5. Adpositions


5.1. Prepositions

5.2. Postpositions

5.3. Circumpositions (*)

5.4. Ambiposition (*)


(*) Observed only in western dialects.


No pronoun is observed after preposition or between two parts of circumposition.

______________________________________________________________________


5.1. Prepositions


5.1.1. muç’o[2] just like, as if

5.1.2. p’ri (ÇM)(AŞ) a little while before


●●● Prepositions are very rare in Laz : the author of this study has observed only two specimens of them.


Observing the composition of a circumposition (→ 5.3.2.), it is even possible to make an hypothesis which reduces still more the number of prepositions in old Laz : the preposition p’ri may have been a circumposition that has lost the postposed element.

______________________________________________________________________


5.1.1. muç’o[2] just like; as if


The preposition muç’o governs noun in postpositional case. The phrase can be adverbial as well as adjectival.


muç’o t’ik’ani ~ muç’o tik’ani just like a lamb; as if it were a lamb

muç’o bere just like a child; as if he were a child

muç’o kva just like a stone (rock); as if it were a stone (rock)


■■■ The preposition muç’o[2] is neither accented nor proclitic.


The homograph interrogative adverb muç’o[1] (how)(→ 4.1.2.1.) is accented on the initial syllable.


See also another homophone muç’o[3] (→ 6.1.1.).

____________________________________________________________


5.1.2. p’ri (ÇM)(AŞ) a little while before


The preposition p’ri, observed only in the dialects of Çamlıhemşin and Ardeşen, governs {noun in fused oblique case} and {adverb of time}.


p’ri lumci (1) a little while before sunset

p’ri mç’ima a little while before rain

p’ri mturi (2) a little while before snow

p’ri yema a little while before noon


(1) p’ri limci, at Mek’alesk’irit, Çamlıhemşin.

(2) p’ri mtui, at Mek’alesk’irit, Çamlıhemşin.


The preposition p’ri is always strongly accented.


See the homophonous anteposed subordinative conjunction (→ 6.1.2.). See also the circumposition {p’i ...-s} that is observed in the dialects of Pazar (→ 5.3.2.).

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


5.2. Postpositions


5.2.1. Postpositions governing postpositional case

(One of them governs also ablative case; another one governs also genitive case)

5.2.2. Postpositions governing ambidirective case (1)

5.2.3. Postpositions governing ablative case (2)

5.2.4. Postpositions with fluctuating governance (3)


(1) Only in western dialects.

(2) Only in cenral and eastern dialects

(3) Only in central dialects.

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.1. Postpositions governing postpositional case


5.2.1.1. k’ale ~ k’ele on (to, from) the side of

5.2.1.2. k’onar(i) ~ k’ona(y)i ~ k’ona ~ -k’o[2] (CentreEast) as well as

5.2.1.3. k’ona(r)is (FN) about , around, toward

5.2.1.4. st’er(i) ~ ster(i) ~ ste(y)i like

5.2.1.5. sure (AŞ), suzi without

5.2.1.6. -şa (West); şakis ~ şakiz ~ -şa (CentreEast) within ; till, until

5.2.1.7. şeni for ; because of ; about

5.2.1.8. şk’ala ~ k’ala with

5.2.1.9. şk’ule ~ şik’ule ~ şuk’ule ~ şkule ~ k’ule  after

5.2.1.10. şuk’uri ~ şuk’u (West) as well as

5.2.1.11. tina[1] (WestCentre) since

5.2.1.12. tina[2] (WestCentre) at least


5.2.1.13. (personal or reflexive pronoun +) şevli (ÇX) by oneself


-k’o[2], one of the variants of k’onar(i), is homophonous with the adverb k’o[1] (→ 4.3. Sentence modifiers) and the votive mood marker -k’o (→ 11.5.).


The postposition of article 5.2.1.1. governs both postpositional and genitive cases.


The postposition of article 5.2.1.9. governs both postpositional and ablative cases.

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.1.1. k’ale (West) ~ k’ele (CentreEast) on (to, from) the side of


This postposition is neither accented nor enclitic : it has no incidence on the place of accent in the preceding word.


k’ale ~ k’ele is used also as derivational suffix forming adverb of location and orientation (→ 4.4.).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


5.2.1.1.1. Preceded by noun indicating a place


Noun is in postpsitional or genitive cases according to the dialects.


gza k’ale (West) on (to, from) the way side

~ gza k’ele (FN)

~ gzaş k’ele (AH)(HP)(ÇX)


oxori k’ale (West) on (to, from) the house side

~ oxo(r)i k’ele (FN)

~ oxo(r)iş k’ele (AH)(HP)(ÇX)


zuğa k’ale (West) on (to, from) the sea side

~ (m)zuğa k’ele (FN)

~ zuğaş k’ele (AH)

~ mzuğaş k’ele (HP)(ÇX) (*)


(*) mzuğaş k’elendo: by the sea side


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


5.2.1.1.2. Preceded by noun or pronoun indicating person(s)


Noun and pronoun preceding the postposition are in postpositional or genitive cases according to the dialects.


