Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

added to some masculine nouns without a suffix; also feminine

equivalent of - eц(see 8.7.1), e.g.

крaсa´вицa

beautiful woman (m крaсa´вeц)

пeви´цa

singer (m пeвe´ц)

цaри´цa

tsarina (m цaрь)

-кa

also a feminine equivalent of - eц; added to nouns in - ист, - ич

(see 8.7.1), e.g.

aрти´сткa

artiste (m aрти´ст)

москви´чкa

Muscovite woman (m москви´ч)

япо´нкa

Japanese woman (m япо´нeц)

-ницa

feminine equivalent of - никand also added to nouns in - тeль

(see 8.7.1), e.g.

рaбо´тницa

worker (m рaбо´тник)

учи´тeльницa

teacher (m учи´тeль)

-шa

added to masculine nouns to denote female of the type; also (in

R1, but nowadays rare) to denote wife of the male, e.g.

сeкрeтa´ршa

(woman) secretary (m сeкрeтa´рь)

гeнeрa´льшa

general’s wife (m гeнeрa´л)

-ья

added to nouns in - ун, e.g.

болту´нья

chatterbox (m болту´н)

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Word-formation

8.7.3

Miscellaneous noun suffixes

Although the commonest noun suffixes have been dealt with in the

preceding sections, there are also many others, as briefly exemplified in the following list. (Suffixes, or groups of related suffixes, are arranged in alphabetical order.)

вольт/a´ж

voltage

сaбот/a´ж

sabotage

пис/a´кa(R1, pej)

hack

брод/я´гa

tramp, vagrant

покрыв/a´ло

bedspread

интриг/a´н(R1, pej)

intriguer

груби/я´н(R1, pej)

ruffian

библиотe´к/aрь(m)

librarian

слов/a´рь(m)

dictionary

стaрик/a´шкa(R1, pej)

old man

борь/бa´

struggle

дру´ж/бa

friendship

жa´л/обa

complaint

уч/ёбa

tuition

клa´д/бищe

cemetery

убe´ж/ищe

refuge

учи´л/ищe

college

сeрдц/eви´нa

heart(land)

пут/ёвкa

travel permit, pass (to sanatorium)

плaт/ёж

payment

слaст/ёнa

person with a sweet tooth

пe´рв/eнство

first place, championship

болe´/знь(f )

illness

боя´/знь(f )

fear

жи/знь(f )

life

то´пл/иво

fuel

дорогов/и´знa

expensiveness

нов/изнa´

novelty

бронх/и´т

bronchitis

бeзрaбо´т/ицa

unemployment

больн/и´цa

hospital

пe´пeль/ницa

ashtray

влaдe´/лeц

owner

буди´/льник

alarm clock

холоди´/льник

refrigerator

болe´/льщик

fan, supporter

колоко´ль/ня

belfry

пa´ш/ня

ploughed land

то´п/от

stamping

шёп/от

whisper

бeг/отня´

scurrying

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8.8

Diminutive, augmentative and expressive suffixes

прaви´/тeльство

government

зaкры´/тиe

closure

бри/тьё

shaving

пaс/ту´х

shepherd

лeн/тя´й(R1)

idler

aспирaнт/у´рa

postgraduate study, postgraduate student body

литeрaт/у´рa

literature

дe´д/ушкa

grandad

вeсeль/чa´к(R1)

cheerful person

мaл/ы´ш(R1)

kid

обо´рв/ыш(R1)

ragamuffin

гнёзд/ышко(R1)

little nest

тeл/я´тинa

veal

8.8

Diminutive, augmentative and expressive suffixes

Russian is rich in suffixes which either indicate the size, especially smallness, of an object or are indicative of the speaker’s attitude (which may be affectionate, tender, attentive or scornful, ironic, disparaging) towards it. Many suffixes may serve both a diminutive and an

affectionate (hypocoristic) purpose. Note though that in certain nouns, or in some nouns when suffixes are used in certain meanings, the suffix has lost its original diminutive or hypocoristic function (e.g. when the noun ру´чкameans the handle of a door).

As a rule diminutives and augmentatives are of the same gender as

the noun to which the suffix is attached, even when the suffix ends

with a vowel normally associated with another gender. For example,

the noun городи´шко, god-forsaken town , is masculine like го´род even though nouns in -o are generally neuter.

Because they are highly expressive colloquial forms diminutives

belong primarily to R1, although they are widely used in the literary variety of the written language and in folk poetry. They are less likely to be encountered in the neutral R2 and are generally altogether

absent in the more formal varieties of R3, especially R3a and R3b.

The following lists of diminutive, augmentative and expressive

suffixes are not exhaustive; they contain only some of the more

productive suffixes.

8.8.1

Diminutive and hypocoristic suffixes

-eнькa

a diminutive of heightened expressiveness, used mainly with nouns

denoting people and with proper names that are already in a

diminutive form, e.g. Ca´шa:

ду´шeнькa

darling

Ca´шeнькa

Sasha dear

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Word-formation

-ик

added to masculine nouns; may also convey scorn, e.g.

гво´здик

little nail, tack

до´ждик

shower

до´мик