Learn Hardcore Turkish: Aileme olan bağlılığım her zaman benim için önceliklidir. - My loyalty to my family is always my priority.

Aileme is derived from aile (meaning family) with both a possessive and a dative suffix attached. The possessive suffix -m indicates “my” and the dative suffix -e (adjusted by vowel harmony) indicates “to”. Thus, aileme translates as “to my family.”

How does the relative clause olan function in this sentence?

Olan serves as a relative clause marker that links the preceding phrase (aileme) with the noun (bağlılığım). It functions similarly to English relative clauses like “that is” or “which is” but without using a separate relative pronoun. In effect, it specifies that the loyalty being discussed is specifically “to my family.”

How is possession expressed in the word bağlılığım?

In bağlılığım, the base word bağlılık means “loyalty”. The suffix -ım is a first-person singular possessive marker, indicating “my loyalty.” This use of attached possessive suffixes is a common way to express possession in Turkish.

What role does the phrase her zaman play in the sentence?

Her zaman is an adverbial expression that means “always.” It modifies the sentence by emphasizing that the loyalty described is not occasional but is consistently important.

What does benim için convey, and why is its placement important?

Benim için translates as “for me.” Here, benim is the possessive form meaning “my” and için means “for.” This phrase clarifies that the loyalty (and its priority) is significant to the speaker personally. Its placement helps convey personal emphasis within the sentence.

How does the word order in this Turkish sentence differ from English structure?

Turkish typically places modifiers and relative clauses before the noun they modify. In this sentence, aileme olan (indicating “to my family”) comes before bağlılığım (“my loyalty”) to form a descriptive noun phrase. In contrast, English would normally place the prepositional phrase after the noun (e.g., “my loyalty to my family”). Additionally, Turkish relies on suffixes rather than separate words like relative pronouns to connect ideas.

What is the meaning and structure of önceliklidir?

Önceliklidir is composed of the noun öncelik, which means “priority”, combined with the copular suffix -lidir, equivalent to saying “is” in the present tense. Thus, önceliklidir translates as “is a priority.” This pattern of forming a predicate by attaching a copula to a noun is a common feature in Turkish.