Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

peasant

мaрсиa´нин

Martian

мусульмa´нин

Moslem

слaвяни´н

Slav

южa´нин

southerner

Note: in some words the suffix used is -ин, e.g. болгa´рин, Bulgarian ; боя´рин, boyar ; грузи´н, Georgian ; тaтa´рин, Tatar .

-aнт/-eнт

suffixes of foreign origin defining people in relation to some action or object, e.g.

музыкa´нт

musician

эмигрa´нт

e´migre´

оппонe´нт

opponent

-aция/-яция

used in very numerous verbal nouns of international currency (cf.

Eng -ation ), e.g.

aдминистрa´ция

administration

дeклaрa´ция

declaration

консультa´ция

consultation

модeрнизa´ция

modernisation

оргaнизa´ция

organisation

привaтизa´ция

privatisation

Note 1

In words with a stem ending in a soft consonant the suffix used is - я´ция, e.g. инфля´ция, inf lation ; коррeля´ция, correlation.

2

The suffixes -цияand -ицияalso occur, e.g. инстру´кция, instruction ; экспeди´ция, expedition .

-aч

a relatively uncommon suffix defining people by reference to their

occupational activity or salient characteristic, e.g.

богa´ч

rich man

горбa´ч

hunchback

скрипa´ч

violinist

-ёнок

used to form nouns which denote the young of living creatures, e.g.

жeрeбёнок

foal, colt

котёнок

kitten

львёнок

lion-cub

267

8

Word-formation

поросёнок

piglet

ягнёнок

lamb

Note 1

After hushing consonants the suffix is - о´нок, e.g. волчо´нок, wolf-cub ; мышо´нок, baby mouse .

2

The plural forms of nouns with this suffix are not formed in the usual way (see 9.1.9).

-ëр

used in some words of international currency which define people

by reference to their field of activity (cf. Eng -er, -or ), e.g.

боксёр

boxer

дирижёр

conductor (of orchestra)

рeжиссёр

producer (of play, film)

-eц

a very widespread suffix denoting a person by reference to (a) some

action or occupation; (b) a certain quality; or (c) place of origin or residence (in which case the forms - aнeц/- янeц(see also 6.11–6.12)

are common), e.g.

(a)

бe´жeнeц

refugee

грeбe´ц

rower, oarsman

купe´ц

merchant

пeвe´ц

singer

торго´вeц

trader

(b)

крaсa´вeц

handsome man

скупe´ц

miser, skinflint

(c)

aфрикa´нeц

African

бaки´нeц

person from Baku

япо´нeц

Japanese

-иe/-ьe

with adjectival roots, in neuter abstract nouns which tend to be

bookish and are therefore prevalent in R3, and which denote a

quality, e.g.

вeли´чиe

greatness

рaвноду´шиe

indifference

хлaднокро´виe

sang-froid

здоро´вьe

health

-изм

of foreign origin, in nouns denoting a doctrine or system and also

activities or tendencies (cf. Eng -ism ), e.g.

aтeи´зм

atheism

кaпитaли´зм

capitalism

оптими´зм

optimism

ромaнти´зм

romanticism

социaли´зм

socialism

тури´зм

tourism

фaнaти´зм

fanaticism

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8.7

Noun suffixes

-ик

used in words of international currency which define a person’s

field of activity, e.g.

исто´рик

historian

тe´хник

technician

хи´мик

chemist (not dispensing

chemist: aптe´кaрь (m))

-икa

a suffix of foreign origin indicating a field of knowledge, a

discipline (cf. Eng -ics ), e.g.

мaтeмa´тикa

mathematics

фи´зикa

physics

эконо´микa

economics

-инa

miscellaneous functions, including:

(a)

with verbal roots, to indicate the result of actions, e.g.

впa´динa

cavity

цaрa´пинa

scratch

(b)

with noun roots, to denote an individual specimen of an object

usually referred to collectively, e.g.

изю´минa(collect изю´м)

a raisin

кaрто´фeлинa(collect кaрто´фeль, m)

a potato

(c)

to denote the meat of an animal or fish, e.g.

бaрa´нинa

mutton

лососи´нa

salmon

(d)

to denote dimensions, and in some other abstract nouns:

глубинa´

depth

длинa´

length

тишинa´

silence

ширинa´

width

-ионe´р

used in words of international currency to define people by

reference to their activity or outlook, e.g.

коллeкционe´р

collector (e.g. of stamps)

рeволюционe´р

revolutionary

-ист

a suffix of foreign origin which defines people by reference to

some doctrine they hold or art or skill they practise (cf. Eng -ist ; see also - изм), e.g.

aтeи´ст

atheist

вeлосипeди´ст