Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

the Minister of Defence

Aргумe´нты и фa´кты

Arguments and Facts (a

contemporary newspaper)

Pa´ковый ко´рпус

Cancer Ward (Solzhen´ıtsyn’s novel)

r in place-names the generic name (e.g. окea´н, мо´рe, о´стров, рeкa´, о´зeро, пло´щaдь, у´лицa) is usually written with a small letter and the proper noun and accompanying adjectives with capitals, e.g.

Tи´хий окea´н

the Pacific Ocean

Ce´вeрный лeдови´тый окea´н

the Arctic Ocean

Кaспи´йскоe мо´рe

the Caspian Sea

о´стров Caхaли´н

the Island of Sakhalin

Гибрaлтa´рский проли´в

the Strait of Gibraltar

Cуэ´цкий кaнa´л

the Suez Canal

тро´пик Козeро´гa

the Tropic of Capricorn

Ce´вeрный по´люс

the North Pole

Крa´снaя пло´щaдь

Red Square

зи´мний дворe´ц

the Winter Palace

Пeтропa´вловскaя крe´пость

the Peter and Paul Fortress

However, in some names the above conventions are not observed, e.g.

дa´льний Bосто´к

the Far East

Oргaнизa´ция Oбъeдинённых

the United Nations Organisation

Ha´ций

Cоeдинённыe штa´ты Aмe´рики

the United States of America

Pосси´йскaя Φeдeрa´ция

the Russian Federation

432

12 Stress

12.1

Introductory remarks

Most Russian words have fixed stress, but many do not and it is these that give difficulty to the foreign learner. Stress patterns are numerous and complicated, but the student may take some comfort from the fact that there are patterns.

In this chapter we first set out the main patterns of stress in Russian nouns, adjectives and verbs and then indicate some of the deviations from standard stress that may be encountered.

Stress in Russian is very important for two reasons. Firstly, it is

strong. Therefore a word pronounced with incorrect stress may not be understood. Secondly, there are many homographs which are

distinguished from one another only by means of stress and

consequential pronunciation of unstressed vowels, e.g. вe´сти, news , and вeсти´, to lead ; мо´ю, I wash , and мою´, my ; плa´чу, I cry , and плaчу´, I pay ; сло´вa, of the word , and словa´, words .

It should be remembered that in some words ewill change into ё

when the syllable in which it occurs attracts the stress.

Conversely ёwill change into ewhen the syllable in which it occurs loses the stress (as it does in some perfective verbs bearing the prefix вы´-, e.g. вы´шeл, I/he went out , in which the element шёлhas lost the stress that it normally bears (as in пошёл, I/he went )).

12.2

Stress in nouns

In considering stress on Russian nouns one needs to bear in mind:

(i) the position of the stress in the nominative form of the word, and (ii) the number of syllables that a noun has (i.e. whether it is

monosyllabic (e.g. ночь, night ; слон, elephant ), disyllabic (e.g. топо´р, axe ; кa´ртa, card, map ; окно´, window ), trisyllabic (e.g. тeлeфо´н, telephone ; доро´гa, road ; о´зeро, lake ) or polysyllabic (e.g. жa´воронок, skylark ; оборо´нa, defence ; сочинe´ниe, essay )).

Most nouns have fixed stress. Shifting stress occurs mainly in

monosyllabic or disyllabic nouns.

Nouns of different genders are associated with somewhat different

stress patterns. The three genders are therefore treated separately in the following sections.

Note:

the following lists of words to which a particular pattern of stress is applicable are not exhaustive.

433

12

Stress

12.2.1

Masculine nouns

Many masculine nouns have fixed stress. In the remaining masculine

nouns, in which stress shift does take place, there are three possible patterns: (i) shift to end stress in all forms after the initial form; (ii) shift to end stress in all plural forms; and (iii) shift to end stress in the genitive, dative, instrumental and prepositional plural forms.

12.2.1.1

Masculine nouns with fixed stress

r polysyllabic nouns, e.g. жa´воронок, skylark ;

r most nouns of more than one syllable that end in - aй,- eй,- ой,- уй,

- яй, e.g. попугa´й, parrot ; музe´й, museum ; гeро´й, hero ; поцeлу´й, kiss ; лeнтя´й, lazy person ;

r nouns formed with the suffix - тeль, e.g. покупa´тeль, buyer ; читa´тeль, reader . Usually stress is on the syllable before this suffix, but NB

морeплa´вaтeль, navigator ;

r most nouns in - н, e.g. бaрaбa´н, drum ; зaко´н, law ; кaрмa´н, pocket ; мaгaзи´н, shop ; стaкa´н, glass (for drink); туркмe´н, Turkmen . Stress is usually on the last syllable in such nouns, but NB nouns with the suffix

- a´нин, e.g. aнгличa´нин, Englishman , etc.;

r many nouns of more than one syllable that end in - т, e.g. aппeти´т, appetite ; aрти´ст, artiste ; билe´т, ticket ; диктa´нт, dictation ; институ´т, institute ; пило´т, pilot ; рeзультa´т, result ; сaлю´т, salute ; r nouns in - aл, e.g. журнa´л, journal ; кaнa´л, canal ; мaтeриa´л, material ; r nouns in - и´зм, e.g. коммуни´зм, communism ; рeaли´зм, realism ; r disyllabic and polysyllabic nouns in - б,- в,- д,- з,- м,- р,- сwith stress on the second syllable: aрa´б, Arab ; зaли´в, gulf ; вeрблю´д, camel ; пaрохо´д, steamer ; сою´з, union ; пaро´м, ferry ; мото´р, engine ; вопро´с, question ; интeрe´с, interest .