Extent and collective action (-lArcA / -cA)

The Adverbial Suffix -cA

The suffix -cA adapts to words through vowel harmony and consonant mutation, taking the forms -ca, -ce, -ça, or -çe. It is a versatile tool used to express both collective group actions and massive extents.

Collective Action

When attached directly to a noun representing a group of people, the suffix implies that the group is performing the action together, as a unified whole.

  • aile (family) + -ce = ailece (as a family)
  • millet (nation) + -çe = milletçe (as a nation)
We attended the carnival as a family in July.
Temmuz ayında karnavala ailece katıldık.

Massive Quantities and Long Durations

To emphasize an impressively large amount or a very long time, attach -cA immediately after the plural suffix -lAr, creating the compound suffix -larca or -lerce.

  • Added to time words, it translates to "for [units]" (e.g., asırlarca for centuries, günlerce for days).
  • Added to numbers or measurements, it translates to "thousands of", "tons of", or "kilometers of".
We lived peacefully in these lands as a nation for centuries.
Asırlarca bu topraklarda milletçe huzur içinde yaşadık.
Because of the influx of tourists, kilometers of queues formed on the road.
Turist akını yüzünden yolda kilometrelerce kuyruk oluştu.
The trucks carried bricks to the construction site for days.
Kamyonlar şantiyeye günlerce tuğla taşıdı.

Emphasizing Volume and Capacity

This same -lArcA structure is frequently used with weights, volumes, and containers to express the sheer scale of materials, such as "tons of tomatoes", "jars of sauce", or "hectares of land".

They made jars of sauce with tons of tomatoes at the factory.
Fabrikada tonlarca domates ile kavanozlarca sos yaptılar.
The burning of hectares of forest saddened us a lot.
Hektarlarca ormanın yanışı bizi çok üzdü.
Fortunately, they brought containers of items to the port.
İyi ki konteynerlerce eşyayı limana getirdiler.