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Differential object marking in Standard Turkish and Caucasian Urum

  • Stefanie Böhm EMAIL logo

Abstract

Differential object marking (DOM) is a common feature of many languages, including Standard Turkish and Urum, a Turkish variety spoken by ethnic Greeks in Georgia. This article investigates the interaction between case marking and word order in both varieties of Turkish. While Standard Turkish shows a strong dependence of the case marking possibilities from word order, i.e. bare objects may only appear in immediately preverbal position of a clause, the analysis reveals that bare objects in Urum may occur in any position of a clause. This provides evidence that the verb in Urum can freely move within the VP.

Acknowledgments

I am particularly grateful to Violeta Moisidi (Tbilisi) for the translation and recordings of the Urum stimuli and to Emrah Turan (Bielefeld University) for his assistance with the translation of the Turkish stimuli. The present article is part of the project “The impact of current transformational processes on language and ethnic identity: Urum and Pontic Greeks in Georgia” (Bielefeld University and European-University Viadrina) funded by the VW-foundation.

Abbreviations

acc

accusative

aor

aorist

dat

dative

gen

genitive

inf

infinitive

loc

locative

poss

possessive

prog

progressive

pl

plural

pst

past

sg

singular

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Appendix

Experiment 1

ID
1Turkish:Nesrinmasal/masalıanlatıyor.
Urum:Lianaekiät/ekiätinahıledier.
‘Nesrin/Liana is telling a/the fairy tale.’
2Turkish:Elinaraba/arabayısatıyor.
Urum:Sofiamašina/mašinayisatier.
‘Elin/Sofia is selling a/the car.’
3Turkish:Larameptup/mektubuatiyor.
Urum:Larapismo/pismoyiyollier.
‘Lara is sending a/the letter.’
4Turkish:Danaşal/şaliörüyor.
Urum:Annašarf/šar-itohier.
‘Dana/Anna is knitting a/the scarf.’
5Turkish:Elisaçiçek/çiçeğidikiyor.
Urum:Elisačičäg/čičägiäkier.
‘Elisa is planting a/the flower.’
6Turkish:Tugceşarki/şarkiyisölüyor.
Urum:Marikatürki/türkiyičağırier.
‘Tugce/Marika is singing a/the song.
7Turkish:Leyladergi/dergiyiokuyor.
Urum:Tamaragazet/gazetiohier.
‘Leyla/Tamara is reading a/the newspaper.’
8Turkish:Alexaşiir/şiiriyazıyor.
Urum:Alexastih/stihiyazier.
‘Alexa is writing a/the poem.’

Experiment 2

ID
9Turkish:Mesutfilm/filmiizliyordu.
Urum:Sandrokino/kinoyibahierdi.
‘Mesut/Sandro was watching a/the film.’
10Turkish:Kızelma/elmayıyiyordu.
Urum:Ğızalma/amayiierdi.
‘A girl was eating an/the apple.’
11Turkish:Selmaaraba/arabayısürüyordu.
Urum:Sashamašina/mašinayisürierdi.
‘Selma/Sasha was driving a/the car.’
12Turkish:Pinarbisiklet/bisikletibiniyordu.
Urum:Melanivelisaped/velisapedisürierdi.
‘Pinar/Melani was riding a/the bike.’
13Turkish:Aylaçiçek/çiçeğitopluyordu.
Urum:Anastasiačičäg/čičägitoplierdi.
‘Ayla/Anastasia was picking a/the flower.’
14Turkish:Kızelbise/elbiseyialıyordu.
Urum:Ğızkaba/kabayialierdi.
‘A girl was buying a/the dress.’
15Turkish:Adamev/eviyapıyordu.
Urum:Ärgišiäv/ävialierdi.
‘A man was building a/the house.’
16Turkish:Annepasta/pastayiyapıyordu.
Urum:Anatort/tortiedierdi.
‘The mother was baking a/the cake.’

Experiment 3

ID
17Turkish:Muratisteksizkitap/kitabıokuyor.
Urum:Adrianistämiakniga/knigayiohier.
‘Murat/Adrian is reading a/the book unwillingly.’
18Turkish:Attilabelkimektup/mektubuyazıyor.
Urum:Ninoolabülürpismo/pismoyiyazier.
‘Attila/Nino is maybe reading a/the letter.’
19Turkish:Uğurhızlıelma/elmayıyedi.
Urum:Dominictezalma/almayiier.
‘Uğur/Dominic is eating an/the apple fast.
20Turkish:Ahmetdikkatlicearaba/arabayısürüyor.
Urum:Giorgiarheinmašina/mašinayisurer.
Ahmet/Giorgi is driving a car/the car carefully.
21Turkish:Aytülgenelliklegazete/gazeteyiokuyor.
Urum:Vasiliabıčnogazet/gazetiohier.
‘Aytül/Vasili is usually reading a/the newspaper.’
22Turkish:Ademyavaşçaaraba/arabayıgeçiyor.
Urum:Andreyusulmašina/mašinayigečier.
‘Adem/Andrey is overtaking a/the car slowly.’
23Turkish:Havvaher zamanşarki/şarkiyifuyuyor.
Urum:Irinaärdämätürki/türkiyičağırier.
‘Havva/Irina is always singing a/the song.’
24Turkish:Metinaslaaraba/arabayısatıyor.
Urum:Sosoechmašina/mašinayisatmier.
‘Metin/Soso is never selling a/the car.’
Published Online: 2015-10-22
Published in Print: 2015-11-1

©2015 by De Gruyter Mouton

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