve ı≥mı gâlib oldugı-çün étmeye. MN (38b-9) If a king would punish some- one he should punish him in order to give a lesson to people or to imple- ment laws, he should not punish him because his desire and anger pre- vails. ≤unlar kim Îaqq yolından azdılar taÌqîq anlaruñ-çün qatı ‘azab vardur qıyâmet gününi unutduqları-y-çün. QV (11a-3) There will be harsh punishments for those who have gone astray from the path of God and because of forgetting the day of judgment. This postposition together with participles creates an adverbial clause of cause in complex sentences∞: Bir qaç gün Tañrı ta‘âlâ mühlet vérdügi-çün ‘afvoldı geçdi Òanur. QN (11a-4) He thinks that because God gave him several days as grace period, he was forgiven and [therefore] it was over. c. birle∞: This postposition denotes instrumentality, association and togetherness similar to the postposition ile, meaning “∞with∞”, “∞by∞”, “∞by means of∞”∞: Eger ol yér Òuyı yagmurdan içer olsa ya arq Òuyı birle içer olsa, ol daÌıldan onda bir vâcib olur. G (63b-7) It is necessary to give tithe if that land was watered by rain or by water from an irrigation canal. Anuñ birle qamu ‘avratlar olsa… G (36b) If he is with all [those] 300 FIKRET TURAN women… Pes gögercin †ogru göñül ve tevekkül birle havâya pervâz urdı. MN (36a-13) Then the pigeon flew up with a pure hearth and trust in God. d. ile rarely ilen∞: This one is the most widely used postposition in Old Anatolian Turkish. It denotes instrumentality, association and manner meaning “∞with∞”, “∞by∞”, “∞by means of∞”, “∞on∞”, “∞by the way of∞”4∞: Dirligüm anuñ ileyidi. QN (18a-11) My livelihood was by means of that. Gâh yigitler ile otur Âevq eyle, gâh pîrler ile otur ögüt naÒîhat al. QN (37a-2, 3) Sometimes sit with young people and have pleasure, sometimes sit with old people and get advice. Sizüñ Ìimâyetüñüz ile ve sizüñ heybetüñüz ile yırtıcılar ≥errinden fârig yürürüz. MN (30a-10) We continue our lives without the harm of the wild animals because of your protection and your power. Élçi olan gi≥i kerem ile lü†f ile söyler. QE (103a-2) An ambassador speaks generously and elegantly. Ol Òanemler dürr ü cevâhir ile muraÒÒa‘ idi. QE (36a-9) Those idols were engraved with pearls and jewels. Qırq yigit ilen yiyüp içüp otururlar idi. DQ (90-2) He was sitting together with forty warriors eating and drinking. The word-final voiceless consonant /q/ may change into the voiced /g/ when it precedes the postposition ile. In this case ile becomes attached to the root or the base of the noun∞: Bir agaççug-ile ol arayı dürtdi.

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