Breakdown of Memur, kaçak yolcuya beklemesini emredebildi.
yolcu
passenger
beklemek
to wait
memur
officer
emretmek
to order
Questions & Answers about Memur, kaçak yolcuya beklemesini emredebildi.
Why does yolcu have the dative suffix -ya?
The verb emretmek (to order) dictates who receives the order using the dative case. Since the officer is ordering the passenger, yolcu takes the dative suffix, becoming yolcuya ("to the passenger").
Let's break down beklemesini. Why does it have two suffixes at the end?
This is how Turkish forms indirect commands. Bekle is the verb root (wait), and -me turns it into a noun (waiting). The -si makes it possessive ("his/her waiting"). Finally, the buffer -n- connects to the accusative suffix -i, because "his waiting" is the direct object of the officer's order. Literally, it means the officer ordered "his waiting".
Why is there a "d" in emredebildi if the verb is emretmek?
This is a case of consonant mutation. The root verb is a compound of emir (order) + etmek (to do/make). When you add the ability suffix -ebil (can/able to), the vowel at the start of the suffix softens the "t" in etmek into a "d", resulting in emredebildi (managed to order).
What does kaçak mean in the phrase kaçak yolcuya?