Turkish: A Comprehensive Grammar

(27)
(a) [(ben-im) kendi-m-in bile anla-ya-ma-dığ-ım] bir yazı
I-GEN self-1SG.POSS-GEN even understand-PSB-NEG-PART-1SG.POSS
(b) [(ben-im) kend-im-in bile anla-ya-ma-dığ-ı] bir yazı
I-GEN self-1SG.POSS-GEN even understand-PSB-NEG-PART-3SG.POSS
‘an article that even I couldn’t understand myself’
When an emphatic construction with kendi- functions as the subject of a noun clause, the
verb agrees with it. The antecedent (siz ‘you’ below) usually has genitive marking, but it
may also be non-case-marked (28a). Kendiniz can also be used on its own in its non-casemarked
form (28b):
(28)
(a) [(Siz-(in)) kendi-niz oraya git-me-niz] gerekiyor.
you(-GEN) self-2PL.POSS there go-VN-2PL.POSS
‘You should go there yourself.’
(b) [Oraya kendi-niz git-me-niz] gerekiyor.
‘You should go there yourself.’
(ii) Reflexive usage of inflected kendi-:
kendi- is the standard means for expressing reflexivity (see also the reflexive voice
suffix, 8.2.1.3 and reflexive constructions, 13.2.3.1). Reflexive sentences are sentences
where the subject is also the recipient of the action, as in George likes himself. In its
usage as a reflexive pronoun, kendi- is inflected for person and case.
(29) Kendi-n-den başkasına güvenemiyor musun?
self-2SG.POSS-ABL
‘Can’t you trust anyone but yourself?’
The antecedent of reflexive kendi- is usually the subject of its own clause:
(30) Semra aday olarak kendi-sin-i/kendin-i one sürecekmiş.
‘Apparently Semra is going put herself forward as a candidate.’
(31) [Siz-in kendi-niz-i eleştir-me-niz] ne kadar kolay-mış!
you-GEN self-2PL.POSS-ACC criticize-VN-2PL.POSS how easy-EV.COP
‘How easy you seem to find it to criticize yourself!’
This can be indicated simply by placing the appropriate person marker on the predicate:
(32) Kendi-m-e bakamıyor-um.
self-1SG.POSS-DAT-1SG
‘I can’t take care of myself.’
Pronouns 235
A 3rd person antecedent whose identity is clear from previous mention similarly does not
have to be expressed within the clause by an overt noun phrase:
(33) Ninem çok yaşlı. Artık kendine bakamıyor.
‘My granny’s very old. She can’t take care of herself any longer.’