I would be most grateful for an explanation of the following homework question (Beginner 1, Major Vowel Harmony, Dativ):

"Assuming you want to add a dative case suffix (-e, -a) to a noun, which of the following data would you need to know?

1. What the last vowel is
2. How many vowels there are in the word
3. Whether the word ends with a vowel or a consonant
4. What the first vowel is
5. What the last consonant is
6. What the first consonant is"

I do not understand why I need to know what the last consonant is. Can someone explain and/or give me an example of the last consonant influences the suffix (which I think is -e, -a, -ye, or -ya).

Cok tesekkurler,

deniz bakire

I understand that these six that you mention are alternatives to choose from and the last consonant is mentioned as one of the correct answers, right?

Choosing the correct dative ending (a/e) in my opinion is a deal completely between the vowels and has nothing to do with the consonants of the noun stem. I guess what is ment here is the changes that often take place in the last consonant when a case ending is added, which means softening (çocuk > çocuğa) or voicing (ağaç > ağaca).

Don´t take this as an answer. I´m just a learner like you, deniz bakire. I´m just thinking with you.

Sounds like you haven´t learned yet one of the basics of Turkish. Turkish has something called "vowel harmony". There must be a lesson about it here in this site.

In Turkish, suffixes are formed according to Turkish vowel harmony, rules whereby most vowel sounds in a word are made either in the front of the mouth or the back, but not both.

So if the vowels in the root are formed in the back of the mouth (a, undotted ´i´, o, u), as in banka (bank), you add -lar to make bankalar (banks).

If the vowels are made in the front of the mouth (e, i, ö, ü, you add -ler to tren to make trenler (trains).

Likewise, arabamız, ´our car,´ but otobüsümüz, ´our bus´.

The suffix is the same one, but modified according to vowel harmony.

It´s not nearly so weird as it seems once you get the hang of it, and it gives a nice mellifluous sound to Turkish sentences.

And then we have also something called "consonant harmony":

http://www.turkishclass.com/turkish_lesson_63

I will try to explain 

In the dative case (a,ya, e, ye) suffixes attached to a noun, only point 1 and 3 are important

1 The last vowel is most important, because this will determine whether you use the ´a´ or ´e´ suffix, for vowel harmony

2 How many vowels does not matter, only the last vowel in the noun

3 If the noun ends in a vowel, then the buffer letter ´y´ must be used, if not you can add the ´a/e´ suffix by itself.

For example İstanbul´a = to Istanbul, Türkiye´ye = to Turkey

4 The first vowel is not important, (unless it is the only vowel)

5 The last consonant is not important in my opinion, (unless it mutates when a suffix is added)

6 The first consonant is not important

edit: Sorry Abla and si++, I posted without seeing the other responses. I think Abla has given the correct explanation of why the last consonant is considered important.

Tesekkur ederim, anliyorum.

Turkish might be a challenging language to learn but it is great to have such responsive teachers.

Gorusmek uzere,

deniz bakire