Breakdown of Masada ekmek kırıntıları kaldı; kâğıt havluyla hemen sildim.
masa
the table
hemen
immediately
kalmak
to remain
-da
on
Questions & Answers about Masada ekmek kırıntıları kaldı; kâğıt havluyla hemen sildim.
What does the suffix in Masada mean, and when is it -da/de vs -ta/te?
- -da/-de is the locative suffix meaning in/on/at.
- Vowel harmony chooses -da after back vowels (a, ı, o, u) and -de after front vowels (e, i, ö, ü).
- If the noun ends in a voiceless consonant (p, ç, t, k, f, s, h, ş), the suffix devoices to -ta/-te (consonant harmony): parkta, şehirde, masada.
Why is it ekmek kırıntıları and not ekmek kırıntısı? And does kırıntıları mean their crumbs?
- ekmek kırıntıları = bread crumbs (plural).
- ekmek kırıntısı (singular) often has a partitive feel: some breadcrumb(s), some crumb residue.
- Morphology: ekmek (bread) + kırıntı (crumb) + -lar (plural) + -ı (linking possessive required by the compound). Here, -ı does not mean his/her; it’s the standard linker in an indefinite noun–noun compound. So ekmek kırıntıları is not their crumbs.
Who is the subject in Masada ekmek kırıntıları kaldı?
The subject is ekmek kırıntıları. The verb kalmak (to remain) is intransitive; masada is a locative phrase (on the table). Turkish doesn’t need a dummy subject like English there.
Why is the verb kaldı singular when ekmek kırıntıları is plural? Should it be kaldılar?