The structure of correlatives and unconditionals in Turkish

Abstract

This paper investigates the structure of correlatives and unconditionals in
Turkish by focusing on their syntactic and semantic parallels and distinctions. I show that unconditional interpretations are blocked by non-past TAM markers (e.g., the aorist), whereas correlatives show no restrictions on tense morphology. By using this temporal restriction as a diagnostic, I propose that correlatives align with standard if -conditionals; therefore, they do not impose any limitations on the antecedent. On the other hand, unconditionals resemble even-if conditionals, particularly the ones with the antecedent-final polarity-focused dA particle. Eventually, I suggest that the restriction on non-past markers in unconditional contexts arises from the exhaustification requirement of unconditionals and the issues non-past markers face under the Law of Excluded Middle (LEM).