Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

кость(f ), bone , in the expression

лeчь костьми´(R3, arch/rhet), to

lay down one’s life (in battle)

9.1.9

Nouns which are irregular throughout the plural

стул ( chair )

A few masculine nouns which end in a hard consonant and a few

дe´рeво ( tree )

neuter nouns in - ohave regular endings in the singular but have plural forms of the following type:

nom/acc pl

сту´лья

дeрe´вья

gen pl

сту´льeв

дeрe´вьeв

dat pl

сту´льям

дeрe´вьям

instr pl

сту´льями

дeрe´вьями

prep pl

сту´льях

дeрe´вьях

Like стул and дe´рeво are:

кол, stake

ко´лья, ко´льeв, etc.

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9

Inflection

ком, lump

ко´мья, ко´мьeв, etc.

прут, twig

пру´тья, пру´тьeв, etc.

звeно´, link (in chain)

звe´нья, звe´ньeв, etc.

крыло´, wing

кры´лья, кры´льeв, etc.

пeро´, feather

пe´рья, пe´рьeв, etc.

полe´но, log

полe´нья, полe´ньeв, etc.

Note 1

брaт, brother , declines in exactly the same way, except that, being animate, it has acc pl брa´тьeв.

2

листdeclines like стул when it means leaf (i.e. foliage ), but it declines like a regular masculine noun of the same type as aвто´бус when it means sheet of paper ( листы´, etc.).

3

сук, branch, bough , declines like стул, but undergoes a consonant change in its stem: thus су´чья, су´чьeв, су´чьям, etc.

друг ( friend )

These nouns are similar to стул and дe´рeво, but the stem for their

сын ( son )

plural forms is not the same as that for their singular forms, and they have accusative/genitive plural in -eй:

nom pl

друзья´

сыновья´

acc/gen pl

друзe´й

сыновe´й

dat pl

друзья´м

сыновья´м

instr pl

друзья´ми

сыновья´ми

prep pl

друзья´х

сыновья´х

Note 1

сынalso has regular plural forms ( сыны´´, сыно´в, сынa´м, сынa´ми, сынa´х) when it has a figurative sense, as in сыны´ отe´чeствa, sons of the fatherland.

2

князь, prince , and муж, husband , have similar plural endings but no consonant change in the stem:

nom pl

князья´

мужья´

acc/gen pl

князe´й

мужe´й

dat pl

князья´м

мужья´м

instr pl

князья´ми

мужья´ми

prep pl

князья´х

мужья´х

колe´но ( knee )

nom/acc pl

колe´ни

у´ши

у´xо ( ear )

gen pl

колe´нeй

ушe´й

dat pl

колe´ням

ушa´м

instr pl

колe´нями

ушa´ми

prep pl

колe´нях

ушa´х

Note:

плeчо´, shoulder , has nom/acc pl плe´чи, but regular forms in the oblique cases ( плeч, плeчa´м, плeчa´ми, плeчa´х).

нe´бо ( sky, heaven )

These nouns have plural forms with a stem in c:

чу´до ( miracle,

nom/acc pl

нeбeсa´

чудeсa´

wonder )

gen pl

нeбe´с

чудe´с

dat pl

нeбeсa´м

чудeсa´м

instr pl

нeбeсa´ми

чудeсa´ми

prep pl

нeбeсa´х

чудeсa´х

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9.1

Declension of the noun

сосe´д ( neighbour )

These nouns have soft endings in the plural:

чёрт (devil )

nom pl

сосe´ди

чe´рти

acc/gen pl

сосe´дeй

чeртe´й

dat pl

сосe´дям

чeртя´м

instr pl

сосe´дями

чeртя´ми

prep pl

сосe´дях

чeртя´х

nouns in -нин

Nouns of this type (see also 6.11–6.12) are regular in the singular but in the plural the last two letters (-ин) are removed to form the stem: nom pl

aнгличa´нe

acc/gen pl

aнгличa´н

dat pl

aнгличa´нaм

instr pl

aнгличa´нaми

prep pl

aнгличa´нaх

Note 1

All these nouns are animate, hence the coincidence of accusative/genitive forms.

2

болгa´рин, Bulgarian , and тaтa´рин, Tatar , also follow this pattern, except that they have nom pl болгa´рыand тaтa´рыrespectively.

3

цыгa´н, gipsy , has plural forms цыгa´нe, цыгa´н, цыгa´нaм, etc. in the modern language, but nom pl цыгa´ныin the nineteenth century (e.g. in the title of P úshkin’s narrative poem).

4

хозя´ин, landlord, host , has plural forms хозяéвa, хозяéв, хозяéвaм, хозяéвaми, хозяéвaх.

5

господи´н, master, gentleman, Mr , has plural forms господa´, госпо´д, господa´м, господa´ми, господa´х.