Si miş k’ale ore ?”(PZ) With whom you take sides ?

Si mi k’ale ore ?” (ÇM)(AŞ)

Si mi k’ele re ?” ~ “Si mi k’ele ye ?”(FN)

Si miş k’ele re ?” ~ “Si miş k’ele ye ?”(AH)

Si miş k’ele ye ?” (HP)(ÇX)

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.1.2. k’onar(i) ~ k’ona(y)i ~ k’ona ~ -k’o[1](1)(CentreEast) as well as


The phrase formed with this postposition may be adverbial as well as adjectival.


ha k’onar(i) (2) this much

çkuni k’ona(y)i ~ çkunik’o (1) as well as us

çkimi k’ona(y)i didi ~ çkimik’o didi (1) as big as me

mtuti k’onar didi as big as a bear

3’uta bere k’ona (FN) as well as a little child


(1) The monosyllabical variant -k’o is written, in this study, attached to the preceding word.


(2) Replacing k’onar(i) by the monosyllabical variant, the form *hak’o should be obtained. A certain number of Laz, speaking a central or eastern dialect, think that the adverb hak’o (as well as) is the contraction of ha k’onari. However, the adverb hak’u ~ hak’o is omnipresent in all Laz speaking area, while the postposition k’onar(i) is observed only in central and eastern dialects. Words like çkimik’o (as well as me) may be formed on the contrary by analogy with the adverb hak’o. This hypothesis does not seem less improbable than the first one.


See the western synonym şuk’uri ~ şuk’u (→ 5.2.1.10.). See also the homophonous subordinative conjunction (→ 6.3.6.).


All variants are unaccented. None of them has incidence on the place of accent in the preceding word.

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.1.3. k’ona(r)is (FN)  about, around, toward


ondğeri k’ona(r)is about twelve o’clock (noon)

lumci k’ona(r)is toward sunset


Accent is on the penultimate.

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.1.4. st’er(i) ~ ster(i) ~ ste(y)i like


The phrase formed with this postposition may be adverbial as well as adjectival.


bere st’er(i) ~ bere ster(i) ~ bere ste(y)i like a child

ğeci st’er(i) ~ ğeci ster(i) ~ ğeci ste(y)i like a wild boar

hamu st’er(i) ~ haya steri ~ hamu ster(i) ~ (h)amu ste(y)i like this one


The postposition is unaccented and not enclitic.


See the homophonous subordinative conjunction (→ 6.3.3.).

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.1.5. sure, suzi without

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


5.2.1.5.1. sure


The postposition sure appears in the song Cilemona şeyepe napxumt’işa (*) collected at Ok’ordule, Ardeşen. This word is not used in the conversation. Most of inhabitants of Ok’ordule replace it by the postposition suzi when they sing the song.


sk’ani sure without you

sevda sure without love, without lover


Accent is on the penultimate.


(*)

cilemona : back of a house (jilemona in Pazar)

şeyepe : şey(i) (clothes) in plural

napxumt’işa : actional verb naxums (wash, launder), indicative mood imperfective past tense

1st pers. sg. (→ 13.) + subordinative conjunction {-şa}(→ 6.2.6.). “While I

was washing clothes”. The 1st pers. marker is exceptionally the infix {-p-}.



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


5.2.1.5.2. suzi without


This postposition is observed in all Laz speaking area of Turkey.


●●● A great number of Laz think that “suzi is the lazified form of Turkish suffix -siz /-sız /-suz /-süz (= without)”.


sk’ani suzi without you

sevda suzi without love, without lover


The phrase formed with this postposition may be adverbial as well as adjectival.


See the derivational circumfix {u- ... -eli} (→ 3.1.1., 4.1.1.). See also the ambiposition dixo (→ 5.4.1.).


Accent is on the penultimate.

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.1.6. -şa (*)(West); şakiz ~ şakis ~ -şa (*)(CentreEast) within ; till, until


All variants are unaccented and not enclitic.


(*) The monosyllabical variant -şa is written, in this study, attached to the preceding word. It is homophonous with the directive case marker (and the ambidirective case marker concerning the dialects of Çamlıhemşin and Ardeşen). There is no risk of confusion between postposition and case markers because only the case markers are enclitic. (Nouns in directive and ambidirective cases are accented on the penultimate.)

