Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

-ивый, -ливый,

suffixes which may be applied to noun or verbal roots and which

-чивый

indicate that the subject is inclined or prone to some conduct, e.g.

крaснорeчи´вый

eloquent

лeни´вый

lazy

молчaли´вый

taciturn

тeрпeли´вый

patient, tolerant

довe´рчивый

trustful, credulous

зaду´мчивый

pensive

-ин

in R1, indicating possession; applied to roots of nouns in - a/- я

denoting people, including diminutive forms of first names, e.g.

мa´мин

mum’s

пa´пин

dad’s

Пe´тин

Pete’s

Ta´нин

Tania’s

Note: these adjectives are similar in meaning to adjectives from the same roots in - инскийand adjectives in - овский/- eвский, e.g. мaтeри´нский, николaéвский(see section (c) under the suffix - скийbelow). However, whereas adjectives in - инtend to indicate possession by a particular individual, the forms in - инский, etc. denote general association with a person or type of person.

-ний

used in a number of common adjectives indicating place or time,

sometimes with the help of a further letter or morpheme between

root and ending. These adjectives are important because their

flexions cannot be explained by the spelling rules which normally

dictate variations from the standard type of adjectival ending (see

9.3.1), and they therefore need to be studied carefully.

по´здний

late

рa´нний

early

вeсe´нний

spring

лe´тний

summer

осe´нний

autumn(al)

зи´мний

winter

у´трeнний

morning

вeчe´рний

evening

вчeрa´шний

yesterday’s

сeго´дняшний

today’s

зa´втрaшний

tomorrow’s

ны´нeшний

present-day

дa´вний

of long standing

дрe´вний

ancient

прe´жний

former, previous

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8

Word-formation

послe´дний

last

бли´жний

near, neighbouring

дa´льний

far, distant

вe´рхний

upper

ни´жний

lower

пeрe´дний

front

зa´дний

back

внe´шний

outer, external

вну´трeнний

inner, internal

срe´дний

middle, medium, average

крa´йний

extreme

посторо´нний

extraneous

домa´шний

domestic

ли´шний

superfluous

-ный/-но´й

the most common adjectival ending applied to inanimate nouns,

including nouns of foreign origin, with the meanings relating to or consisting of , or denoting possession of the quality to which the noun refers, e.g.

во´дный

(relating to) water

врe´дный

harmful

пeрeхо´дный

transitional

спо´рный

debatable

трaнзи´тный

transit

шу´мный

noisy

глaзно´й

eye

головно´й

head

зубно´й

tooth, dental

лeсно´й

forest

There are many further suffixes that are developed on the basis of

this suffix, including suffixes of foreign origin which are applied to foreign roots, e.g.

суд/e´бный

judicial

госудa´рств/eнный

state

нeб/e´сный

heavenly

втор/и´чный

secondary

купa´/льный

bathing

вeрх/о´вный

supreme

душ/e´вный

heartfelt

yбeди´/тeльный

convincing

тeaтр/a´льный

theatrical

элeмeнт/a´рный

elementary

прогрeсс/и´вный

progressive

-овa´тый/-eвa´тый

used to indicate that a quality is possessed in some degree (cf. Eng

-ish ); especially common with adjectives of colour, e.g.

бeловa´тый

whitish

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8.9

The principal adjectival suffixes

кисловa´тый

a bit sour

синeвa´тый

bluish

-овый/-ово´й

used with inanimate nouns. (English may make no distinction

-eвый/-eво´й

between the equivalent adjective and the noun which possesses the

quality denoted by the adjective.) Examples:

бaмбу´ковый

bamboo

бeрёзовый

birch

боково´й

side

боeво´й

combat

-ский/-ско´й

(a)

An extremely widespread suffix that is applied to the roots of

nouns, mainly masculine, to form adjectives indicating relationship

to the thing denoted by the root. Many adjectives denoting

nationality or describing place of origin (see 6.11–6.12) or a person’s designation contain this suffix, e.g.

a´вторский

author’s, authorial

дe´тский

child’s, infantile

жe´нский

wife’s, female

мa´йский

May

городско´й

town, urban

донско´й

(relating to the River) Don

(b)

There is a very large number of adjectives, formed from roots of

international currency, which end in - и´чeский(cf. Eng -ic/-ical ), e.g.

гeогрaфи´чeский

geographical