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A good day of progress :-)
1.       bod
5999 posts
 30 Nov 2005 Wed 08:03 pm

I was determined that by the end of today I would understand the major and minor vowel harmony rules. Not only that I would understand them but know them well enough to apply easily in my head.......and by lunchtime I managed it

It's not a very instinctive process yet but I am sure that will come with natural practice! I did try and understand something of using fusion consonants for consecutive vowels but that is just too difficult for today!!! Can anyone suggest anything that will help with learning these?????

One question though:
This site and other sources say that there can never be two consecutive vowels in Turkish. Does this only apply to cases where a suffix is added to a word or is it true of the whole of the language???

Cheers, Bod

2.       Lyndie
968 posts
 30 Nov 2005 Wed 08:13 pm

Hi Bod,
Actually, vowel harmony IS an instinctive process in my view. The trick is to stop thinking about it so much I think. I did it your way and sort of tried to learn it by rote. (not that successful) BUT, as you vocabulary and use of suffixes increases, you will discover the 'instictive' bit. BECAUSE. When you get it right it sounds right and FEELS right in your mouth
and the opposite is true. Well that's how it happened for me. Good Luck!

3.       bod
5999 posts
 30 Nov 2005 Wed 08:28 pm

Quoting Lyndie:

Actually, vowel harmony IS an instinctive process in my view. The trick is to stop thinking about it so much I think. I did it your way and sort of tried to learn it by rote. (not that successful) BUT, as you vocabulary and use of suffixes increases, you will discover the 'instictive' bit. BECAUSE. When you get it right it sounds right and FEELS right in your mouth
and the opposite is true. Well that's how it happened for me. Good Luck!



Thanks - yes I'm sure that vowel harmony will become totally instinctive in time. But at the moment no Turkish word either sounds right or feels right to me!!!

But I certainly know what you mean. When I was at primary school I mis-behaved in class and was sent out while the class learnt the rules of when to use which indefinate article. I came back into class just in time to do a test on these rules and got them all right by thinking what sounded right and what sounded wrong and my teacher couldn't believe that I had got them all right It was years later that I actually found out there was a rule to follow :-S

Once I get more feel for Turkish I am sure it will make much more sense......but at the moment I am really struggling with pronunciation of nearly all words. My dogs think I am crazy as I march round the house at regular intervals during the day saying the current time out loud and probably getting the pronounciation completely wrong

4.       Elisa
0 posts
 30 Nov 2005 Wed 08:32 pm

Quoting Lyndie:

..BUT, as you vocabulary and use of suffixes increases, you will discover the 'instictive' bit. BECAUSE. When you get it right it sounds right and FEELS right in your mouth ..



I totally agree about this. Say the soft and hard vowels aloud a couple of times, and you must feel the difference in the end. a, ı, o, u come from your throat, the other vowels are formed in the front of your mouth. Recite them aloud under the shower or where ever but you will feel the difference, I can guarantee you that!!

5.       erdinc
2151 posts
 01 Dec 2005 Thu 08:15 am

Greetings,
the terms 'hard' and 'soft' are not a very good idea. I dont know who first suggested them but they are very common and I was using them as well but I changed my mind. I would prefer these which I found in our dictionary right here on this website.

back vowels: a, ı, o, u
front vowels: e, i, ö, ü

The first ones are generated from your throat while the second ones from your mouth. So as Lyndie explained there is actually some natural reason for the vowel harmony issue. These terms are also good which are my translations:

deep vowels: a, ı, o, u
sharp vowels: e, i, ö, ü

6.       mkocak
16 posts
 01 Dec 2005 Thu 08:18 am

thanks so much arkadaslar i have been having trouble with hard and soft vowels think too much about it as well. the further into the lessons i go the less i think about it and the more it naturally makes sense. milly

7.       mella
202 posts
 01 Dec 2005 Thu 01:01 pm

Quoting erdinc:

Greetings,
the terms 'hard' and 'soft' are not a very good idea. I dont know who first suggested them but they are very common and I was using them as well but I changed my mind. I would prefer these which I found in our dictionary right here on this website.

back vowels: a, ı, o, u
front vowels: e, i, ö, ü

The first ones are generated from your throat while the second ones from your mouth. So as Lyndie explained there is actually some natural reason for the vowel harmony issue. These terms are also good which are my translations:

deep vowels: a, ı, o, u
sharp vowels: e, i, ö, ü



I think this is a very good idea! Why can we not suggest it to admins that can change it in the lessons of turkishclass?

8.       bod
5999 posts
 01 Dec 2005 Thu 02:23 pm

Quoting mella:

Quoting erdinc:



back vowels: a, ı, o, u
front vowels: e, i, ö, ü

deep vowels: a, ı, o, u
sharp vowels: e, i, ö, ü



I think this is a very good idea! Why can we not suggest it to admins that can change it in the lessons of turkishclass?



Or at least note in the lessons that there is an alternative.

I had assumed the Hard/Soft and Flat/Round were translations of the terms that native Turk's would be taught when formally learning Turkish grammar!

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