Turkish: A Comprehensive Grammar

Turkish: A comprehensive grammar 352
24.1 FINITE AND NON-FINITE NOUN CLAUSES
The subordinating suffix that is attached to the predicate of non-finite noun clauses gives
them a much more recognizably nominal structure than a finite noun clause can have. In
all noun clauses marked with -DIK or -(y)AcAK, and in most that are marked with -mA or
-(y)Iş, the subject is indicated by a possessive suffix attached to the verbal noun. The
subject may also be referred to more explicitly by a genitive-marked noun phrase, which
gives the noun clause the overall structure of a genitive-possessive construction. (For
omission of genitive marking on the subject see 24.4.6.)
(4) [(Sen-in) piyano çal-dığ-ın]-ı bilmiyordum.
you-GEN piano play-VN-2SG.POSS-ACC
‘I didn’t know [you played the piano].’
(5) [(Sen-in) piyano çal-ma-n]-ı beklediler.
you-GEN piano play-VN-2SG.POSS-ACC
‘They expected [you to play the piano].’
Non-finite noun clauses have the same kind of mobility within the sentence as noun
phrases (see 23.3). Some types of finite noun clause, on the other hand (especially the
bare type and those formed with ki), are considerably more restricted in the positions that
they can occupy in relation to the main predicate.
In general terms the non-finite types of noun clause are more universally acceptable
than their finite equivalents (where these indeed exist). Except for the presentation of
direct speech (24.2.1 (i)), and the use of ki clauses with cognitive verbs (24.3.2.2), the use
of finite noun clauses is largely confined to informal styles of speech and writing.
24.2 BARE FINITE NOUN CLAUSES (FINITE NOUN CLAUSES
WITHOUT A SUBORDINATOR)
These occur as subjects or objects of the verbs de- ‘say’, iste- ‘want’, and verbs of
cognition.
24.2.1 SUBJECT OR OBJECT OF THE VERB de
de- ‘say’ occurs only with finite noun clauses. It can be used not only to express a spoken
utterance but also for the expression of unspoken thoughts. Here we shall discuss three
different uses of de-.
(i) The most straightforward use of de- is in representations of direct speech, where the
speaker claims to present the exact words spoken in another context by himself/herself or
someone else. It should be noted that de-, whether in a finite form or a non-finite one
such as diye (24.3.1), is the only verb that can be used for this purpose. The quotation
itself occupies the immediately preverbal position.