Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

12.2.1.4

Masculine nouns with stress on the ending in gen/dat/instr/prep

plural only

r some monosyllabic or disyllabic masculine (and some feminine)

nouns which end in a soft sign and are stressed on the first syllable in the initial form, e.g. го´лубь(m), pigeon, dove , and пло´щaдь(f ), square : 437

12

Stress

sg

pl

sg

pl

nom

го´лубь

го´луби

пло´щaдь

пло´щaди

acc

го´лубя

голубe´й

пло´щaдь

пло´щaди

gen

го´лубя

голубe´й

пло´щaди

площaдe´й

dat

го´лубю

голубя´м

пло´щaди

площaдя´м

instr

го´лубeм

голубя´ми

пло´щaдью

площaдя´ми

prep

го´лубe

го´лубя´х

пло´щaди

площaдя´х

Similarly the following masculine nouns: гость, guest ; гусь, goose ; звeрь, beast, wild animal ; кa´мeнь, stone ; ко´готь, claw, talon ; лe´бeдь, swan ; ло´коть, elbow ; но´готь, fingernail ; пa´рeнь, lad ; and the following feminine nouns: бровь, brow ; вeсть, piece of news ; вeщь, thing ; дочь, daughter ; крe´пость, fortress ; ло´шaдь, horse ; мaть, mother ; ночь, night ; пeчь, stove ; по´вeсть, short story, novella ; рeчь, speech ; роль, role ; сeть, net ; скa´тeрть, tablecloth ; ско´рость, speed, gear ; стe´пeнь, degree, extent ; цeпь, chain ; чaсть, part .

Note:

exceptions include the following monosyllables, which have fixed stress on the stem throughout: боль, ache, pain ; грaнь, border, verge ; eль, fir-tree ; кaзнь, execution ; мaзь, ointment ; мысль, thought, idea ; связь, link, connection ; ткaнь, fabric ; цeль, aim, goal ; щeль, crack (all feminine), and стиль, style (masculine).

r some other monosyllabic nouns, e.g. волк, wolf :

sg

pl

nom

волк

во´лки

acc

во´лкa

волко´в

gen

во´лкa

волко´в

dat

во´лку

волкa´м

instr

во´лком

волкa´ми

prep

во´лкe

во´лкa´х

Similarly: вор, thief ; слог, syllable .

12.2.2

Feminine nouns

12.2.2.1

Feminine nouns with fixed stress

r nouns in - ницaderived from nouns with the masculine suffix - тeль, e.g. учи´тeльницa, teacher ;

r nouns in - ия, e.g. фaми´лия, surname . Stress in these nouns is usually, but not necessarily, on the syllable preceding this suffix;

r nouns in - ость, e.g. нeприя´тность, unpleasantness ; слa´бость, weakness ; r disyllabic nouns in - aor - яwith stress on the first syllable, e.g. кa´ртa, map ; лa´мпa, lamp ; шко´лa, school ; дя´дя, uncle ; пe´сня, song .

438

12.2

Stress in nouns

12.2.2.2

Feminine nouns with end stress in the singular and stress

on preceding syllable in the plural

r disyllabic nouns in - aor - яwith stress on the ending in the initial form, e.g. стрaнa´, country :

sg

pl

nom

стрaнa´

стрa´ны

acc

стрaну´

стрa´ны

gen

стрaны´

стрaн

dat

стрaнe´

стрa´нaм

instr

стрaно´й

стрa´нaми

prep

стрaнe´

стрa´нaх

Similarly: войнa´, war ; волнa´, wave ; грозa´, thunderstorm ; доскa´, blackboard ; змeя´, snake ; козa´, goat, she-goat ; мeчтa´, daydream ; овцa´, sheep ; рeкa´, river ; свeчa´, candle, sparking-plug ; свинья´, pig ; сeмья´, family ; скaлa´, cliff, crag ; соснa´, pine-tree ; стeнa´, wall ; стрeлa´, arrow ; струя´, jet, spurt ; судьбa´, fate, destiny ; судья´, judge ; трубa´, pipe , tube , trumpet .

Note 1

It is only by means of stress that genitive singular forms are differentiated from nominative and accusative plural forms in nouns of this type.

2

Some nouns in this category have stress on the first syllable in the accusative singular as well as in plural forms: водa´ ( water ; во´ду); душa´( soul , spirit ; ду´шу); зимa´ ( winter ; зи´му); ногa´( leg , foot ; но´гу); рукa´ ( arm , hand ; ру´ку).