Tackling the Augmentative Puzzle in Turkish

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3765/ptu.v5i1.4771

Keywords:

adjectives, augmentative, scalar, gradability, nanosyntax

Abstract

This paper deals with the suffix -cIk in Turkish, and argues that the suffix -cIk has an augmentative meaning, as well as a diminutive meaning which has been mentioned in the literature extensively. The different meanings of the suffix -cIk are due to two different structures that I propose. While the structure of the diminutive is made of one single morpheme -cIk, that of the augmentative suffix is composed of two morphemes: -cI and -k. I offer phonotactic and morphological evidence that shows -k has its own life. I also show strict categorical selection properties for the diminutive and augmentative suffix: The augmentative one can only be attached to adjectival bases that express negative orderings. The diminutive -cIk, on the other hand, attaches to nouns. I capture this contrast using the nanosyntax model of spellout.

Author Biography

  • Utku Türk, Boğaziçi University

    Research Assistant
    Department of Linguistics
    Boğaziçi University 

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Published

2021-02-10

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Section

Articles