Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

to let through, admit, omit

(c)

as a perfective prefix, in many simple verbs when the duration of

the action or the distance covered by it is defined:

просидe´ть двa чaсa´

to sit for two hours

пробeжa´ть дe´сять киломe´тров

to run ten kilometres

(d)

thorough action:

проду´мывaть/проду´мaть

to think over

прожa´ривaть/прожa´рить

to roast thoroughly

(e)

oversight (only in a few verbs):

прогля´дывaть/проглядe´ть

to overlook

(f )

loss:

прои´грывaть/проигрa´ть

to lose (game, at cards)

(g)

+ - ся: unintentional revelation:

проговa´ривaться/проговори´ться

to let the cat out of the bag

рaз- (рaзо-); рaс-(a)

movement in various directions or distribution (cf. Eng dis -); verbs before unvoiced

of motion bearing this prefix become reflexive:

consonants

рaзбeгa´ться/рaзбeжa´ться

to run off (in various directions)

рaзлeтa´ться/рaзлeтe´ться

to fly off, scatter, be shattered

рaзмeщa´ть/рaзмeсти´ть

to accommodate, place (in various

places)

(b)

action that uncovers or undoes sth (cf. Eng un -); the prefix is used in many verbs with this meaning:

рaзвя´зывaть/рaзвязa´ть

to untie

рaзгружa´ть/рaзгрузи´ть

to unload

с- (со-)

(a)

movement off or down from :

сбeгa´ть/сбeжa´ть

to run down

слeзa´ть/слeзть

to climb down/off

снимa´ть/снять

to take off

сходи´ть/сойти´

to come down

(b)

convergence (cf. Eng con -); verbs bearing the prefix in this sense may become reflexive:

сбeгa´ться/сбeжa´ться

to run and come together

сходи´ться/сойти´сь

to come together, meet, gather, tally

(of figures)

сливa´ться/сли´ться

to flow together, blend, mingle

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8.4

Noun prefixes

(c)

joining, linking:

свя´зывaть/связa´ть

to tie together, connect, link, unite

соeдиня´ть/соeдини´ть

to unite, join

(d)

+ indeterminate verbs of motion to form perfective verbs which

indicate that the subject moved in one direction and then back

again; contrast homonyms or homographs which are imperfective

verbs of motion indicating movement down or off (see (a) above): сбe´гaть

to run somewhere and back again

сходи´ть

to go somewhere and back again

(on foot)

y-

(a)

movement away from ; this prefix differs from от- in that it suggests that the subject moves right off , whereas от- describes the progressive separation of the subject from the point of departure:

уeзжa´ть/уe´хaть

to go away (by transport)

уходи´ть/уйти´

to go away

убирa´ть/убрa´ть

to remove, take away, clear away

(b)

in verbs with comparative meaning derived from an adjectival root:

улучшa´ть(ся)/улу´чшить(ся)

to improve (from лу´чший)

умeньшa´ть(ся)/умe´ньшить(ся)

to diminish (from мe´ньший)

ухудшa´ть(ся)/уху´дшить(ся)

to make worse (non-refl)/ get

worse (refl) (from худо´й)

Note: the non-reflexive forms of the above verbs are transitive, the reflexive forms intransitive.

(c)

removal or diminution:

урe´зывaть/урe´зaть

to cut, reduce

ушивa´ть/уши´ть

to take in (clothes)

(d)

achievement in spite of opposition; uncommon in this meaning:

устоя´ть

to stand one’s ground

(e)

abundance:

усыпa´ть/усы´пaть

to strew with

8.4

Noun prefixes

Although the main function of the prefixes listed in 8.3 above is to modify the meaning of verbs, they do also occur, with similar

meaning, in many nouns. Some idea of their function and its extent in the formation of nouns may be gained from the following list of nouns which consist of prefix + the root ход(indicating going, motion, movement on foot ) + (in some cases) a noun suffix.

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8

Word-formation

восхо´д(со´лнцa)

sunrise

восхождe´ниe

ascent

вход

entrance, entry

вы´ход

exit, departure

дохо´д

income

зaхо´д(со´лнцa)

sunset

нaхо´дкa

a find

обхо´д

round (of doctor), beat (of policeman);

bypass

отхо´ды

waste-products

пeрeхо´д

crossing, transition

подхо´д

approach

прихо´д

arrival

прохо´д

passage

рaсхо´д(ы)

expense, outgoings

рaсхо´довaниe

expenditure

схо´дни(pl; gen схо´днeй)

gangplank

схо´дство

similarity

ухо´д

departure, withdrawal

Adjectives may also be derived from some of these nouns, e.g.

выходно´й(дeнь)

rest-day

дохо´дный

profitable, lucrative

нaхо´дчивый

resourceful

обхо´дный

roundabout, circuitous

отхо´дчивый

not harbouring resentment (see 3.7)

пeрeхо´дный

transitional

схо´дный

similar

8.5

Adjectival prefixes

A number of prefixes, some of them of foreign origin and

international currency, may be attached to adjectives, e.g.

a/морa´льный

amoral