On negation

Abstract

This chapter is intended as a mere announcement that there are three types of negation in Turkish. Each of these types has its own specific domain. First, to a verbal stem various (verbal) suffixes can be attached. Verbal negation goes by suffixation, and if a verb is to be negated, the negating suffix is added directly to the verb stem. Secondly, nominal sentences all make use of the negation particle değil ‘not’. The third type of negation occurs in existential expressions: the notion ‘there is’ is expressed by var and its negational counterpart is yok ‘there is not’. Furthermore, to a limited extent intrinsic negation is expressed in adverbial phrases by olmadan ‘without’ or by a noun expanded by the privative suffix –sIz ‘without’. Also the particle ne … ne ‘neither … nor’ has a negative meaning.