Research Article

TURKISH COUNTER-ASSERTIVE Kİ AS AN UTTERANCE-ORIENTED MARKER

Volume: 176 Number: 2 December 26, 2025
TR EN

TURKISH COUNTER-ASSERTIVE Kİ AS AN UTTERANCE-ORIENTED MARKER

Abstract

This paper focuses on the grammatical characterization of Turkish discourse particle ki in its counter-assertive function, identifying it as an utterance-oriented marker. The particle is used to express contradiction to a previous utterance, marking a speaker’s disagreement with the hearer’s discourse commitment. It is syntactically analyzed within a framework that accommodates utterance-oriented phenomena. Ki is functionally argued to be a speech-act modifier, presupposing the existence of a prior discourse commitment that contradicts the proposition it marks. The current work further examines the grammatical behavior of ki, including its sensitivity to assertive environments, its presuppositional content, and its syntactic position within the Utterance Phrase (UttP). The particle have also been attributed two discourse properties, being conversational and optional, reinforcing its status as an utterance-oriented marker. The findings contribute to the broader understanding of utterance-oriented elements and their formal representation in grammar.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

This study is a modified and expanded version of a part of the author’s doctoral dissertation, which is conducted at University of Delaware in 2024 and chaired by Satoshi Tomioka.

Thanks

I would like to thank my committee chair Satoshi Tomioka and my other members Benjamin Bruening, Rebecca Tollan, and Orhan Demir for their comments and contributions. I would also like to thank Bilge Palaz and Büşra Karacaoğlu for their valuable contribution with grammaticality judgments.

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Linguistic Structures (Incl. Phonology, Morphology and Syntax) , Discourse and Pragmatics , Lexicography and Semantics

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

December 26, 2025

Submission Date

March 7, 2025

Acceptance Date

October 8, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 176 Number: 2

APA
Altınok, D. (2025). TURKISH COUNTER-ASSERTIVE Kİ AS AN UTTERANCE-ORIENTED MARKER. Dil Dergisi, 176(2), 54-79. https://doi.org/10.33690/dilder.1648796

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