Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

3

Some nouns of this type, e.g. крыло´´, пeро´´, have irregular plural forms in - ья, etc. ( кры´лья, etc.; пe´рья, etc.; see 9.1.9).

4

In some nouns of this type a mobile vowel appears in the genitive plural form, e.g. о´кон, пи´сeм, стёкол.

5

кольцоánd яйцо´ have genitive plural forms колe´цand яи´ц, respectively.

6

плeчо´, shoulder , has plural forms плe´чи, плe´чи, плeч, плeчa´м, плeчa´ми, плeчa´х.

12.2.3.3

Disyllabic neuter nouns with stem stress in the singular and

end stress in the plural

The opposite process takes place in some disyllabic neuter nouns in - о

and - ein which stress in the initial form is on the first syllable, i.e. stress shifts to the ending in the plural forms, e.g. сло´во, word ; мо´рe, sea : sg

pl

sg

pl

nom

сло´во

словa´

мо´рe

моря´

acc

сло´во

словa´

мо´рe

моря´

gen

сло´вa

слов

мо´ря

морe´й

dat

сло´ву

словa´м

мо´рю

моря´м

instr

сло´вом

словa´ми

мо´рeм

моря´ми

prep

сло´вe

словa´х

мо´рe

моря´х

Similarly: дe´ло, deed, business, affair ; мe´сто, place ; по´лe, field ; прa´во, right ; сe´рдцe, heart ; стa´до, herd , flock ; тe´ло, body .

Note 1

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

2

In some nouns of this type ein the first syllable changes to ёunder stress. Thus вeдро´, bucket , and вeсло´, oar , have plural forms вёдрa, вёдрa, вёдeр, вёдрaм, вёдрaми, вёдрaхand вёслa, вёслa, вёсeл, вёслaм, вёслaми, вёслaх, respectively.

441

12

Stress

3

нe´бо, sky, heaven , has plural forms нeбeсa´, нeбeсa´, нeбe´с, нeбeсa´м, нeбeсa´ми, нeбeсa´х. Similarly чу´до, wonder, miracle , has чудeсa´, etc.

4

у´хо, ear , has plural forms у´ши, у´ши, ушe´й, ушa´м, ушa´ми, ушa´х.

5

су´дно, vessel , has судa´, судa´, судо´в, судa´м, судa´ми, судa´х.

6

In a few disyllabic neuter nouns stress is fixed on the first syllable in all forms, plural as well as singular, e.g. блa´го, blessing ; блю´до, dish ; блю´дцe, saucer ; крe´сло, armchair ; плa´тьe, dress ; срe´дство, means ; у´стьe, mouth (of river).

12.2.3.4

Trisyllabic neuter nouns with stress shift

In some trisyllabic neuter nouns stress shift also takes place, in one direction or the other, e.g.

r moving one syllable towards the end of the word. Thus о´зeро, lake , has plural озёрa, озёр, etc.;

r moving one syllable towards the beginning of the word. Thus рeмeсло´

has plural рeмёслa, рeмёсeл, etc.;

r moving from the first syllable to the ending. Thus зe´ркaло, mirror , кру´жeво, lace , and о´блaко, cloud , have зeркaлa´, кружeвaánd облaкa´, etc., respectively (except that кру´жeвоhas genitive plural кру´жeв; NB

also that the genitive plural of облaкa´is облaко´в).

12.2.3.5

Disyllabic neuter nouns in - мя

The few nouns of this type also have stress on the first syllable in the singular and on the second syllable in the plural, e.g. и´мя, name : sg

pl

nom

и´мя

имeнa´

acc

и´мя

имeнa´

gen

и´мeни

имён

dat

и´мeни

имeнa´м

instr

и´мeнeм

имeнa´ми

prep

и´мeни

имeнa´х

Similarly: врe´мя, time ; вы´мя, udder ; плe´мя, tribe ; сe´мя, seed ; стрe´мя, stirrup ; тe´мя, crown of the head .

Note 1

знa´мя, flag, banner , has plural forms знaмёнa, знaмёнa, знaмён, знaмёнaм, знaмёнaми, знaмёнaх.

2

вы´мя, тe´мяhave no plural form.

12.2.4

Irregular stress in certain prepositional singular forms

r The ending - уwhich some (mostly monosyllabic) masculine nouns have after the prepositions вand нaused in a locative sense is always stressed, e.g. в шкaфу´, in the cupboard ; нa полу´, on the floor .

442

12.3

Stress in adjectives

r In a few feminine nouns ending in a soft consonant the ending - иis also stressed after the prepositions вand нaused in a locative sense, e.g.

в двeри´, in the door ; в грязи´, in the mud ; в крови´, in blood ; в стeпи´, in the steppe ; в тeни´, in the shade .

12.2.5

Prepositions that attract stress in certain phrases

For the purposes of stress (and pronunciation) most prepositions should usually be treated as part of the following word, e.g. нa столe´, on the table , пeрeдо мно´й, in front of me , с брa´том, with (my) brother . However, in certain combinations of monosyllabic preposition + noun with