Tekilatlanma

Tekilatlanma is a term used in some Turkic-language grammars to describe a process by which a word or its inflected form becomes simplified toward a single, uninflected base form. The word is formed from tekil, meaning "singular," and -atlanma, meaning "becoming" or "process of becoming." In this usage, tekilatlanma can refer to either diachronic change (historical development) or synchronic variation (in a dialect or register) that reduces inflectional complexity.

Usage and scope: Tekilatlanma is not widely standardized in mainstream linguistics. It is sometimes used to describe the neutralization or removal of inflectional markers—such as plural or case endings—in certain contexts, particularly in informal speech or in language contact situations. Some writers prefer to describe these phenomena with terms like simplification of inflection or monomorphization rather than as a separate process.

Mechanisms: The process may involve loss or reduction of plural suffixes, erosion of case endings, or reanalysis of affixes. It can be accompanied by phonological changes that further reduce the word's surface form, and may lead to a single dominant form used across grammatical numbers or cases in particular varieties.

Languages and attitudes: Reports of tekilatlanma have appeared in descriptions of several Turkic languages and their dialects, though attested examples are limited and the concept remains a topic of ongoing discussion among linguists.

See also: Turkish grammar, Turkic languages, inflection, morphophonology, language simplification.