Gayri

Gayri is a derivational prefix in Turkish used to mean non-, un-, or without. It is attached to nouns or adjectives to form new words that express negation, absence, or contrast with the base term. The prefix is part of the standard Turkish lexicon and is widely productive in both formal and everyday language.

Etymology and usage: Gayri is derived from Arabic غَيْر (gayr), meaning “other” or “different,” and has been integrated into Turkish over history as a bound morpheme. In modern Turkish, gayri- combines with a broad range of bases to produce terms that denote the opposite or non-existence of the base concept. It is typically written as a single word with the root, though some compounds may appear with spacing in certain contexts or orthographic traditions.

Common examples: Gayrimenkul (real estate), where gayri signals “not movable property” relative to real estate; gayriresmi (unofficial or informal); gayrisafi as in gayrisafi hasıla, a term used in economics to denote gross (as in gross domestic or gross national measures). These examples illustrate how gayri- forms adjectives and nouns that describe non- or outside-of-status concepts.

Notes on usage: The prefix is a standard tool in Turkish morphology and is understood across dialects and registers. While highly productive, its interpretation is usually transparent from the context and the root word. In official terminology, gayri- often helps distinguish between authorized and non-authorized or non-official forms and statuses.