A Morpho-pragmatic Classification of Turkish TAM Markers

This article reviews eight TAM (Tense/Aspect/Mood) markers of Turkish regarding their pragmatic functions. Its main argument is that three aspectuo-temporal situations and nominal predication present an environment where multiple compete for expression the choice marker depends on pragmatics. Perfective past viewpoint has four competing markers: mIştI, DI, mIş mIştIr. mIştI DI contrast in -mIştI marks shared knowledge while -DI speaker’s epistemic primacy. mIş, other hand, only indicates speaker does not hold It void any assumptions addressee’s position. -mIştIr if speech community share event impose primacy over addressee. Such a classification allows us to treat continuous aspect, iterative predication. These are -Ar -yor with verbal predicates, -DIr -∅ predicates.