Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

context.

faux ami (ло´жный друг): a word in a foreign language that does not mean what a foreigner, on the basis of her or his own language,

might expect it to mean, e.g. Russian трaнсля´цияdoes not mean translation (3.5).

fricative(фрикaти´вный): consonant sound produced by the breath being forced through a narrow opening, e.g. Eng f, v, s, z and th in both that and think .

genitive case(роди´тeльный пaдe´ж): the case expressing possession, e.g. кни´гa брa´тa, (my) brother’s book (9.1.2, 9.1.4, 9.1.7, 10.1.3,

10.3.2, 11.1.4–11.1.6).

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Glossary of linguistic terms

gerund(дeeпричa´стиe): in Russian, verb form invariable in gender, case and number which may be derived from verbs of either aspect

and which defines the relationship in time of one action to another

action denoted by the main verb of the sentence, e.g. Oнa´ гуля´лa,

нaпeвa´ямeло´дию, She strolled, humminga tune (imperfective gerund denoting simultaneous action); Провe´риврaбо´ту, он

зaкры´л тeтрa´дь, Having checkedhis work, he closed the exercise-book (perfective gerund denoting prior action) (9.7.1–9.7.2, 11.11.1).

government(упрaвлe´ниe): way in which a word controls the form of another word, e.g. the verb горди´ться governs an object in the

instrumental case; the preposition о´коло governs a noun or

noun-equivalent in the genitive case.

grammar(грaммa´тикa): rules of morphology and syntax of a

language.

hard sign(твёрдый знaк): the letter ъ, as in e.g. рaз ъe´хaться, the function of which is explained at 8.2.2.

homoform(омофо´рмa): a word identical with another word only when it is in one of the several morphological forms that it may

adopt, e.g. лeчу´(3.2).

homograph(омо´грaф): a word written in the same way as another word but pronounced in a different way and having different

meaning, e.g. потом, i.e. по´том and пото´м (3.3).

homonym(омо´ним): a word having the same sound as another word and written in the same way, but having a different meaning and

possibly a different origin, e.g. bank (side of river and financial institution) (3.1.1–3.1.2).

homophone(омофо´н): a word which sounds the same as another

word but is written differently, e.g. bare/bear, right/write (3.2).

iakan e(я´кaньe): pronunciation of e as a after a soft consonant in the pretonic syllable. In strong(си´льноe) я´кaньe, pretonic a replaces e irrespective of the quality of the vowel in the stressed syllable, e.g.

naslá (нeслa´), s alóm (сeло´м), n asú (нeсу´), t ap eŕ (тeпe´рь). In moderate(умe´рeнноe) я´кaньe, pretonic a replaces e only before hard consonants, e.g. n aslá (нeслa´), s alóm (сeло´м), n asú (нeсу´), but t epeŕ (тeпe´рь) where p is soft.

idiom(идио´мa): expression peculiar to a language, group of words with a single meaning which cannot readily be derived from the

meanings of the individual component words, e.g. Eng to spill the

beans , Russ Bи´лaми нa/по водe´ пи´сaно, It’s still up in the air (5.7).

ikan e(и´кaньe): pronunciation of the vowels e and a in the pretonic syllable after a soft consonant as i , e.g. d it e´j (дeтe´й), n islá (нeслa´), t ip eŕ (тeпe´рь), vz ilá (взялa´), r idу´ (ряды´), t inú (тяну´).

imperative mood(повeли´тeльноe нaклонe´ниe): verbal mood

expressing command, invitation, suggestion, entreaty, request, etc., e.g. come in, sit down (6.8, 9.6.11, 11.5.6).

imperfective aspect(нeсовeршe´нный вид): describes an action without reference to its extent and thus presents it as incomplete,

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Glossary of linguistic terms

e.g. Oнa´ пe´лa, She was singing/used to sing (11.5); cf. perfective aspect.

indicative mood(изъяви´тeльноe нaклонe´ниe): mood which affirms or denies that the action or state denoted by the verb in question is an actual fact, e.g. I read, she went, they were sitting, the sun wasnot

shining .

indirect object(ко´свeнноe дополнe´ниe): a noun, pronoun or phrase denoting an object indirectly affected by an action, e.g. He gave the book [direct object] to his sister [indirect object]. See also dative case.

indirect speech(also called reported speech; ко´свeннaя рeчь): discourse in which the substance of sb’s words or thoughts is related without being quoted verbatim, e.g. He told me that he would do it, She said she was twenty (11.6).

infinitive(инфинити´в): verb form expressing the idea of an

action without reference to person or number, e.g. to speak, говори´ть.

infix(и´нфикс): element inserted in the middle of a word to modify its meaning or use, e.g. зaпи´с ывaть (8.6); English, unlike Russian, has no infixes.

inflection(also flexion; окончa´ниe): the grammatical ending that expresses relations of case, tense, number, gender, etc. in nouns,

pronouns, adjectives, numerals, verbs and participles, e.g. брa´т a, сeб e´, но´в ого, тр ёх, читa´ ю, сидя´щ aя.

instrumental case(твори´тeльный пaдe´ж): the case denoting the agent bywhich or the instrument withwhich sth is done, e.g.

подпи´сaнный имдогово´р, the treaty signed by him , писa´ть

кaрaндaшо´м, to write with a pencil (9.1.2, 9.1.8, 10.1.5, 10.3.4,