kökünden

Kökünden is a Turkish adverb meaning “from the root” or “from its origins.” It is used to indicate that something is approached, addressed, or changed at its fundamental level, or completely and from the very basis. The expression can be used literally, for example in a horticultural sense, or figuratively to emphasize thoroughness, fundamental change, or a return to origins in discussion or analysis.

Etymology and form: The word is formed from kök (root) plus the possessive and ablative suffixes, yielding kökünden. In Turkish, such combinations create adverbial phrases that modify verbs or entire clauses. As a nuance, kökünden stresses origin and completeness more than neutral description.

Usage and nuance: Kökünden tends to appear in formal, literary, or analytical contexts, including journalism, politics, and academic prose. It often accompanies verbs like ele almak (to tackle), değiştirmek (to change), veya incelemek (to examine) to convey addressing something fundamentally. Examples include: “Bu durumu kökünden ele almak gerekiyor.” and “Kökünden değişmesini isteyenler var.” The phrase can convey a sense of radical or comprehensive action, rather than merely incremental change.

Relation to similar terms: Kökünden is related to kökten or kökten, which also carry ideas of thoroughness or fundamental change, but kökünden emphasizes origin and totality. It is less common in everyday informal speech, where simpler synonyms such as tamamen or kökten are more likely to be used.

See also: kök, ele almak, değiştirmek.