A HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF NOUNS’ CASES

Abstract

The development of nouns’ cases in our language is connected with Sumerian one from genetic
point of view.
Nominative case as a case of a subject through the entire period of development had preserved
its unaffixed form. But in the process of development it performed the functions of dative, accusative,
locative and ablative cases.
I. Genitive case of nouns has passed a long way of development. The affix of Genitive case -ın,
expressing definity in the modern language according to our conclusion, in connected with -ak
Sumerian. The affix -ak in Sumerian performs the functions of Genitive case and Possessive case. The
consonant -k in this affix should be nasal. The usage of this affix in “Dede Gorgud” in functions of
case affix and possessive affix with nasal consonant also confirms this thought: Öz gödəñdən başıñı
kəsəyinmi? (DQ,37) İç Oğuzuñ, Taş Oğuzuñ bəglərin yığnaq etgil (DQ, 37). In these examples in the
word Oğuzuñ -uñ is an affix of Genitive case, in the words gödəñdən, başıñı -ñ, -ıñ are Possessive
case’s affixes in the II person. This affix in the historical development of our language embraced all
persons as Possessive affix, but gradually in the result of transformation n~m in the I person got the
form -ım (mənim kitabım), kept its stability in the II person singular (sənin kitabın), and in the III
person had lost its consonant (onun kitabı).
A Genitive case, expressing a definity is formed by adding of the affix -nin to the words ending
in consonants: Yarəb, nə iş düşsə, Hidayətnin əlin dut. (Hidayət, 267). This affix became archaic.
II. Genitive case, expressing indefinity is realized in several forms:
1. A word in the Genitive case is without affix, a subordinate part is in the III person with affix
of possession: Düşdü getdi ol canavar ardına. (MV, 19)
2. A Genitive case forms a word combination. All parts have possessive affixes. A word in the
Genitive case adopts possessive affixes of all persons but a subordinate part adopts only affix of the
III person: Canım parəsi oğul. (DQ,112) Canın parəsi oğul. Canı parəsi oğul. Canımız parəsi oğul.
A Genitive case form expressing a definity in the literary language with the affix -ın and a
Genitive case form expressing indefinity, in the state mentioned in the I point had been stabilized.