Word
Boynu uzun kuğunun yaşadığı göl tertemiz.
Meaning
The lake where the long-necked swan lives is spotlessly clean.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Boynu uzun kuğunun yaşadığı göl tertemiz.
uzun
long / tall
yaşamak
to live / to experience / to undergo
göl
lake
tertemiz
spotlessly clean
Questions & Answers about Boynu uzun kuğunun yaşadığı göl tertemiz.
How does "boynu uzun" work to mean "long-necked" here?
This is a possessive compound adjective. It literally translates to "its neck (boynu) long (uzun)". You take the noun, add the 3rd person possessive suffix, and follow it with the adjective. It means the same thing as uzun boyunlu (with the -li suffix) but is a common alternative structure, especially for physical traits.
Why is "boynu" missing a vowel compared to the base word "boyun"?
The word boyun (neck) is one of several two-syllable Turkish body parts that drop their second vowel when a suffix starting with a vowel is added. Because the compound structure requires the possessive suffix -u, boyun becomes boynu.
Why does "kuğu" have the genitive suffix "-nun" in this sentence?
It is part of the relative clause kuğunun yaşadığı göl (the lake where the swan lives). In Turkish, when the specific subject of this type of relative clause is stated (the swan), it takes the genitive suffix (-nun), and the verb takes the matching possessive suffix (-ı in yaşadığı). Literally, it reads as "the swan's lived-in lake".
How is the word "tertemiz" formed?