About the stages of development of the attributive substantive structures in the language of the ancient Turkic runic inscriptions (in comparison with the modern Turkish language)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the attributive possessive constructions in the Ancient Turkic language and in modern Turkish. In Turkic linguistics these structures are called izafet. There are three types of izafet constructions. Each of them represents possession. Possession, in the context of linguistics, is an asymmetric relationship between two constituents, the referent of one of which (the possessor) in some sense possesses (owns, has as a part, rules over, etc.) the referent of the other (the possessed). The author draws attention to the fact that in two Turkic languages, one of which is considered to be the primogenitor of another, similar izafets have different functions. In addition, in the ancient language it is difficult to find the regularity of use izafets of first, second and third types. Often, various izafets can be used to convey a similar sense. The areas of usage of all types of izafets in the modern Turkish language, on the contrary, are outlined very clearly. The starting point for a theoretical understanding of the facts of this language is the idea according to which the structure of this language develops under the principle of economy of affixes (G. P. Melnikov’s concept). Author assumes that the ancient Turks under the influence of the Ancient Turkic principle in the texts preferred to use the first type of izafet — construction without any affixes, but if the meaning of the sentence was unclear, native speaker used second type of izafet — construction with one affix. And only in the case where a possessive relationship between two unique objects was to be expressed, the native speaker could use the third type of izafet. Refs 10.

Keywords:

Turkology, Grammar of the Turkic languages, syntax, attributive structures, runic inscriptions