ingiz

Ingjiz is a linguistic suffix found in several Turkic languages that marks the second-person possessive, indicating ownership by the person addressed. It is not a standalone word in these languages but a bound morpheme attached to a noun to form phrases like “your X.”

In practice, the suffix is attached to the possessed noun and its exact form varies by language and vowel harmony. A common example in Uzbek is kitobingiz, meaning “your book.” In Turkish, the corresponding possessive suffix appears as -ınız or -iniz (among other allomorphs), yielding forms like kitabınız for “your book.” Other Turkic varieties use parallel endings such as -iñiz or -iŋiz, reflecting language-specific phonology and orthography.

Etymology and function: ingiz belongs to a family of possessive morphemes that encode person and number. It interacts with the noun’s stem and the language’s vowel harmony rules to produce a grammatically correct possessive construction. The element helps distinguish forms of address and formality in conversation and written text.

Usage notes: As a suffix, ingiz is typically written as a single unit with the possessed noun and does not stand alone. Its presence signals respect or formality in many contexts, and the precise ending is chosen to align with the language’s phonological rules.

See also: Turkic languages, possessive suffixes, Turkish possessive, Uzbek possessive forms.