See the homophonous subordinative conjunction (→ 6.2.6.).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


5.2.1.6.1. Preceded by noun indicating a period


(West) xuti ndğaşa  within five days

ar tutaşa within one month

jur 3’anaşa ~ cur 3’anaşa within two years


(CentreEast) xut ndğaşa ~ xut ndğa şakiz within five days

ar dolonişa ~ ar doloni şakiz within one week

jur tutaşa ~ jur tuta şakiz within two months


Jur tutaşa (within two months) is distinguished from jur tutaşa (toward two satellites, toward two moons) by the place of accent.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


5.2.1.6.2. Preceded by noun or adverb indicating a moment


(West) ğomaşa till yesterday

andğaşa till today

limcişa ~ lumcişa until sunset


(CentreEast) hemoraşa ~ hemora şakiz till that time

lumcişa ~ lumci şakiz until sunset

ğomaşa ~ ğoma şakiz till yesterday

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.1.7. şeni  for ; because of ; about [a matter]


Meaning of this postposition varies according to the preceding word which can be noun, pronoun or verbal noun (→ 15.).


The postposition şeni is unaccented and not enclitic.


See the homophonous subordinative conjunction (→ 6.3.4.).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


5.2.1.7.1. Preceded by noun or non-demonstrative pronoun


The postposition şeni, preceded by noun or non-demonstrative pronoun, indicates generally purpose or cause. However, if it is followed by a verb meaning “speak, talk, discuss etc”, it indicates the topic of conversation.


bere şeni for the child ; because of the child ; about a child

noğamisa şeni for the bride ; because of the bride ; about the bride

sk’ani şeni ~ skani şeni for you ; because of you ; about you

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


5.2.1.7.2. Preceded by demonstrative pronoun


In the greater part of Laz dialects, the postposition şeni has the same governance and functions when it is preceded by pronoun of all kinds.


However in the dialectes of Hopa, two kinds of governance are observed corresponding to specific functions, when it is preceded by demonstrative pronoun. It indicates the cause governing the postpositional case, and the purpose governing the genitive case.


(The phoneme /h/ is written here between parentheses. It is pronounced only in the dialects of western part of the district of Hopa.)


(h)amu şeni because of this (matter, man, woman, animal etc)

(h)amuşi şeni for this (matter, man, woman, animal etc)

(h)emu şeni because of that (matter, man, woman, animal etc)

(h)emuşi şeni for that (matter, man, woman, animal etc)


In all Laz dialects, the phrases hamu şeni ~ amu şeni and hemu şeni ~ emu şeni can have the function of conjonction of consequence (“so, therfore, in consequence etc”). In this case, it seems that a great number of Laz regard them as compound words because they attach two elements without hyphen: hamuşeni ~ amuşeni, hemuşeni ~ emuşeni.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


5.2.1.7.3. Preceded by verbal noun : indicates always the purpose


Vi3’eşe olva şeni (PZ) in order to go to Fındıklı

Vi3’eşa olva şeni (ÇM)(AŞ)

Vi3’eşa oxtimu şeni (CentreEast)


Olva and oxtimu are verbal nouns (→ 15.) derived from the multi-stemed verb ulun (go) (→ 13.). These verbal nouns have different roots according to the dialects.

_____________________________________________________________________________


5.2.1.8. şk’ala (West) ~ k’ala (CentreEast) with


bere şk’ala (West) ~ bere k’ala (CentreEast) with the child

şk’imi şk’ala (West) ~ çkimi k’ala (CentreEast) with me

himu şk’ala (West) with that (matter, man etc)

~ heya k’ala ~ hemu k’ala (Centre) ~ emu k’ala (East)


This postposition is neither accented nor enclitic.


See the homophonous subordinative conjunction (→ 6.2.9.).

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.1.9. şk’ule ~ şik’ule ~ şuk’ule ~ şkul ~ şkule ~ k’ule after


This postposition governs generally the postpositional case. However, in the dialects of Ardeşen and Fındıklı, pronouns are often observed in ambidirective or ablative cases before it.


şk’imi şk’ule (PZ) after me

şk’imi şik’ule ~ şk’imi şuk’ule ~ şk’imden şuk’ule (AŞ)

çkimi şkule ~ çkimden şkule (FN)

çkimi şkul ~ çkimi şkule (AH)

çkimi şkule (HP)

çkimi k’ule (ÇX)


See the homophonous subordinative conjunctions (→ 6.2.10., 6.2.11.).

