Turkish: A Comprehensive Grammar

24
NOUN CLAUSES
Noun clauses are clausal noun phrases. They are subordinate clauses that perform within
the larger sentence (within the main clause or another subordinate clause) the same
functions as noun phrases, i.e. those of subject, object, etc. (see Chapter 14). Structurally
they may be one of two types:
(i) finite (i.e. identical in structure to a full sentence, see 12.3):
(1) [Üniversite-ye gid-e-yim] isti-yor.
university-DAT go-OPT-1SG want-IMPF
‘S/he wants [me to go to university].’
(ii) non-finite (i.e. with their verbal constituent marked by one of the subordinating
suffixes -mAK, -mA, -DIK, -(y)AcAK or -(y)Iş, see 12.3):
(2) [Konu-yu iyice anla-mak] gerek.
topic-ACC thoroughly understand-VN necessary
‘One has to understand the topic thoroughly.’
Within the finite category a further division exists: bare finite noun clauses (24.2) are
simply juxtaposed to, or inserted within, the superordinate clause, as in (1) above, while
finite noun clauses with a subordinator (24.3; see also 12.3) are linked to their
superordinate clause by a preceding ki or a following diye or gibi:
(3) [Sen Londra-da-sı n diye] bil-iyor-du-m.
You London-LOC-2SG SUB think-IMPF-P.COP-1SG
‘I thought [you were in London].’
In 24.4 we present a detailed account of the wide range of non-finite noun clause patterns
and functions in Turkish. 24.5 is devoted to the special kind of noun clause known as a
small clause, the subject of which is also a constituent of the superordinate clause. The
chapter concludes with a brief discussion of noun clauses as modifiers in noun
compounds (24.6).
In the interests of clarity we have confined both the discussion and the examples in
this chapter to sentences in which the noun clause is embedded directly in the main
clause. However, it should be borne in mind that all types of noun clause, with the
exception of those formed with ki (24.3.2), regularly occur embedded in other clauses
which are themselves subordinate to the main clause (see 12.3).