29 Word Formation 45

Verbal nouns:
(i) in -ание/-яние (from many verbs in -ать/-ять):
вяз"ние ‘knitting’ (from вязть ‘to knit’), пание ‘soldering’ (from
пать ‘to solder’), including verbs in:
-овать/-евать (рисов"ние ‘drawing’, завоев"ние ‘conquering’);
-ствовать (бдрствование ‘keeping awake’);
-ировать (клонрование ‘cloning’).
(ii) in -ение, from:
(a) many 2nd-conjugation verbs in -ить: курние ‘smoking’ (from
курть ‘to smoke’), сохранние ‘preservation’;
(b) verbs in -еть, of either conjugation:
старние ‘ageing’ (from старть ‘to age’), горние ‘burning’ (from
горть ‘to burn’)

Note
Consonant change applies to the following stem consonants:
б: бл употреблние ‘use’ (from употребть ‘to use’);
в: вл выздоровлние ‘convalescence’ (from в'здороветь
‘to convalesce’);
д: ж брожние ‘fermentation’ (from бродть ‘to ferment’);
д: жд освобождние ‘liberation’ (from освободть ‘to liberate’);
з: ж отражние ‘reflection’ (from отразть ‘to reflect’);
м: мл оформлние ‘lay-out’ (from афрмить ‘to lay out’);
п: пл подкреплние ‘reinforcement’ (from подкрепть ‘to
reinforce’);
с: ш приглашние ‘invitation’ (from пригласть ‘to invite’);
ст: щ упрощние ‘simplification’ (from упростть ‘to simplify’);
т: ч кипячние ‘boiling’ (from кипятть ‘to boil’);
т: щ посещние ‘visit’ (from посетть ‘to visit’);
ф: фл графлние ‘ruling of lines’ (from графть ‘to rule lines’).
(c) Verbs in -сть, -чь and -ти (with present-future stem consonant in
verbal noun):
нападние ‘attack’, from напсть ‘to attack’ (cf. 3rd person sing.
нападёт)
прочтние ‘reading’, from прочсть ‘to read’ (cf. 3rd person sing.
прочтёт)
извлечние ‘extraction’, from извлчь ‘to extract’ (cf. 3rd person
sing. извлечёт)
пренебрежние ‘disdain’, from пренебрчь ‘to scorn’ (cf. 3rd person
sing. пренебрежёт)
46 The Noun 29

введние ‘introduction’, from ввест ‘to introduce’ (cf. 3rd person

sing. введёт)
спасние ‘salvation’, from спаст ‘to save’ (cf. 3rd person sing.
спасёт)
погребние ‘burial’, from погрест ‘to bury’ (cf. 3rd person sing.
погребёт).

Note
Derivative -овение (mainly from pf. verbs in -нуть(ся): возникновние
‘rise’, исчезновние ‘disappearance’, столкновние ‘collision’.

(29) -ник

(i) Animate nouns:

(a) agent nouns (many based on verbs):

защтник ‘defender’, измнник ‘traitor’, охтник ‘hunter’, рабтник
‘worker’.

(b) practitioners (based on nouns):

дврник ‘yardman’, мяснк ‘butcher’, плтник ‘carpenter’.

Note
Some nouns in -ник denote animate beings and inanimate objects:
проводнк (a) ‘guard on train’ (b) ‘electrical conductor’.

(c) nouns based on passive parts, (with retention of passive meaning):

восптанник ‘pupil’, избр"нник ‘chosen one’, ст"вленник ‘protégé’.

Note
Some forms in -еник are active, others passive: мченик ‘martyr’,
трженик ‘worker’, ученк ‘pupil’.

(ii) Inanimate nouns (based on nouns):

(a) groups of plants and trees:

льник ‘fir plantation’, крапвник ‘clump of nettles’, малнник
‘raspberry bushes’, оснник ‘aspen copse’.

(b) printed materials:

зад"чник ‘book of problems’, разговрник ‘conversation manual’,
сбрник ‘collection’, слвник ‘glossary’.

(c) other objects:

 29 Word Formation 47

баг"жник ‘boot’, гр"дусник ‘thermometer’, молчник ‘milk-jug’,

сптник ‘satellite’, ч"йник ‘teapot’.

Note
Objects in -льник take penultimate stress and derive from verbs:
будльник ‘alarm clock’, холодльник ‘refrigerator’.
(d) animal housing:
корвник ‘cow shed’, куртник ‘hen coop’, пчльннк ‘apiary’.

Note
Forms in -атник/-ятник are based on the names of young animals:
густник ‘goose-run’, крольч"тник ‘rabbit-hutch’, телтник ‘calf shed’.

(30) -ница
(i) Feminine suffix:
шкльница ‘school-girl’, уч"стница ‘participant’, учтельница ‘female
teacher’.
(ii) Names of receptacles:
м'льница ‘soap-dish’, ппельница ‘ash-tray’, пречница ‘pepper pot’,
с"харница ‘sugar-bowl’.

