Questions & Answers about Dalgın şoförler çok tehlikeli.
How do we get the word dalgın from a verb?
It comes from the verb dalmak, which literally means to dive, but is also used for being absorbed or lost in thought. The suffix -gın turns verbs into adjectives describing a resulting state or habit. So, someone who has 'dived' into their own thoughts is dalgın (absent-minded or distracted).
Why does the suffix take the form -gın in this word instead of -kın or -gun?
It follows standard consonant mutation and vowel harmony rules. Since the verb root dal ends in a voiced consonant (l), the suffix starts with the voiced g. The vowel a in the root dictates an ı for 4-way vowel harmony, giving us -gın. If the root ended in a voiceless consonant, like in şaşmak, it would become şaşkın (confused).
If dalmak means to dive, can I use dalgın to describe a physical diver?
No, dalgın is only used for the abstract mental state of being distracted or lost in thought. If you want to talk about a physical diver, like a scuba diver, you would use the noun dalgıç.
Since the subject is plural (şoförler), why doesn't the adjective tehlikeli have a plural suffix or 'to be' ending?