Derivational networks of nouns and adjectives in Turkish

Abstract

In Turkish, the distinction between nouns and adjectives is not clear. According to Braun and Haig (2000), nouns and adjectives in Turkish are on a continuum. The distinction between nouns and adjectives is not straightforward since nouns can behave like adjectives and modify other nouns and adjectives can go under conversion and take nominal suffixes. This study aims to shed light on the derivational properties of nouns and adjectives in Turkish. These properties are observed through a model called Derivational Networks, which is first used in Projekt Monika: Cross-linguistic research into derivational networks (Bagasheva et al., frth.). The Derivational Networks model focuses on the semantic categories of the outcomes of derivation rather than analyzing the formal properties of derivational affixes (Bagasheva et al., frth.). In the Derivational Networks project, Göksel and Kapan (frth.) state that nouns and adjectives share similarities as well as differences in their derivation, which inspired this study. In order to analyze the derivational properties of nouns and adjectives in Turkish, 65 base nouns and 65 base adjectives have been selected and their derivations are spread out on derivational network tables. One of the findings is that nouns and adjectives differ in terms of their potential to derive new lexical items and the actualizations of those potentials. Nouns have a higher number of derivatives and a maximum derivational network number than adjectives whereas adjectives have a higher saturation value, suggesting that even though the potential of adjectives to derive new lexical items is smaller than nouns, adjectives actualize their potential more than nouns.