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.1.10. şuk’uri (PZ) ~ şuk’u (ÇM)(AŞ) as well as


şk’imi şuk’uri didi (PZ) as big as me

~ şk’imi şuk’u didi (ÇM)(AŞ)

sk’ani şuk’u mç’ipe (ÇM)(AŞ) as thin as you

himu şuk’u msk’va (ÇM)(AŞ) as beautiful as that (matter, human etc)


See the homophonous subordinative conjunction (→ 6.3.6.).

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.1.11. tina[1] (WestCentre)  since


The postposition tina[1] governs {noun in postpositional case and adverb} indicating a moment.


yema tina (West) ~ ondğeri tina (Centre) since noon

ğoma tina (WestCentre) since yesterday


See homophonous postposition (→ 5.2.1.12.) and homophonous subordinative conjonctions (→ 6.2.12., 6.2.13.).

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.1.12. tina[2] (WestCentre)   at least


The postposition tina[2] governs noun and pronoun in postpositional case.


lu tina (WestCentre) at least some cabbage

mbuli tina (WestCentre) at least some cherry

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.1.13. (personal or reflexive pronoun +) şevli (ÇX) by oneself


The postposition şevli, observed only in the dialects of Çxala, governs exclusively personal pronoun or reflexive pronoun in the postpositional case.


Çkimi şevli  by myself

skani şevli by yourself

muşi şevli by himself (herself, itself, oneself)

çkini şevli by ourselves

tkvani şevli by yourselves

mute şevli (*) by themselves


(*) In the dialects of Çxala, the reflexive pronoun in the plural has two forms in the postpositional case : mutepe and mute.

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.2. Postpositions governing the ambidirective case (West)


5.2.2.1. evuli (ÇM)(AŞ) as ~ say(s)

5.2.2.2. made (PZ) apart from

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.2.1. evuli (ÇM)(AŞ) as ~ say(s)


The postposition evuli, governing the ambidirective case (***), is observed only in the dialects spoken in Çamlıhemşin and the south-western part of Ardeşen.


Osmanişa evuli as Osman says

himuşa evuli as he says


(***) In the dialects of Ardeşen-Ok’ordule, this postposition governs indifferently ambidirective and genitive cases.


Osmanişa evuli ~ Osmanişi evuli

himuşa evuli ~ himuşi evuli


(***) According to the written information given by some native speakers of Çamlıhemşin and Ardeşen, the postposition governs “indifferently the genitive case and the fused oblique case” or “only the fused oblique case” in certain dialects. Further field work is necessary to determin the distribution area and the use of this word.


Osmanişi evuli ~ Osmani evuli

himuşi evuli ~ himu evuli


See the homophonous subordinative conjunction (→ 6.3.1.).


Accent is on the penultimate.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


●●● According to the “Altered document” (footnotes pp. 34 and 40) :

« The word evuli, meaning “example” is used in the village of Tolikçeti in Ardeşen. »


It is a downright lie.


What is more, evuli is not a noun. These footnotes, as well as all examples of the word evuli in the “Altered document”, have to be removed.


There was, at the end of the Introducion in Turkish of “Laz Grammar” (before it was altered), this note : Gôichi Kojima had not yet been at Tolikçeti when the redaction of the study finished so that İsmail Avcı Bucaklişi is sole responsibe of all description concerning the dialect of this village. This sentence was removed by İAB before I was aware after the publication.


He forgot, however, to do the same manipulation in the Introduction in English (which he altered nevertheless almost thoroughly: even the first sentence is changed into a nonsense)(*).


(*) I had written : “Laz is one of the thousands of languages which are insufficiently ecribed

and are in danger of becoming extinct in one or two generations if nothing is done to

preserve them.”


Mister İAB changed it : “Laz is one of the thousands of languages which is insufficiently

described and is in danger of becoming extinct in one or two generations if nothing is done

to preserve it.”



İAB insists upon his lie by a fax message on August 8th 2003. He persists:

I have done again the research on the word Evuli. It means without fail ‘example’ and ‘for example’ in the village of Tolikçeti-Ardeşen and in M3’anu-Çamlıhemşin.


But he is inconsistent. He sent me an e-mail on January 24th 2005.

(......) “Evuli kelimesi tek başına “örnek” anlamında kullanılmadığını biliyordum ama ürettiğimiz başka birçok terimde olduğu gibi bu da bir öneriydi. (......) ve bana göre bu dikkate alınmayacak bir konudur. (......)

[Translation] (......) I knew that the word “evuli” did not mean “example”. But it was a proposition of new term, as it was the case with other terms we had created. (......) And, according to me, it is a matter which need not be taken in consideration. (......)