(31) -ня
(i) verbal nouns (denoting energetic, protracted, sometimes irritating,
activity):
беготн ‘rushing around’, болтовн ‘chatter’, возн ‘romping around’,
суетн ‘fuss, bustle’.
(ii) animate groups:
ребятн ‘kids’, родн ‘relatives’, солдатн ‘soldiery’.
(iii) places (based on nouns):
колокльня ‘belfry’, пек"рня ‘bakery’, тамжня ‘customs house’.

Note
(a) Some nouns denote housing for birds: голубтня ‘dovecote’, etc.
(b) Forms in -льня derive from verbs: куп"льня ‘bathing-place’
(from купться ‘to bathe’), сп"льня ‘bedroom’, чит"льня ‘reading
room’.

Note
Also б"ня ‘bath-house’, бйня ‘slaughter-house’, кхня ‘kitchen’.
48 The Noun 29

(32) -ович/-(ь)евич
The suffixes -ович/-(ь)евич are used to form masculine patronymics, -ович
for first names ending in a consonant: Алекс"ндрович ‘Aleksandrovich’,
-евич for names in -ай/-ей:Андревич ‘Andre-evich’, Никол"евич
‘Nikolaevich’, -ьевич for names in -ий: Васльевич ‘Vasilevich’, (but
Дмтриевич ‘Dmitrievich’ from Дмтрий ‘Dmitrii’).

Note
(a) f. equivalents: Алекс"ндровна ‘Aleksandrovna’, Андревна
‘Andreevna’, Васльевна ‘Vasilevna’.
(b) m. patronymics in -ич from first names in -а/-я: Ильч ‘Ilich’
(from Иль ‘Ilya’), 1узьмч ‘Kuzmich’ (from Кузьм ‘Kuzma’),
with f. in -инична: Ильнична ‘Ilinichna’, 1узьмнична
‘Kuzminichna’.

(33) -ок
(i) Agents of actions (based on verbs):
ездк ‘rider’, знатк ‘expert’, игнк ‘player’, стрелк ‘marksman’.
(ii) Verbal nouns (individual physical actions, based on unprefixed
verbs):
броск ‘a throw’, глотк ‘a swallow’, зевк ‘a yawn’, звонк ‘a phone
call’, прыжк ‘a jump’, свистк ‘a whistle’, скачк ‘a leap’.
(iii) Objects (mostly based on prefixed verbs):
набрсок ‘sketch’, облмок ‘fragment’, окрок ‘cigarette end’,
осклок ‘splinter’, под"рок ‘gift’.
Note: Unprefixed кипятк ‘boiling water, boiled water’.

(34) -ость/-есть
(i) Qualities (based on adjs. -ый/-ий):
вжливость ‘politeness’, грдость ‘pride’, грбость ‘coarseness’,
свжесть ‘freshness’, хр"брость ‘bravery’.

Note
Some are based on passive parts: сдржанность ‘restraint’, терпмость
‘tolerance’.
(ii) Feelings:
ж"лость ‘pity’, нжность ‘tenderness’, р"дость ‘joy’, рвность
‘jealousy’.
 29 Word Formation 49

(iii) States, based on passive parts.:

(a) in -мость:
невесмость ‘weightlessness’, незавсимость ‘independence’,
совместмость ‘compatibility’.
(b) in -нность:
ангажрованность ‘partisanship’, влюблённость ‘infatuation’,
вседозвленность ‘permissiveness’.
(iv) ratio or rate (based on passive parts.):
разводмость ‘divorce rate’, рожд"емость ‘birth rate’, успев"емость
‘academic progress’.

Note
Смртность ‘death rate’.

(35) -от
Sounds (based on verbs):
грхот ‘din’, рпот ‘murmur’, тпот ‘clatter’, шёпот ‘whisper’.

(36) -ота
(i) Qualities (based on adjs. in -ый/-ой):
доброт" ‘kindness’, красот" ‘beauty’, простот" ‘simplicity’, чистот"
‘cleanliness’.
(ii) States (based on adjs.):
(a) general:
беднот" ‘poverty’, теснот" ‘cramped conditions’, пустот" ‘emptiness’,
теплот" ‘warmth’.
(b) disabilities and ailments (based on adjs. in -ой):
глухот" ‘deafness’, немот" ‘dumbness’, слепот" ‘blindness’, хромот"
‘lameness’.

Note
Based on verbs, in -та: дремта ‘drowsiness’ (from дремть ‘to doze’),
зевта ‘fit of yawning’, икта ‘hiccuping’.

(37) -ствие
(i) Abstract states:
бдствие ‘disaster’, спокйствие ‘tranquillity’, сумасшствие ‘madness’.
(ii) Verbal nouns (from verbs in -ствовать):
путешствие ‘journey’, содйствие ‘cooperation’, соотвтствие
‘accordance’.
50 The Noun 29

(38) -ство
(i) Qualities (mostly from adjs. in -ый):
безмство ‘foolhardiness’, достинство ‘dignity’, лук"вство ‘craftiness’,
постонство ‘constancy’, упрство ‘stubbornness’.

