genitiveiyelik

Genitiveiyelik is a term used in Turkish grammar to describe the genitive-iyelik construction, a possessive relation between a possessor and a possessed noun. This form signals ownership or close association and is common in Turkish noun phrases.

Mechanism and structure: The possessor is marked with a genitive suffix on the possessor noun, using forms such as -in, -ın, -un, -ün (chosen according to vowel harmony). The possessed noun often appears in its base form but may carry its own suffix to indicate definiteness or other grammatical features. The typical order is the possessor in the genitive followed by the possessed noun. Examples include Ahmet'in evi (Ahmet's house), arabanın kapısı (the car's door), and çocukların oyuncağı (the children's toy).

Functions: Genitiveiyelik expresses ownership, but it also covers broader relations of association, including kinship, part-whole relations, and related entities within a noun phrase. The construction is productive in speech and writing and combines with numerals or demonstratives to form larger phrases, such as bu arabanın kapısı (this car's door) or onların evlerinin bahçesi (their houses’ yard).

Notes: Turkish does not have a separate genitive case like some languages; possession is realized through suffixation on the possessor and, in the possessor-phrase, agreement on the head noun. The possessed noun may bear its own suffixes (as in kapısı, oyuncağı) to indicate number or definiteness within the context of the genitive relationship.