Learn Turkish: Sarp mı sarp geçit şahane bir şölen; rayların kıvrımı heybetli mi heybetli. - The very steep pass is a splendid feast; the curve of the rails is very majestic.

Sarp mı sarp geçit şahane bir şölen; rayların kıvrımı heybetli mi heybetli.

The very steep pass is a splendid feast; the curve of the rails is very majestic.

Breakdown of Sarp mı sarp geçit şahane bir şölen; rayların kıvrımı heybetli mi heybetli.

bir

a / an

question particle (mı/mi/mu/mü)

Questions & Answers about Sarp mı sarp geçit şahane bir şölen; rayların kıvrımı heybetli mi heybetli.

Both sarp mı sarp and heybetli mi heybetli use the question particle, but is there a difference in how they function in this sentence?

Yes! The structure [Adjective] + mI + [Adjective] is used for strong emphasis, meaning 'very' or 'truly'. In the first half, sarp mı sarp (very steep) acts as an attributive adjective directly modifying the noun geçit (pass). In the second half, heybetli mi heybetli (very majestic) acts as the predicate of the sentence, describing the subject rayların kıvrımı.

Why is the word order şahane bir şölen instead of bir şahane şölen?

In Turkish, when an adjective and the indefinite article bir both modify a noun, the adjective almost always comes first: [Adjective] + bir + [Noun]. So, 'a splendid feast' is built as 'splendid a feast' (şahane bir şölen).

How does the phrase rayların kıvrımı work to mean 'the curve of the rails'?

This is a definite noun compound (a genitive-possessive construction). Ray (rail) takes the plural -lar and the genitive suffix -ın to become rayların (of the rails). Then, kıvrım (curve) takes the possessive suffix -ı to become kıvrımı (its curve). Linked together, they mean 'the curve of the rails'.

There is no verb like 'is' or 'are' at the end of either clause. Is this normal?