Functional Shift Between Nouns, Adjectives and Adverbs

Abstract

The distinction between word classes is a key issue emphasized in grammatical research. Determining the types of words is crucial for revealing their functions in sentences and clarifying the roles of the words that form those sentences within their context. Semantic, formal, and syntagmatic features are used to identify word classes. In the grammar sources of Modern Turkish, researchers often classify word types according to criteria they establish. However, to explain the use of the same word in different categories, it is necessary to examine whether certain types of words are fixed or whether transitions between word types occur. This study focuses on words in Türkiye Turkish that can function as nouns, adjectives, and adverbs, selected based on frequency, to demonstrate these transitions. The four word pairs with relatively high frequency values and antonyms are: güzel (beautiful) – çirkin (ugly), yakın (near) – uzak (far), sıcak (hot) – soğuk (cold), yanlış (wrong) – doğru (correct). These words were chosen because they can function as nouns, adjectives, and adverbs in a sentencewithout the addition of suffixes or changes in form. Sample sentences illustrating the use of these words as nouns, adjectives, and adverbs were identified by analyzing the Türkçe Ulusal Derlemi (TUD). The study sample consists of 120 sentences containing five randomly selected examples where these words are used as nouns, adjectives, and adverbs. The syntagmatic relationships between these word types and functional shifts were analyzed using these sentences.

Keywords

• noun
• adjective
• adverb
• word types
• functional shift