I remarked a great number of errors in the Laz-Turkish dictionnary of İAB (under joint authorship of Hasan Uzunhasanoğlu). At present, it is evident that all of them are not simple “errors” ......

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.2.2. made (PZ) apart from


sk’aninde made (PZ) apart from you

ham pucişe made (PZ) apart from this cow

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.3. Postpositions governing ablative case (CentreEast)

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.3.1. doni (FN)(AH)(HP)(ÇX) since


berobaşen doni since childhood

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.4. Postpositions with fluctuating governance (Centre)


5.2.4.1. met’a (FN) apart from

5.2.4.2. met’i (AH) apart from

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.4.1. met’a (FN) apart from


The postposition met’a, observed in the dialects of Fındıklı, is preceded by noun and pronoun in postpositional, genitive and ablative cases. Further researches are necessary on the governance of this word .


ha met’a apart from this

lu met’a apart from cabbage

t’oroci met’a apart from pigeons (*)

gyaiş met’a apart from bread (food)

hamuş met’a apart from this

heyaşen met’a apart from that


(*) The use of the plural marker {-epe} is not always necessary in Laz (→ 1.2.).

______________________________________________________________________


5.2.4.2. met’i (AH)  apart from


The postposition met’i, observed in the dialects of Arhavi, is preceded by noun and pronoun in genitive and ablative cases. Further researches are necessary on the governance of this word.


ar daşi met’i apart from a sister

skanden met’i apart from you

_____________________________________________________________________


5.3. Circumposition


5.3.1. {p’anda[2] ... st’er(i)} (AŞ) just like, as if

5.3.2. {p’i ...-s} (PZ) a little while before

______________________________________________________________________


5.3.1. {p’anda[2] ... st’er(i)} (AŞ)  just like, as if


P’anda ezmoce st’eri borer. (AŞ) It is as if I were in a dream.


ezmoce : dream

borer (1): copula; indicative mood imperfective present tense 1st pers. sg.


(1) There are 7 regional variants: borer, bore, boye, vorer, vore, vor and voye. Initial consonant b- ~ v- is the 1st person marker; vore in Pazar, vor in Çamlıhemşin, vorer and vore in the western part of Ardeşen, borer and bore in the eastern part of Ardeşen, bore and boye in Fındıklı and Arhavi, voye in Hopa and Çxala.


The postposed element st’er(i) is a postposition in itself which means “like” (→ 5.2.1.). In consequence, it is possible to assert that “the sole function of anteposed element p’anda is to anticipate and emphasize the meaning of postposed element.”


However, because the element p’anda has no other use in the dialects of Ardeşen, {p’anda[2] ... st’er(i)} is considered, provisionally, as a circumposition in this study.


See the homophonous circumposed subordinative conjunction (→ 6.4.1.).


See also the homophonous adverb p’anda[1] (always) (→ 4.5.1.) which does not exist in the dialects of Ardeşen.

______________________________________________________________________


5.3.2. {p’i ...-s} (PZ) a little while before


The constituents of the circumposition {p’i ...-s}, observed only in the dialects of Pazar, are placed on both sides of {noun in postpositional case or adverb of time}.


p’i limcis a little while before sunset

p’i mç’imas a little while before rain

p’i mturis a little while before snow

p’i yemas a little while before noon


Anteposed part {p’i} is strongly accented.


Anteposed constituent of this circumposition is homophonous with a form of multi-stemed verb ikums (do)(*); the form of indicative mood perfective 1st pers. sg. (→ 13.).


(*) The representative form of this verb (indicative imperfective present tense 3rd pers. sg.) is ikums in western dialects, ikoms in central dialects and ikips in eastern dialects.


Postposed part of this circumposition is constituted by only one consonant phoneme attached to the preceding word. In spite of homophony, it cannot be confounded with dative and locative case marker: the latter has no reason to be suffixed to an adverb.


See the circumposed subordinative conjunction {p’i ...-şe} ~ {p’i ...-şa} (→ 6.4.2.).

_____________________________________________________________________


5.4. Ambiposition


The unique ambiposition of Laz language is observed only in the western dialects (districts of Pazar, Çamlıhemşin and Ardeşen). Why this unicity ? Did other former ambipositions become prepositions or postpositions ? Or is the ambiposition a former preposition on the way to become postposition ? Or, on the contrary, is it a former postposition on the way to become preposition ? Is it possible to suggest other hypotheses ?

______________________________________________________________________


5.4.1. dixo (PZ)(ÇM)(AŞ) without


sk’ani dixo ~ dixo sk’ani without you

xami dixo ~ dixo xami without knife

nana dixo ~ dixo nana without mother


Ambiposition dixo is neither accented nor enclitic nor proclitic.