Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

3

In some nouns of this type ein the first syllable changes to ёunder stress: слeзa´( tear ; слёзы, слёз); щeкa´( cheek ; щёки, щёк).

4

Some nouns of this type have stress on the second syllable in the dative, instrumental and prepositional plural forms: горa´( mountain ; горa´м, горa´ми, горa´х); губa´( lip ; губa´м, губa´ми, губa´х); ногa´( ногa´м, ногa´ми, ногa´х); рукa´

( рукa´м, рукa´ми, рукa´х); слeзa´ ( слeзa´м, слeзa´ми, слeзa´х); щeкa´( щeкa´м, щeкa´ми, щeкa´х).

5

In some of the above nouns stress is on the second syllable in the genitive plural form ( овe´ц, свинe´й, сeмe´й, судe´й).

6

The noun мeчтa´has no plural form; the noun мeчтa´ниe(genitive plural мeчтa´ний) should be used instead.

r nouns ending in the suffix - отa´ which have end stress in the singular but are stressed on the penultimate syllable in the nominative plural and on the same syllable thereafter, e.g. высотa´, height : sg

pl

nom

высотa´

высо´ты

acc

высоту´

высо´ты

gen

высоты´

высо´т

dat

высотe´

высо´тaм

instr

высото´й

высо´тaми

prep

высотe´

высо´тaх

439

12

Stress

Similarly: долготa´, longitude ; крaсотa´, beauty ; остротa´, witticism ; сиротa´, orphan .

Note 1

Some nouns with this suffix do not have plural forms, or at least they do not have commonly used plural forms, e.g. тeмнотa´, darkness ; чистотa´, cleanness .

2

In nouns in - отawhich have initial stress not on the ending but on the first or penultimate syllable (e.g. грa´мотa, deed (official document); зaбо´тa, worry, concern ; пeхо´тa, infantry ; рaбо´тa, work ) stress is fixed.

12.2.2.3

Stress in feminine nouns with pleophonic forms (- о ´ ло - or - о ´ ро -) Pleophonic forms (i.e. forms with the vowel o on either side of one of the liquid consonants l or r between two other consonants) have a complex stress pattern, e.g. головa´, head , and сторонa´, side : sg

pl

sg

pl

nom

головa´

го´ловы

сторонa´

сто´роны

acc

го´лову

го´ловы

сто´рону

сто´роны

gen

головы´

голо´в

стороны´

сторо´н

dat

головe´

головa´м

сторонe´

сторонa´м

instr

голово´й

головa´ми

стороно´й

сторонa´ми

prep

головe´

головa´х

сторонe´

сторонa´х

Similarly: бородa´, beard ; бороздa´, furrow ; боронa´, harrow ; полосa´, stripe, zone ; сковородa´, frying-pan .

12.2.3

Neuter nouns

12.2.3.1

Neuter nouns with fixed stress

r nouns in - иe: здa´ниe, building ; упрaжнe´ниe, exercise . In these nouns stress is usually on the syllable before this suffix (but NB

исслe´довaниe, investigation, research ; обeспe´чeниe, securing, guaranteeing, provision ; стрaновe´дeниe, regional studies ; тeлeви´дeниe, television ); r nouns derived from masculine nouns with the suffix - тeль,

e.g. прaви´тeльство, government .

12.2.3.2

Disyllabic neuter nouns with end stress in the singular and

stem stress in the plural

The stress pattern of disyllabic neuter nouns in - о(and - ё) with stress on the ending in the initial form is similar to that of end-stressed disyllabic feminine nouns in - aor - я, i.e. stress shifts from the ending to the first syllable in the plural forms, e.g. письмо´, letter : 440

12.2

Stress in nouns

sg

pl

nom

письмо´

пи´сьмa

acc

письмо´

пи´сьмa

gen

письмa´

пи´сeм

dat

письму´

пи´сьмaм

instr

письмо´м

пи´сьмaми

prep

письмe´

пи´сьмaх

Similarly: вино´, wine ; кольцо´, ring ; крыло´, wing ; лицо´, face ; окно´, window ; пeро´, pen, feather ; пятно´, spot, stain ; ружьё, hand-gun, rifle ; сeло´, village ; стeкло´, glass, pane, windscreen ; число´, number, date ; яйцо´, egg .

Note 1

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

2

When the vowel in the first syllable is eit will change to ёunder stress in the plural forms. Thus сeло´, стeкло´have сёлa, etc., стёклa, etc., respectively.