Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

-отa´

with adjectival roots, to form abstract nouns denoting quality or

condition (cf. Eng - ness ), e.g.

быстротa´

speed

глухотa´

deafness

крaсотa´

beauty

остротa´

sharpness

пустотa´

emptiness

слeпотa´

blindness

чистотa´

cleanness, purity

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8.7

Noun suffixes

-ство

(a)

with roots of nouns referring to people, in nouns denoting

position, quality, branch of activity (cf. Eng -ship ), e.g.

a´вторство

authorship

крeстья´нство

peasantry

члe´нство

membership

(b)

With adjectival roots, in nouns denoting a quality or condition, e.g.

богa´тство

richness, wealth

одино´чeство

solitude, loneliness

прeвосхо´дство

superiority

-тeль(m)

a suffix added to the root of transitive verbs to form masculine

nouns denoting an agent, usually a person, but also possibly a thing (cf. Eng -er, -or ), e.g.

дви´гaтeль

engine

зри´тeль

spectator, viewer

избирa´тeль

elector, voter

изобрeтa´тeль

inventor

истрeби´тeль

fighter (aircraft)

люби´тeль

amateur

огнeтуши´тeль

fire-extinguisher

писa´тeль

writer

покупa´тeль

buyer, purchaser

прeподaвa´тeль

teacher (in higher education)

yчи´тeль

teacher (in school)

читa´тeль

reader

-тор

a suffix of foreign origin used to denote persons who do or things

which carry out some activity denoted by a word with the suffix

- aцияor related suffixes (see - aция; cf. Eng -(a)tor ), e.g.

aвиa´тор

aviator

инкубa´тор

incubator

инстру´ктор

instructor

оргaнизa´тор

organiser

-ун

mainly in R1, a suffix applied to verbal roots to form nouns which

define persons by reference to some action which they perform or

to which they are prone, e.g.

болту´н

chatterbox

врун

liar

говору´н

talker

хвaсту´н

braggart

-щик/-чик

suffixes defining persons by reference to some object or institution associated with their occupation; also denoting some objects by

reference to their function, e.g.

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8

Word-formation

бaрaбa´нщик

drummer

бомбaрдиро´вщик

bomber, bomber pilot

кa´мeнщик

stone-mason, bricklayer

счётчик

counter (person, i.e. teller , or

instrument, i.e. meter )

-щинa

a suffix added mainly, but not exclusively, to proper nouns, to

indicate a syndrome or set of circumstances associated with a

person or place, e.g.

eжо´вщинa

political terror associated with

Ezho´v (chief of Staĺin’s secret

police 1936–8)

кaзёнщинa

red tape

обло´мовщинa

behaviour associated with

Oblo´mov (eponymous hero of

Goncharo´v’s novel)

-ьe

with noun roots and a spatial prefix, to form nouns denoting

region, e.g.

зaполя´рьe

polar region

побeрe´жьe

coast, littoral

прeдго´рьe

foothills

примо´рьe

seaside

Note: the suffix -иe may also have this function, e.g. подно´жиe, foot (e.g.

of mountain).

8.7.2

Noun suffixes denoting females

Several suffixes denote females of a type. These suffixes may

correspond to suffixes denoting males of the same type (e.g.

aфрикa´н/ кa, female equivalent of aфрикa´нeц), or they may be added to a masculine noun in order to transform it into a feminine

one (e.g. тигр/ и´цa, tigress ). Sometimes the masculine noun to which the female suffix is added already bears a suffix itself (as in

учи´тeль/ ницa, female teacher , where the suffix - ницais added to учи´/тeль).

Some of the commonest female suffixes are listed below, together

with a note on their relation to masculine nouns denoting people of

the same type and with a few examples.

-aнкa/-янкa

feminine equivalents of - aнeц/- янeцand - aнин/- янин(see 8.7.1;

also 6.11–6.12), e.g.

aмeрикa´нкa

American woman (m aмeрикa´нeц)

aнгличa´нкa

English woman (m aнгличa´нин)

итaлья´нкa

Italian woman (m итaлья´нeц)

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8.7

Noun suffixes

киeвля´нкa

woman from Kiev (m киeвля´нин)

Note: the suffixes - aнкa/- янкamay correspond simply to the masculine suffix - eц, e.g. китaя´нкa, Chinese woman (m китaéц).

-иня/-ыня

бa´рыня

nоble lady (m бa´рин)

гeрои´ня

heroine (m гeро´й)

монa´хиня

nun (m монa´х)

-исa/-eссa

suffixes of foreign origin, used in nouns of foreign origin, e.g.

aктри´сa

actress (m aктёр)

поэтe´ссa

poetess (m поэ´т)

-ихa

added to masculine nouns denoting persons and also to some nouns

denoting animals, e.g.

повaри´хa

cook (m по´вaр)

слони´хa

she-elephant (m слон)

труси´хa

cowardess (m трус)

Note: the root of the masculine noun may undergo some change before the suffix is added, e.g. зaйчи´хa, doe-hare (m зa´яц).

-ицa