Breakdown of Kimse cihazın kullanımını bilmiyordu.
bilmek
to know
kimse
no one / anyone
cihaz
device
kullanım
usage
Questions & Answers about Kimse cihazın kullanımını bilmiyordu.
How is kullanım formed here, and how does it differ from the verbal noun kullanma?
Kullanım is an abstract noun meaning "usage", formed by adding the -Im suffix to the verb root kullan-. While the verbal noun kullanma refers to the specific action of using something, kullanım refers to the established concept, method, or system of its use.
Why does kullanımını end with two -ı suffixes?
It contains both a possessive and an accusative suffix. The phrase is a possessive compound: cihazın kullanımı (the device's usage). The first -ı is the 3rd person possessive suffix. Because this whole phrase is the specific direct object of the verb bilmiyordu, it requires the accusative case. So we add the buffer -n- and the accusative -ı, giving us kullanımını.
The English translation says "Nobody knew," but the Turkish verb is negative (bilmiyordu). Why?
In Turkish, the pronoun kimse requires a negative verb to mean "nobody." Unlike English, which uses a positive verb with a negative pronoun ("Nobody knew"), Turkish uses double negation: Kimse bilmiyordu (Literally: Nobody didn't know).
As a quick refresher, why is the verb bilmiyordu instead of bilmeyordu?
This is an example of vowel narrowing. The negative suffix for bilmek is -me. When the continuous suffix -yor attaches to a verb stem or suffix ending in -e or -a, it narrows that wide vowel. Here, the -e in -me narrows to -i, resulting in bilmiyordu.
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