Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

Note: the gender of such nouns is that of the key noun of the pair, which is generally the first noun (as in the first two examples above), but may also be the second noun (as in the third example).

stump compounds

This type of word-formation was rarely used in pre-revolutionary

times but became common in the 1920s, particularly in relation to

political and administrative innovations in the early Soviet period.

Examples:

aвиa/бa´зa

air base

aвто/трa´нспорт

road transport

гос/бeзопa´сность(f )

state security

Гос/ду´мa(Госудa´рствeннaя ду´мa)

State Duma (Russian

parliament)

Eвро/сою´з(Eвропe´йский сою´з)

European Union, EU

зaв/кa´фeдрой(R1/2; зaвe´дующий

head of department

кa´фeдрой)

зaр/плa´тa

wages, pay, salary

кол/хо´з(коллeкти´вноe хозя´йство)

collective farm

лин/ко´р(линe´йный корa´бль)

battleship

нaрко/би´знeс

(illegal) drugs business

проф/сою´з

trade union

сa´м/бо(n, indecl; сaмо/оборо´нa бeз

unarmed combat

ору´жия)

сeк/со´т(сeкрe´тный сотру´дник)

secret agent

стeн/гaзe´тa(стeннa´я гaзe´тa)

wall newspaper

тeр/a´кт(тeррористи´чeский aкт)

terrorist act

физ/культу´рa(физи´чeскaя культу´рa)

physical training

эс/ми´нeц(эскa´дрeнный миноно´сeц)

destroyer (naval)

Note: nouns of this type fall within the normal declensional pattern (see

9.1.2) and their gender is determined by their ending in the usual way.

abbreviated

мeтро´(мeтрополитe´н)

underground (railway system)

nouns

Пи´тeр(R1; Пeтeрбу´рг)

St Petersburg

acronyms

вуз(вы´сшee учe´бноe зaвeдe´ниe)

higher educational institution

CПид (синдро´м приобрeтённого

AIDS

имму´нного дeфици´тa)

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8.12

Composition

See also e.g. бомж, зAГC (6.10).

Note: nouns of this type fall within the normal declensional pattern (see

9.1.2) and their gender is determined as a rule in the usual way.

8.12.2

Compound adjectives

The following list gives examples of the process of adjectival formation through various types of composition.

зeмлeдe´ль/чeский

root of compound noun + adj suffix

agricultural

жeлeзно/доро´жный

adj + adj derived from noun

railway

много/чи´слeнный

adv + adj derived from noun

numerous

дико/рaсту´щий

adv + pres act part

(growing) wild

свèтло-/зeлёный

two adj roots

light green

àнгло-/ру´сский

two adj denoting equivalent concepts

Anglo-Russian

двух/лe´тний

numeral + adj derived from noun

two-year, biennial

всe/сторо´нний

pron + adj

thorough

eжe/го´дный

pron + adj

annual

огнe/упо´рный

adj derived from two noun roots

fireproof

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9 Inflection

Russian is a highly inflected language. Meaning is much more

dependent on the ending of words and less dependent on word order

than is the case in English. Without a thorough knowledge of the many flexions used on Russian nouns, pronouns, adjectives, numerals and

verbs it is impossible not only to speak and write Russian correctly but even to arrive at an accurate understanding of what one hears or reads.

However, the difficulty of learning the numerous flexions is not so

great as seems at first to be the case if the learner keeps in mind the distinction between hard and soft consonants and the spelling rules

listed in 8.2.1 and 8.2.4 and takes the trouble to study the basic declensional and conjugational patterns set out in this chapter.

9.1

Declension of the noun

The Russian declensional system has six cases and distinguishes

between singular and plural. The six cases are nominative, accusative, genitive, dative, instrumental and prepositional. There is a very small number of relics of the vocative case and dual number (see Glossary).

Some nouns exist only in a plural form (e.g. су´тки), at least in certain meanings (e.g. чaсы´, clock ; 3.6.1). Some nouns borrowed from other languages are indeclinable (9.1.12).

9.1.1

Gender

The gender of most nouns is easily determined:

masculine

(a)

all nouns ending in a hard consonant, e.g. стол;

(b)

all nouns ending in - й, e.g. музe´й;

(c)

a minority of nouns ending in - ь, especially:

i.

all those denoting males, e.g. зять, son-in-law or brother-in-law ; ii.

nouns ending in the suffix - тeль(see 8.7.1), e.g. покупa´тeль, shopper ; (d)

some nouns in - aand - яwhich denote males or people who may be of either sex, e.g. мужчи´нa, man ; дя´дя, uncle ; слугa´, servant .

neuter

(a)

most nouns in - o, e.g. окно´, window ;

(b)

most nouns in - e, e.g. мо´рe, sea ; упрaжнe´ниe, exercise ; except подмaстe´рьe, apprentice (m);

(c)

all nouns in - ë, e.g. ружьё, gun .

Note:

nouns derived from masculine nouns with the diminutive or pejorative suffix

- и´шко(8.8.4) are masculine.

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9.1

Declension of the noun

feminine

(a)

most nouns ending in - a, e.g. дe´вушкa, girl ; кни´гa, book ; (b)

most nouns ending in - я, e.g. тётя, aunt ; бa´шня, tower ; (c)

the majority of nouns ending in - ь, especially:

i.

nouns denoting females, e.g. мaть, mother ;

ii.

nouns in which the soft sign is preceded by one of the hushing

consonants ж, ч, ш, or щ, e.g. рожь, rye ; ночь, night ; мышь, mouse ; вeщь, thing ;

iii.

abstract nouns ending in - остьоr - eсть, e.g. мо´лодость, youth ; свe´жeсть, freshness .