Word formation in Turkish sign language

This study aims to describe three word formation methods used in Turkish Sign Language (TSL). In the thesis, word formation methods consisting of iconism, borrowing and compound are exemplified by TSL data. Signs discussed were examined only in word making, and only data about phonetics, syntax and semantics were used where necessary. As it is known, TSL and Turkish are used in the same geography. Therefore,comparative data are also used in the thesis. In addition, since the source language of the thesis is Turkish, Turkish examples are given for the better understanding of the samples. The three word formation methods examined in the study have subtitles that are separated in themselves. The aim of the thesis is to summarize how TSL draws in terms of word formation methods. There are many word formation methods at thanks to the three-dimensional structure of TSL. However, in this thesis, only three word formation methods are examined. With this aspect, the thesis should be read as an introduction. Keywords: Turkish Sign Language, Word Formation, Iconicity, Borrowing, Compound