Abstract:

There is not a common consensus about whether genitive suffix is one of case suffixes. Linguists like Banguoğlu, Ergin, Korkmaz, Lübimov, Karaağaç, Hengirmen, and Topaloğlu regard genitive suffix as a case suffix at all while Ediskun, Bilgegil, Gencan, Gülsevin, Buran, Delice, and Demiray do not accept. Different descriptions of genitive suffix, the direct acceptance of the term as case suffix, and different functional and categorical case constitute the root of the problem. Detailed research shows that it is not a unilateral problem but a multilateral problem including problems regarding its term name, description, function, and categorical situation. This study investigates the issue of whether genitive case is a case suffix or not. In order to reach a conclusion, the term, description, function, features, and categorical situations of genitive suffix that have been discussed by myriad linguists so far were evaluated. By evaluating pros and cons of the discussions made by linguists it was concluded that genitive suffix is not a case suffix but is a noun-to-noun (a suffix that binds a noun to noun) suffix. Consequently, this study aimed to make a major contribution to the resolution of the problem and for the teaching of Turkish language.

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