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1

2014

THE PAST

CONTINUOUS

TENSE IN

TURKISH

Yüksel Göknel

THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE IN TURKISH

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THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE IN TURKISH

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THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE IN TURKISH

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THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

Şimdiki Zaman’ın Hikâyesi This tense is used like The Past Continuous Tense of the English Language.

The time morpheme of this tense is a combination of [İ.YOR] morpheme

followed by the [du] allomorph, which are followed by the usual personal

allomorphs. The allomorphs of these morphemes are simultaneously chosen

by the phonological component of the Turkish language in accordance with

the Turkish harmony rules as usual.

The allomorphs of [İ.YOR] are ♫ [i.yor, ı.yor, ü.yor, u.yor] as they are in

The Present Continuous Tense. As all the allomorphs of [İ.YOR] morpheme

end with “yor” syllables, only the [du] allomorph of the morpheme [Dİ] is

used after the allomorphs of [İ.YOR]. For instance:

i.yor-du, ı.yor-du, ü.yor-du, u.yor-du.

Although the personal morphemes are [İM], [İN], [Ø], [İK], [İN.İZ], and

[LER.Dİ], only their allomorphs [um], [un], [Ø], [uk], [un.uz] and [lar-dı] are

used due to the [du] past time allomorph. As the vowels of the [du] allo-

morphs coincide with the vowels of the personal allomorphs, they combine

and verbalize as single vowels: (ben) [du-um] (dum); (sen) [du-un] (dun); (o) [du] (du); (biz) [du-uk] (duk);

(siz) [du-un.uz] (du*nuz); (onlar) [du] (du) or [lar-dı] (lar*dı).

As all these allomorphs are attached to [i.yor-du] allomorphs, they become

“i.yor-du-um”, “i.yor-du-un”, “i.yor-du”, “i.yor-du-uk”, “i.yor-du-un.uz”, “i.yor-

lar-dı”:

Positive:

(Ben) Ankara’-/y/a git-i.yor-du-um.

(an*ka*ra*ya / gi*di*yor*dum)

I was going to Ankara.

Onlar biz-e yardım et-i.yor-lar-dı.

(on*lar / bi*ze / yar*dım / e*di*yor*lar*dı)

They were helping us. Ben o-/n/u bil-i.yor-du-um.

(ben / o*nu / bi*li*yor*dum)

I knew it. (Biz) arkadaş-lar-ım.ız-ı ara-ı.yor-du-uk.

(ar*ka*daş*la*rı*mı*zı / a*rı*yor*duk)

We were looking for our friends.

THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE IN TURKISH

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Ben bir problem çöz-ü.yor-du-um.

(ben / bir / prob*lem / çö*zü*yor*dum)

I was solving a problem.

Biz onlar-ı bekle-i.yor-du-uk.

(biz / on*la*rı / bek*li*yor*duk)

We were waiting for them.

O ben-i sev-i.yor-du.

(o / be*ni / se*vi*yor*du)

She was in love with me.

Öğrenci-ler öğretmen-ler-i-/n/i dikkat-le dinle-i.yor-lar-dı.

(öğ*ren*ci*ler / öğ*ret*men*le*ri*ni / dik*kat*le / din*li*yor*lar*dı)

The students were listening to their teacher carefully.

(The double underlined /e/ drops and the /l/ attaches to /i/.)

(Biz) uyu-u.yor-du-uk. (The /u/ drops, the /y/ attaches to /u/, and the /u-u/

combine.) (u*yu*yor*duk)

We were sleeping.

Negative:

Although the negation allomorphs of this tense are ♫ [me] and [ma], their

last vowels drop when they are attached to the allomorphs of [İ.YOR]:

(Onlar) gel-me-i.yor-lar-dı. (The /e/ drops, and the /m/ attaches to /i/.)

(gel*mi*yor*lar*dı)

They were not coming.

Onlar-ı bekle-me-i.yor-du-uk.

(on*la*rı / bek*le*mi*yor*duk)

We were not waiting for them.

O ben-i sev-me-i.yor-du.

(o / be*ni / sev*mi*yor*du)

She wasn’t in love with me. O ben-i anla-ma-ı.yor-du. (O beni anlamadı.)

(o / be*ni / an*la*mı*yor*du)

She didn’t understand me.

Ben uyu-ma-u.yor-du-um.

(ben / u*yu*mu*yor*dum)

I wasn't sleeping.

THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE IN TURKISH

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Positive question:

The question allomorphs of this tense are [mi, mı, mü, mu]. Each one of

these allomorphs may be separately used after any stressed word in a

sentence:

Ahmet okul-a otobüs-le mi git-i.yor-du?

(ah*met / o*ku*la / o*to*büs*le*mi / gi*di*yor*du)

Was Ahmet going to school by bus?

Ahmet otobüsle okul-a mı git-i.yor-du?

(ah*met / o*to*büs*le / o*ku*la↝ mı / gi*di*yor*du)

Was Ahmet going to school by bus?

Ahmet okul-a otobüs-le git-i.yor mu/y/-du?

(ah*met / o*ku*la / o*to*büs*le / gi*di*yor / mu/y/-du)

Was Ahmet going to school by bus?

(Siz) uyu-u.yor mu/y/-du-un.uz?

(u*yu*yor / muy*du*nuz)

Were you sleeping?

(Biz) çalış-ı.yor mu/y/du-uk?

(ça*lı*şı*yor / muy*duk)

Were we working?

When the verb is stressed, the question allomorph [mu] attaches to [du]

followed by the personal allomorphs:

"Gidiyor mu/y/-du-um?" "Bekliyor mu/y/-dun?" "Çalışıyor mu/y/-du" "Uyuyor

mu/y/-du-uk?" "Koşuyor mu/y/-du-un-uz?" "Gülüyorlar mı/y/-dı?"

Negative question :

The [me, ma] negation allomorphs are used in negative questions as usual:

Onlar otobüs-le git-me-i.yor mu/y/-du-lar?

(on*lar / o*to*büs*le / git*mi*yor / muy*du*lar)

Weren’t they going by bus?

The double underlined /e/ drops, the /m/ attaches to /i/ and the /y/ glide is

inserted between [mu] and [du]. Instead of “Gitmiyor muydular?”, “Gitmiyor-

lar mıydı?” is often heard.

THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE IN TURKISH

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When the question words are involved, the [mi, mı, mü, mu] allomorphs are

not used, and the verbs are in positive form:

(Sen) ne yap-ı.yor-du-un?

(ne↝ / ya*pı*yor*dun↝)

What were you doing?

Sana kim yardım et-i.yor-du?

(sa*na / kim ↝/ yar*dım / e*di*yor*du↝)

Who was helping you? (The /t/ changes into the voiced /d/.)

(Sen) nere-/y/e git-i.yor-du-un?

(ne↝re*ye / gi*di*yor*dun↝)

Where were you going?

The /t/ changes into the voiced /d/, and the /u-u/ vowels combine.

Cadde-de bir kadın niçin koş-u.yor-du?

(cad*de*de / bir / ka*dın / ni↝çin / ko*şu*yor*du↝)

Why was a woman running along the street?

Yüksel Göknel