Breakdown of Devasa bitki türleri dünyayı kaplamıştı.
kaplamak
to cover
dünya
world / Earth
devasa
gigantic
bitki
plant
Questions & Answers about Devasa bitki türleri dünyayı kaplamıştı.
How do the suffixes on kaplamıştı make it mean 'had covered'?
The verb root is kapla- (to cover). First we add the -mış suffix, and then the past tense copula -tı. When combined, -mıştı forms the Past Perfect tense (Pluperfect). It tells us this action was already completely finished before another time in the past, exactly like 'had covered' in English.
Since the subject bitki türleri (plant species) is plural, why isn't the verb plural (kaplamışlardı)?
In Turkish grammar, when a plural subject is non-human (like plants, animals, or objects), the verb stays in the 3rd-person singular form. Adding the plural suffix -lar to the verb here would make it sound like the plants were acting as conscious humans!
Why does türler (species) have an -i at the end in bitki türleri?
This is a standard Turkish noun compound. To link bitki (plant) and türler (species) into the single concept 'plant species', the second word needs a linking suffix (the 3rd-person possessive suffix). Since türler ends in a consonant, it takes -i, making it bitki türleri.
Why is it dünyayı instead of just dünya?