Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

consonants)

only a small number of verbs in this meaning:

обeзво´живaть/обeзво´дить

to dehydrate (i.e. take away water )

обeзврe´живaть/обeзврe´дить

to render harmless, neutralise,

defuse

обeсси´ливaть/обeсси´лить

to weaken (i.e. take away strength )

от- (ото-)

(a)

movement away from , or off (cf. y- below); the prefix is very common in this meaning:

отлeтa´ть/отлeтe´ть

to fly away, fly off, rebound

отходи´ть/отойти´

to go away, go off, depart (of

transport), come away from

отнимa´ть/отня´ть

to take away

(b)

in verbs with figurative meaning, may carry the sense of back (cf.

Eng re -); the prefix is common in this meaning:

отбивa´ть/отби´ть

to beat back, repel

отрaжa´ть/отрaзи´ть

to reflect

259

8

Word-formation

(c)

in perfective verbs, to emphasise that action is at an end or has been carried out to its required limit; the prefix is not widely used with this meaning:

отдeжу´рить

to come off duty

отрaбо´тaть

to finish one’s work

пepe-

(a)

movement across or transference from one place to another (cf. Eng trans -):

пeрeходи´ть/пeрeйти´

to cross (on foot)

пeрeдaвa´ть/пeрeдa´ть

to pass (across), transfer, transmit

пeрeсa´живaться/пeрeсe´сть

to change (transport)

(b)

to do sth again (cf. Eng re -); the prefix occurs in many verbs in this meaning:

пeрeсмa´тривaть/пeрeсмотрe´ть

to look at again, review

пeрeстрa´ивaть/пeрeстро´ить

to rebuild, reconstruct

(c)

to do sth too much (cf. Eng over -):

пeрeгрeвa´ть/пeрeгрe´ть

to overheat

пeрeоцe´нивaть/пeрeоцeни´ть

to overestimate

(d)

+ - ся: reciprocal action:

пeрeгля´дывaться/пeрeгляну´ться

to exchange glances

пeрeпи´сывaться(impf only)

to correspond (i.e. exchange letters )

пo-

(a)

in many perfective verbs, to indicate action of short duration or

limited extent; it may be attached to indeterminate verbs of

motion; the prefix is very common in this meaning:

поговори´ть

to have a talk, talk for a bit

погуля´ть

to take a stroll

поe´сть

to have a bite to eat

порaбо´тaть

to do a bit of work

походи´ть

to walk about for a bit

(b)

+ infix - ывa- оr - ивa-, to form imperfective verbs with iterative meaning (i.e. action repeated off and on for some time):

погля´дывaть

to look at from time to time

поговa´ривaть

to gossip, talk about every so often

покa´шливaть

to cough from time to time

посви´стывaть

to whistle off and on

под- (подо-)

(a)

action below or from below :

поддe´рживaть/поддeржa´ть

to support

подпи´сывaть/подписa´ть

to sign (i.e. write underneath )

подчёркивaть/подчeркну´ть

to stress, emphasise (i.e. underline )

260

8.3

Verbal prefixes

(b)

movement towards ; this is the commonest directional meaning of this prefix when it is used with verbs of motion:

подходи´ть/подойти´

to approach, go towards/up to

подзывa´ть/подозвa´ть

to call up, beckon

(c)

movement upwards :

подбрa´сывaть/подбро´сить

to throw/toss up

поднимa´ть/подня´ть

to lift, raise

(d)

action that is not far-reaching:

подкрa´шивaть/подкрa´сить

to tint, touch up

подрeзa´ть/подрe´зaть

to clip, trim

(e)

action that adds sth:

подрaбa´тывaть/подрaбо´тaть

to earn some additional money

(f )

underhand action:

поджигa´ть/поджe´чь

to set fire to (criminally), commit

arson

подкупa´ть/подкупи´ть

to bribe, suborn

подслу´шивaть(impf only)

to eavesdrop

прeд- (прeдо-)

action that precedes or anticipates sth (cf. Eng fore -); mainly in bookish words characteristic of R3:

прeдви´дeть(impf; no pf )

to foresee

прeдотврaщa´ть/прeдотврaти´ть

to avert, prevent, stave off

прeдскa´зывaть/прeдскaзa´ть

to foretell, prophesy

при-

(a)

movement to a destination:

приeзжa´ть/приe´хaть

to come, arrive (by transport)

приноси´ть/принeсти´

to bring (by hand)

приходи´ть/прийти´

to come, arrive (on foot)

(b)

attachment or fastening of an object to sth else:

привя´зывaть/привязa´ть

to tie/attach/fasten to

прикa´лывaть/приколо´ть

to pin to

(c)

action that is not fully carried out:

приостaнa´вливaть/приостaнови´ть

to halt

приоткрывa´ть/приоткры´ть

to half-open

приспускa´ть/приспусти´ть

to lower a little

про-

(a)

movement by or past :

пробeгa´ть/пробeжa´ть

to run past

проходи´ть/пройти´

to go past (on foot)

261

8

Word-formation

(b)

movement through :

проeдa´ть/проe´сть

to eat through, corrode

пропускa´ть/пропусти´ть