Turkish: A Comprehensive Grammar

Turkish: A comprehensive grammar 444
‘Apparently there were [people who fainted], and even [some who died of the
heat
28.3.1.4 şöyle dursun/bir yana/bırak(ın) ‘let alone’
These expressions, which function as conjunctions, occur only in negative sentences, and
are placed at the end of the first conjunct. Their effect is to reinforce the negativity of the
assertion involving the first conjunct by drawing a comparison with the negativity of
another situation regarded as inherently more realizable. The second conjunct almost
always includes bile ‘even’ (28.3.1.1 (iv)). Note that if, as in (39), the comparison is
between two clauses (rather than two noun phrases), the first is expressed as a -mAk
clause (24.4.1.1):
(39) Diplomasını almak şöyle dursun/bir yana, tezini bile daha yazmamış.
‘S/he hasn’t even written her thesis yet, let alone received his/her degree.’
For the use of the negative particle değil in a similar function see 20.2.3.
28.3.2 ENUMERATING
dA…dA, hem…hem, gerek…(ve) gerek(se de) ‘both…and’
The items in this group of reduplicated conjunctions emphasize the equal status and
function in an utterance of two or more persons, objects or events. dA is attached to the
end of each of the phrases involved, whereas hem and gerek precede the phrases or
clauses they connect:
(40) Dünya Kupasında Güney Kore de Türki ye de yarı finale kaldı.
‘Both South Korea and Turkey have reached the semi-finals of the World Cup.’
(41) Necla hem Boğaziçi Üniversitesi hem de Bilkent’e girebiliyormuş.
‘Necla has been admitted to both Boğaziçi University and Bilkent.’
In the last occurrence of hem, dA can be used for emphasis, as in (41) above. The last
occurrence of gerek can be replaced by gerekse, gerekse de or ve gerekse de:
(42) Gerek İngiliz takımı, gerekse (de) Fransızlar, bu Dünya Kupası yarışması
na iddialı giriyorlar.
‘Both the English team and the French are entering this World Cup competition
with high hopes.’
Where dA…dA, hem…hem or gerek…(ve) gerek (se de) are used in sentences with a
negative predicate, they are equivalent to ne…ne ‘neither…nor’ (20.4).
28.3.3 ALTERNATIVE
This group of items conjoins phrases, clauses or sentences that express objects, persons,
events or situations presented as alternatives.