Breakdown of Bu söylence yıldan yıla evriliyor ve nesilden nesile aktarılıyor.
bu
this
ve
and
yıl
year
nesil
lineage / generation
söylence
myth / legend
aktarılmak
to be transferred / to be passed down
evrilmek
to evolve
Questions & Answers about Bu söylence yıldan yıla evriliyor ve nesilden nesile aktarılıyor.
How is the "from X to X" structure formed in yıldan yıla and nesilden nesile?
This is a common pattern to show gradual progression or transfer. You take a noun, add the ablative suffix (-DAn, meaning "from"), repeat the same noun, and add the dative suffix (-(y)A, meaning "to"). So yıl (year) becomes yıldan yıla (from year to year), and nesil (generation) becomes nesilden nesile.
Wait, doesn't nesil usually drop its second vowel when a suffix starts with a vowel? Why isn't it nesle?
You're exactly right to remember that! Normally, nesil drops its second vowel (for example, "his generation" is onun nesli). However, in these fixed, repetitive phrases (reduplications) like nesilden nesile or şehirden şehire (from city to city), the vowel drop is optional and often skipped to maintain the rhythm of the phrase.
What does the suffix -ıl do in aktarılıyor?
It is the passive voice suffix. The base verb is aktarmak (to transfer or pass on). Adding -ıl changes it to aktarılmak (to be passed on). Combined with the present continuous -ıyor, it translates perfectly to "is being passed on".
Is evriliyor also a passive verb?
Historically, yes! It comes from evirmek (to turn or invert). Adding the passive or reflexive suffix -il gives us evrilmek (literally "to be turned"), but in modern Turkish, evrilmek is used as its own intransitive verb meaning "to evolve". Notice how the second vowel in evir- drops when the suffix is added, becoming evril-.
Is söylence the most common word for "myth"?
It is a great word to know at the B2 level, but it sounds a bit literary or academic. In everyday conversation, you will hear efsane (legend or myth) or mit (myth) much more frequently. Söylence comes from the verb söylemek (to say or tell).
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