Breakdown of Kule, hedefin kendini tanımladığını varsayıyor.
hedef
goal
kendi
self
kule
tower
varsaymak
to assume (hypothesize)
Questions & Answers about Kule, hedefin kendini tanımladığını varsayıyor.
Why is hedef in the genitive case (hedefin) here?
In Turkish, when a clause is turned into a noun using the -DIk suffix (like tanımladığını), the subject of that embedded clause takes the genitive case. Since the target is the one doing the identifying, hedef becomes hedefin (literally "the target's").
Break down the suffixes on tanımladığını. Why are there two -ı suffixes at the end?
It breaks down as tanımla-dığ-ı-n-ı. The first -ı is the 3rd person possessive suffix matching the genitive subject hedefin (its identifying). The -n- is a buffer letter. The final -ı is the accusative case marker, required because this entire clause is the direct object of the main verb varsayıyor.
Since hedef is 3rd person, shouldn't "itself" be kendisini instead of kendini?
Strictly speaking, yes: kendisini (kendi-si-n-i) includes the 3rd person possessive -si. However, in everyday modern Turkish, that possessive suffix is very often dropped, making kendini a widely accepted and common alternative for "himself", "herself", or "itself".
How is the verb varsayıyor formed?
It comes from the compound verb varsaymak, which combines var (existent) and saymak (to count or consider). Literally meaning "to count as existent," it is the standard Turkish verb for "to assume" or "to suppose".