önünden

önünden is a Turkish postpositional form derived from the noun ön meaning “front.” It combines ön with the ablative suffix -den/-dan to produce the meaning “from the front of” or “through the front of.” It is used to indicate the starting point or path of movement relative to a reference object, typically with verbs of motion.

In usage, önünden specifies that something moves past or away from the front of something else. For example, kapının önünden geçti literally means “passed from the front of the door,” i.e., it went by in front of the door. Similarly, o kişinin önünden geçerken selam verdi can be translated as “while passing in front of that person, he greeted them.” The construction is common in describing physical movement in space.

Distinctions with related forms are helpful. Önde or önünde indicates a static location “in front of” something (at the front of something). Önden conveys motion away from a place or starting point, as in “kapının önünden ayrıldı” (it left from in front of the door). The choice between -de/-da, -den/-dan, and related forms depends on whether the emphasis is on position (in front of) or movement from that position (from in front of).

Etymologically, önünden comes from ön plus the ablative suffix, and it is part of a broader set of Turkish directional expressions that describe spatial relationships in relation to a reference object.