Donem

Donem, in Turkish spelling dönем, is a noun meaning a period, term, era, or phase. It refers to a distinct span of time characterized by particular conditions or events. The word is widely used in education, politics, history, and everyday language to describe fixed intervals such as an academic term, a political term, or a historical era. Depending on context, it can denote a short interval or a longer era.

Etymology and sense: The Turkish word is native and is formed from the verb dönmek (to turn, rotate) with a nominalizing suffix. The idea behind the term is a turning point or cycle in time—a segment marked by specific features or activities.

Usage and contexts: In education, bir eğitim dönemi denotes an academic term or study period; in politics, bir cumhurbaşkanı dönemi denotes a president’s term; in history, dönemin characteristics refer to the features of a given era. The word is often paired with qualifiers such as siyasi (political), ekonomik (economic), or kültürel (cultural) and can be translated into English as period, term, or era, depending on context.

Inflection and related forms: The plural is dönemler; the genitive is dönemin; the locative is dönemde; the accusative is dönemi. The adjective form is dönems el or dönems el? The standard adjective is dönемsel, meaning period-related or cyclical.

See also: dönemin, dönemsel, periyot.