Abstract:

Most of the suffixes in Turkish are monosyllabic. Some have two or three syllables. Suffixes with two or three syllables are the forms of more than one affix combined and attained a semantic integrity. Although some suffixes appear to be monosyllabic, in essence, they emerged as a result of combining more than one suffix over time and reducing them to one syllable. One of these suffixes is -mAç. The suffix -mAç is a nominalizing suffix that has continued its existence by expanding its usage area from Old Turkish to the present day. The fact that this suffix has independent functions of each other is a proof that different elements have been combined and gathered under a single form over time. In this study, examples of -mAç suffix in historical and contemporary Turkish dialects were determined and classified according to their functions. In addition to the previously known <-mA+aş and <-mA+cA combinations related to suffix formation; it has been observed that some words may have <-mA+cI combinations in terms of suffix function. In addition, new findings were obtained regarding the first two combinations. It is aimed to eliminate the existing question marks about the suffix by considering all the data of the suffix in detail.

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