Köyü

Köyü is a Turkish term that combines the word köy, meaning village, with the third-person possessive suffix -ü. It functions to denote “the village’s” or “of the village” and can appear in various grammatical forms depending on context. In sentences, köyü can indicate possession, as in köyü = “his/her/its village,” or, when combined with an additional suffix, form other meanings such as köyünü for “his/her village” as a direct object.

In practice, köyü occurs as part of standard Turkish grammar. For example, köyünü gördüm means “I saw his/her village,” illustrating how possession and the accusative can be combined in one word. The term also appears in more general phrases to refer to the village itself in possessive expressions, such as köyü yakınlarda var, meaning “his/her village is nearby.”

Administratively, villages (köy) are the smallest rural units in Turkey. Each village is headed by a muhtar, an elected official who represents the community and handles local civil matters in coordination with district (ilçe) authorities and the provincial administration. Villages vary in population and infrastructure, with duties including basic registry services, maintenance of local roads, and oversight of communal facilities.

Etymologically, köyü reflects Turkish morphology, where köy provides the root meaning “village” and -ü marks possession. The form can also appear in historical texts or place names where ownership or association with a village is indicated.

See also: Köy (village), Muhtar, İlçe, Turkish administrative divisions.