Abstract
The paper defines the grammatical status of the Kazakh affix -DAy. It is an all-Turkic form grammaticalized relatively recently from a comparative postposition. In Turkic languages, postpositions have been identified as a recognized mechanism for the grammaticalization of novel case forms. Sometimes, the process of grammaticalization remains incomplete, with forms being produced that are often defined as case suffixes, derivational morphemes, or postposition affixes. The status of the affix -DAy/-DIy varies across Turkic languages and should be defined for each Turkic language individually. The turcological literature often debates its status, even within the same Turkic language. Our research focuses on analyzing the morphonological, morphosyntactic, and accentual characteristics of the -DAy form in the Kazakh language. The analysis based on different criteria has defined -DAy as a young equative-similative case morpheme. However, our experimental study has revealed variations in the accentual patterns of word forms with the affix -DAy in different Kazakh varieties, including the Standard Kazakh (the literary variant used in Kazakhstan) and those spoken in Mongolia and China. The variety spoken in Mongolia and China demonstrates a more pronounced grammaticalization of the affix -DAy as a case marker, compared to Standard Kazakh. None-theless, the distinctions are subtle and demand further exploration. Thus, the pace of grammaticalization processes differs even among local varieties of the same language. The use of experimental methods can provide clarity on the status of these entities.