(The Greater Depths of Green)

5. October 21st – November 7th 2006  On the road to Istanbul

Reading on the formation of superlatives in Turkish taken from:

Grammar of the Turkish Language,

F L Hopkins,

Trubner and Co, London 1877

(with handwritten margin notes written in a fine

black italic script, perhaps circa 1907)

yeshel – green

daky ziade yeshel – still more green

djumladan yeshel – than all green, green

It needed a Turkish Grammar and Vocabulary such as Hopkins had written and had published in 1877 – one that gave understanding to the depths of green. I had forgotten to bring such a guide for this Journey, but now almost at random

– from the top of page 18 of the Grammar for instance –

I could begin to piece together some elements of meaning.

Vocabulary

kara geuzlu – black-eyed; koorkoo – fears, koorkooloo – dangerous;

[and]

khatoonlu er – a married man

Grammar of Agent Formation

By the addition of  – djy – the noun agent is formed. Thus:

etmek – bread   [becomes]   etmekdjy – the baker [and]

yol – the road   [becomes]   yoldji – the traveller

Agency Qualities or Actions

By the addition of – look, or – lik. Thus:

doost – the friend   [becomes]   doostlook – friendship

etmekdji – the baker   [becomes]   etmekdjilik – the trade of the baker

guzel – beautiful   [becomes]   guzellik – beauty

yol – the road   [becomes]  yoldji – the traveller   [becomes]

yoldjilik – the art of walking

Further to which may also be added the termination – siz – [lit.] without. Thus:

koorkoo – fears   [becomes]   koorkoosiz – fearless   [becomes]

koorkoosizlik – fearlessness

yoldji – the traveller   [becomes]   yoldjilik – the art of walking   [becomes]   yoldjisizlik – walkingtalkingwriting

Tomorrow I will read the page dealing with the Turkish present tense.

mmj