Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

(d)

The vowel ёis always stressed, e.g. in полёт, flight . It follows that ё

cannot occur if the stress in a word is on any other syllable (contrast пойд ёшь and вы´йд eшь).

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8.3

Verbal prefixes

8.2.5

Consonant changes

A number of consonants (e.g. the velars г, к, х) are changed in certain circumstances into consonants of a different type (e.g. the hushing

consonants ж, ч, ш). Thus it commonly happens that the consonant with which a root ends is transformed into a different consonant when certain suffixes are added to the root or when certain adjectival or verbal flexions are added to it (see 9.3.3, 9.6.8).

The main changes, which will be encountered frequently in the

examples given in the following sections, are:

г → ж, as in дви жe´ниe, movement , from the root двиг

д → ж, as in бро жe´ниe, ferment , from the root брод

д → жд, as in освобо ждe´ниe, liberation , from the root свобо´д

з → ж, as in вырa жe´ниe, expression , from the root рaз

к → ч, as in восто´ чный, eastern , from восто´к

c → ш, as in отно шe´ниe, attitude , from the root нос

ст → щ, as in чи´ щe, cleaner , from the root чист

т → ч, as in лe чу, I fly , from лeтe´ть

т → щ, as in освe щe´ниe, illumination , from the root свeт

x → ш, as in ти шинa´, tranquillity , from the root тих

8.2.6

Epenthetic л

Before certain suffixes or flexions the consonant л is added to a root ending in б, в, м, п, ф, e.g.

у/глуб/ л/e´ниe, deepening

у/див/ л/e´ниe, surprise

из/ум/ л/e´ниe, astonishment

куп/ л/ю´, I shall buy

рaз/грaф/ л/ю´, I shall rule (lines on paper)

8.3

Verbal prefixes

There are some two dozen prefixes which may be added to a simple

verb in order to modify its meaning or to create a verb with a related but different meaning. A few of these prefixes are to be found in

only a small number of verbs, but the majority occur in many

verbs.

Most of the common prefixes may be used in various senses. They

may indicate the direction of the movement denoted by the basic

verb (e.g. входи´ть, to go into ), or they may in some other way define the precise nature of the action denoted by the verb (e.g. зaплa´кaть,

to startto cry ). In many instances the prefix, perhaps combined with some other affix, bears a subtle meaning which in English must be

rendered by some adverbial modification of the verb (e.g. зaстрeли´ть, to shoot dead ; нaбe´гaть ся, to have had enoughof running about ; 255

8

Word-formation

посви´ст ывaть, to whistle from time to time ; приоткры´ть, to open

slightly ).

Note 1

Prefix and aspect: normally the addition of a prefix to a simple imperfective verb makes the verb perfective, e.g. писa´ть (impf ), нaписa´ть (pf ); вязa´ть

(impf ), связa´ть (pf ). In some instances (e.g. in the verb нaписa´ть) the prefix has no function other than to make the verb perfective (i.e. it adds only the sense of completeness of the action to the sense already conveyed by the imperfective). However, in other instances (e.g. in the verb связa´ть) the prefix provides a further modification of the meaning ( вязa´тьmeans to tie , but связa´тьmeans to tie together , i.e. to unite, to join, to link ). (See also 8.6 on

infixes.)

2

Prefixes consisting of a single consonant or ending in a consonant may have to add ofor the sake of euphony, e.g. во-, подо-.

Most of the prefixes which verbs may bear are listed below. A

few of the less common meanings which may be borne by some

of the prefixes are omitted. The directional meaning of each prefix, if the prefix has such a meaning, is dealt with first in each

instance.

в- (во-)

(a)

movement into , or sometimes upwards :

ввози´ть/ввeзти´

to bring in (by transport), import

вовлeкa´ть/вовлe´чь

to drag in, involve

влeзa´ть/влeзть

to climb into/up

(b)

+ - ся: action carried out with care or absorption; the prefix occurs only in a few verbs in this sense:

вслу´шивaться/вслу´шaться в+ acc to listen attentively to всмa´тривaться/всмотрe´ться в+ acc to peer at, scrutinise вз- (взо-)

movement up :

вс- before

unvoiced

взлeтa´ть/взлeтe´ть

to fly up, to take off

consonants

всходи´ть/взойти´

to go up, mount, ascend

взвa´ливaть/взвaли´ть

to lift, load up on to

воз- (вос- before

of OCS origin; borne by verbs unlikely to occur in R1:

unvoiced

воздe´рживaться/воздeржa´ться

to abstain, refrain from

consonants)

возобновля´ть/возобнови´ть

to renew

воскрeшa´ть/воскрeси´ть

to resurrect

вы-

Note: this prefix is always stressed when it occurs in perfective verbs.

(a)

movement out of :

вывози´ть/вы´вeзти

to take out (by transport), export

вынимa´ть/вы´нуть

to take out

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8.3

Verbal prefixes

(b)

action carried out to the fullest possible extent; the prefix does not occur in many verbs with this meaning:

вывa´ривaть/вы´вaрить

to boil thoroughly

(c)

action carried out to an extent sufficient to obtain the desired