Breakdown of Sancı başladı başlayacak, ebe geldi gelecek.
gelmek
to come
başlamak
to begin, to start
sancı
labor pain / contraction (medical)
ebe
midwife
Questions & Answers about Sancı başladı başlayacak, ebe geldi gelecek.
How does the grammar behind başladı başlayacak give the meaning of "about to start"?
This is the imminent action reduplication pattern. By placing the 3rd person past tense (başladı) immediately before the 3rd person future tense (başlayacak), it literally says "it started, it will start." In Turkish, this clash of tenses creates a vivid sense of anticipation, meaning the action is right on the very verge of happening.
Can I conjugate this past+future pattern for other people, like saying geldim geleceğim for "I am about to arrive"?
No, this specific structure is grammatically frozen in the 3rd person singular. To apply it to yourself, you can use the 3rd person phrase as a modifier for your situation, such as geldi gelecek durumdayım (I am in a state where I'm about to arrive). Otherwise, for first or second person, you would rely on the -mAk üzere (on the verge of) structure you learned in earlier levels.
Does the word sancı exclusively mean "contraction" in Turkish?
Not exclusively. Sancı refers to any sharp, griping pain or cramp (like a severe stomachache). However, in the context of pregnancy, childbirth, or a midwife (ebe), it is the standard, everyday word for labor contractions.
I notice there is no copula or "to be" verb at the end of the clauses. Is it implied?
Because başlayacak and gelecek act as finite verbs here (in the future tense), they complete the predicates on their own. Even though the English translation uses "is about to," the Turkish phrases başladı başlayacak and geldi gelecek function as the main verbs of their respective clauses, so no extra "to be" suffix is needed.
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