Kiliselerin kubbeleri ve camilerin minareleri şehrin siluetini şekillendirir.

The domes of churches and the minarets of mosques shape the city’s skyline.

Breakdown of Kiliselerin kubbeleri ve camilerin minareleri şehrin siluetini şekillendirir.

• ve: and
• şehir: the city
• şekillendirmek: to shape
• cami: the mosque

Questions & Answers about Kiliselerin kubbeleri ve camilerin minareleri şehrin siluetini şekillendirir.

What’s happening with the suffixes in kiliselerin kubbeleri and camilerin minareleri?

Both phrases express “the domes of the churches” and “the minarets of the mosques” by using:
• A genitive suffix on the possessor:
– kilise (church) + plural -ler = kiliseler
– kiliseler + genitive -in = kiliselerin (“of the churches”)
– cami (mosque) + -ler + -in = camilerin
• A plural plus 3rd-person possessive on the possessed noun:
– kubbe (dome) + -ler = kubbeler
– kubbeler + possessive -i = kubbeleri (“their domes”)
– minare (minaret) + -ler + -i = minareleri

Why does şehrin siluetini carry both -in and -i? What cases are these?

• şehrin = şehir (city) + genitive -in, marking “of the city.”
• silüetini = silüet (silhouette) + accusative -i, marking a definite direct object (“the silhouette”).
In other words, şehrin shows possession, and silüetini shows that the silhouette is the specific object being shaped.

How can I tell whether -i is the accusative ending or a possessive suffix?