Editing Turkish language (section)

==== Case ====

There is no [[definite article]] in Turkish, but definiteness of the object is implied when the accusative ending is used (see below). Turkish nouns decline by taking case endings. There are six [[Declension|noun cases]] in Turkish, with all the endings following vowel harmony (shown in the table using the shorthand [[#Vowel harmony|superscript notation]]). Since the postposition {{lang|tr|ile}} often gets suffixed onto the noun, some analyze it as an [[instrumental case]], although in formal speech it takes the genitive with personal pronouns, singular demonstratives, and interrogative {{lang|tr|kim}}. The [[plural]] marker {{lang|tr|-ler}} ² immediately follows the noun before any case or other affixes (e.g. {{lang|tr|köylerin}} "of the villages").{{citation needed|date=July 2014}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!rowspan="2"|Case
!rowspan="2"|Ending
!colspan="2"|Examples
!rowspan="2"|Meaning
|-
!{{lang|tr|köy}} "village"
!{{lang|tr|ağaç}} "tree"
|-
|[[Nominative case|Nominative]]
|∅ (none)
|{{lang|tr|köy}}
|{{lang|tr|ağaç}}
|(the) village/tree
|-
|[[Accusative case|Accusative]]
|{{lang|tr|-i}} <sup>4</sup>
|{{lang|tr|köyü}}
|{{lang|tr|ağa'''c'''ı}}
|the village/tree
|-
|[[Genitive case|Genitive]]
|{{lang|tr|-in}} <sup>4</sup>
|{{lang|tr|köyün}}
|{{lang|tr|ağa'''c'''ın}}
|the village's/tree's<br />of the village/tree
|-
|[[Dative case|Dative]]
|{{lang|tr|-e}} ²
|{{lang|tr|köye}}
|{{lang|tr|ağa'''c'''a}}
|to the village/tree
|-
|[[Locative case|Locative]]
|{{lang|tr|-de}} ²
|{{lang|tr|köyde}}
|{{lang|tr|ağaç'''t'''a}}
|in/on/at the village/tree
|-
|[[Ablative case|Ablative]]
|{{lang|tr|-den}} ²
|{{lang|tr|köyden}}
|{{lang|tr|ağaç'''t'''an}}
|from the village/tree
|-
|[[Instrumental case|Instrumental]]
|{{lang|tr|-le}} ²
|{{lang|tr|köyle}}
|{{lang|tr|ağaçla}}
|with the village/tree
|}

The accusative case marker is used only for definite objects; compare {{lang|tr|(bir) ağaç gördük}} "we saw '''a''' tree" with {{lang|tr|ağacı gördük}} "we saw '''the''' tree".{{efn|Because it is also used for the indefinite accusative, Lewis uses the term "absolute case" in preference to "nominative".<ref name=lewis2001/>{{rp|28}}}} The plural marker {{lang|tr|-ler}} ² is generally not used when a class or category is meant: {{lang|tr|ağaç gördük}} can equally well mean "we saw trees [as we walked through the forest]"—as opposed to {{lang|tr|ağaçları gördük}} "we saw the trees [in question]".{{citation needed|date=February 2013}}

The declension of {{lang|tr|ağaç}} illustrates two important features of Turkish phonology: consonant [[assimilation (linguistics)|assimilation]] in [[suffix]]es ({{lang|tr|ağaç'''t'''an, ağaç'''t'''a}}) and [[voice (phonetics)|voicing]] of final consonants before vowels ({{lang|tr|ağa'''c'''ın, ağa'''c'''a, ağa'''c'''ı}}).{{citation needed|date=February 2013}}

Additionally, nouns can take suffixes that assign [[grammatical person|person]]: for example {{lang|tr|-imiz}} <sup>4</sup>, "our". With the addition of the [[Turkish copula|copula]] (for example {{lang|tr|-im}} <sup>4</sup>, "I am") complete sentences can be formed. The [[interrogative word|interrogative]] particle {{lang|tr|mi}} <sup>4</sup> immediately follows the word being questioned, and also follows vowel harmony: {{lang|tr|köye mi?}} "[going] to the village?", {{lang|tr|ağaç mı?}} "[is it a] tree?".{{citation needed|date=February 2013}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Turkish
!English
|-
|{{lang|tr|ev}}
|align="right"|(the) house
|-
|{{lang|tr|evler}}
|align="right"|(the) houses
|-
|{{lang|tr|evin}}
|align="right"|your (sing.) house
|-
|{{lang|tr|eviniz}}
|align="right"|your (pl./formal) house
|-
|{{lang|tr|evim}}
|align="right"|my house
|-
|{{lang|tr|evimde}}
|align="right"|at my house
|-
|{{lang|tr|evlerinizin}}
|align="right"|of your houses
|-
|{{lang|tr|evlerinizden}}
|align="right"|from your houses
|-
|{{lang|tr|evlerinizdendi}}
|align="right"|(he/she/it) was from your houses
|-
|{{lang|tr|evlerinizdenmiş}}
|align="right"|(he/she/it) was (apparently/said to be) from your houses
|-
|{{lang|tr|Evinizdeyim.}}
|align="right"|I am at your house.
|-
|{{lang|tr|Evinizdeymişim.}}
|align="right"|I was (apparently) at your house.
|-
|{{lang|tr|Evinizde miyim?}}
|align="right"|Am I at your house?
|}