Possessive buffer letter (n)

The Possessive Buffer Letter (n)

When adding a spatial case suffix (like locative, dative, or ablative) to a noun that has a 3rd-person possessive suffix (-(s)ı, -(s)i, -(s)u, -(s)ü), you must insert the buffer letter n between the possessive and the case suffix.

Locative Case (in/on/at)

To say "in his living room," start with salon (living room) and add the 3rd-person possessive suffix to get salonu (his living room). Before adding the locative case -da, insert the buffer n.

• salon
  • u
    • n
      • da = salonunda (in his living room)

For words ending in a vowel, you use the possessive buffer s followed by the case buffer n:

• ülke
  • si
    • n
      • de = ülkesinde (in her country)

Dative and Ablative Cases

The buffer n applies to all case suffixes, including dative ("to") and ablative ("from").

Spatial Words

Location words like iç (inside), yan (side), and arka (back) behave like possessed nouns. "Inside it" is literally "at its inside." Since these words take a 3rd-person possessive suffix, they also require the buffer n before a case suffix.

• içi (its inside) + n
  • de (at) = içinde (inside it)

• yanı (his side) + n
  • a (to) = yanına (next to him)

• arkası (his back) + n
  • dan (from) = arkasından (from behind him)