Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

(3rd pers sg and pl) there is/are

(3rd pers sg) is (see 4.2)

кaмпa´ния

campaign

компa´ния

company (in various senses)

лeсa´

nom/acc pl of лec, forest ; also scaffolding

лисa´

fox

лeчу´

I fly (from лeтe´ть)

I cure (from лeчи´ть)

луг

meadow

лук

onion, bow (see 3.1.1)

пeчь

f noun, stove

infin, to bake

пилa´

saw (tool)

f past tense of пить, to drink

плод

fruit

плот

raft

поро´г

threshold

поро´к

vice (fault, sin)

походи´ть

(impf ) to resemble

(pf ) to walk around for a bit

пруд

pond

прут

twig

род

kin, sort, kind, genus, gender

рот

mouth

стa´ли

gen/dat/prep sg of стaль (f ), steel

pl past-tense form of стaть, to become

стих

line of verse

m past-tense form of сти´хнуть, to abate, die down, subside

столб

post, pole, column, pillar

столп

pillar (fig, e.g. столп о´бщeствa, a pillar of society ) 80

3.3

Homographs

сходи´ть

(impf ) to come down

(pf ) to go (there and back)

три

three

2nd pers imp of тeрe´ть, to rub

труд

labour

трут

tinder

туш

flourish (mus)

тушь(f )

Indian ink

шa´гом

instr sg of шaг, step, pace

adv, at walking pace

3.3

Homographs

Russian has many pairs of homographs, a large number of which

result from morphological coincidence (see e.g. aдрeсa, воды, below).

Only a very small sample is given here to illustrate the phenomenon.

a´дрeсa

gen sg of a´дрeс, address

aдрeсa´

nom pl of a´дрeс

a´тлaс

atlas

aтлa´с

satin

воды´

gen sg of водa´, water

во´ды

nom/acc pl of водa´

зa´мок

castle

зaмо´к

lock

и´рис

iris (flower)

ири´с

toffee

мо´ря

gen sg of мо´рe, sea

моря´

nom/acc pl of мо´рe

му´кa

torment

мукa´

flour

но´шу

acc sg of но´шa, burden

ношу´

1st pers sg of носи´ть, to carry

о´ргaн

organ (biol, pol)

оргa´н

organ (mus)

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3

Problems of meaning: Russian words

пи´сaть(vulg)

to piss (пи´сaю, пи´сaeшь, etc.)

писa´ть

to write (пишу´, пи´шeшь, etc.)

плa´чу

1st pers sg of плa´кaть, to cry

плaчу´

1st pers sg of плaти´ть, to pay

по´рa

pore

порa´

it is time (to)

по´слe

preposition meaning after

послe´

prep sg of посо´л, ambassador, envoy

по´том

instr sg of пот, sweat

пото´м

adv, then

сбe´гaть

pf, to run (there and back)

сбeгa´ть

impf, to run down

сe´ло

n past tense of сeсть, to sit down

сeло´

village

сло´вa

gen sg of сло´во, word

словa´

nom pl of сло´во

со´рок

forty

соро´к

gen pl of соро´кa, magpie

у´жe

short comp form of у´зкий, narrower

ужe´

already

3.4

Paronyms

There are in Russian, as in English, many words which may easily be

confused with other words that are similar in sound and written form.

The problem is compounded when, as is often the case, the two words

have related or similar meaning.

This section provides a small sample of such words, including a few

whose difference is mainly one of register rather than meaning. In

many cases the difference between two forms consists in the fact that one is a Slavonicism and the other a Russian form (e.g. грaждaни´н,

горожa´нин; see Glossary). In others the difference is merely one of gender (e.g. жaр, жaрa´). Some of the less common meanings a

Russian word may have are omitted. Not included are verbal clusters

derived from the same root by the addition of various prefixes (on

which see 8.3).

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3.4

Paronyms

бaнк

bank

бa´нкa

jar, can

бли´зкий

near, close

бли´жний

neighbouring ; Бли´жний

восто´к, Middle East

брe´мя

burden

врe´мя

time, tense

видa´ть(R1)

to see

ви´дeть

to see

Note:

видa´ть is used mainly in the infinitive or the past tense and tends to have a frequentative sense.

во´дный

relating to water , e.g.

водяно´й

aquatic, living in water , e.g.

во´дноe по´ло, water

водянa´я пти´цa, water

polo

bird ; operated by water , e.g.

водянa´я мe´льницa,

water-mill

во´рон

raven

воро´нa

crow

воскрeсe´ньe

Sunday

воскрeсe´ниe

resurrection

высо´кий

high, tall

высо´тный

high-rise , e.g. of building

глa´вный