Note
Some nouns in -ничество correlate with verbs in -ничать: лдырничество
‘skiving’ (cf. лдырничать ‘to skive’), скржничество ‘miserliness’.
(ii) States (based on nouns or adjs.):
"вторство ‘authorship’, бог"тство ‘wealth’, матернство ‘motherhood’,
одинчество ‘solitude’, пьнство ‘drunkenness’.

Note
Some nouns in -ничество correlate with verbs in -ничать:
броджничество ‘vagrancy’ (cf. броджничать ‘to be a tramp’).
(iii) Verbal nouns:
бгство ‘escape’, воровств ‘thieving’, дежрство ‘being on duty’,
убйство ‘murder’.

Note
(a) Infix -ов- in мотовств ‘extravagance’ (from мотть ‘to squander’),
сватовств ‘match-making’, хвастовств ‘boasting’.
(iv) Collectives (national, social, administrative or other groups):
госуд"рство ‘state’, министрство ‘ministry’, бщество ‘society’,
правтельство ‘government’, студнчество ‘student body’, чело-
вчество ‘mankind’.
(v) Quantity (based on adverbs):
большинств ‘majority’, колчество ‘quantity’, меньшинств
‘minority’, мнжество ‘multitude’.

(39) -сть
Feelings
з"висть ‘envy’, ннависть ‘hatred’, страсть ‘passion’.

(40) -тель
(i) Agents of actions (mainly based on verbs):
(a) -атель (stress as in infinitive):
избир"тель ‘voter’, покуп"тель ‘customer’, пльзователь ‘user’,
слшатель ‘listener’, чит"тель ‘reader’.
 29 Word Formation 51

(b) -итель (stress on -и-):

грабтель ‘robber’, жтель ‘inhabitant’, зртель ‘viewer’, мыслтель
‘thinker’.
(ii) Practitioners:
водтель ‘driver’, пис"тель ‘writer’, стротель ‘builder’, учтель
‘teacher’.
(iii) Objects (many from transitive verbs):
выключ"тель ‘switch’, двгатель ‘engine’, загрязнтель ‘pollutant’,
истребтель ‘fighter plane’.

(41) -тие
Verbal nouns, from verbs, mainly transitive and prefixed, based on:
-бить (e.g. разбтие ‘smashing’)
-быть (e.g. приб'тие ‘arrival’, but доб'ча ‘extraction’)
-вить (e.g. развтие ‘development’)
-дуть (e.g. раздтие ‘inflating’)
-жать (e.g. сж"тие ‘compression’)
-клясть (e.g. проклтие ‘damnation’)
-крыть (e.g. закр'тие ‘closure’)
-лить (e.g. кровопролтие ‘bloodshed’
-плыть (e.g. отпл'тие ‘departure’)
-пять (e.g. расптие ‘crucifixion’)
-чать (e.g. зач"тие ‘conception’)
-(н)ять (e.g. принтие ‘taking’).
Also взтие ‘capture’ (from взять ‘to take’).

Note
Correlation with perfective passive participles in -т- (e.g. взтый ‘taken’,
взтие ‘taking’, etc. See 357–358).

(42) -ун
Agents of actions (from unprefixed impf. verbs):
бегн ‘runner’, лгун ‘liar’, несн ‘pilferer’, опекн ‘guardian, carer’,
плясн ‘dancer’.

Note
-ун in the names of some animals: грызн ‘rodent’, скакн ‘racer’.

(43) -ура
Collectives:
адвокатра ‘the Bar’, клиентра ‘clientele’, номенклатра
‘nomenklatura’ (Soviet élite), прокуратра ‘staff of prosecutor’s office’.
52 The Noun 29

(44) -уха
(i) Medical conditions (based on colour adjs.):
желтха ‘jaundice’, золотха ‘scrofula’, краснха ‘German measles’.
(ii) Contracted forms (usually with pejorative meaning):
групповха ‘gang crime’, показха ‘sham, façade’, порнха
‘pornography’, чернха ‘denigration’.

(45) -ча
Verbal nouns (from compounds of -дать and some others, e.g. прча
‘spoiling’, from пртить ‘to spoil’):
в'дача ‘issue’, перед"ча ‘transmission’, разд"ча ‘distribution’, сд"ча
‘handing over’.

Note
(a) Some verbs in -дать have verbal nouns in -дание (e.g. изд"ние
‘publishing’), прод"ть ‘to sell’ has прод"жа ‘sale’.
(b) Доб'ча ‘mining’ from доб'ть ‘to mine’ (some verbs in -быть have
verbal nouns in -тие, e.g. приб'тие ‘arrival’).

(46) -ша
Feminine suffix (especially from nouns in -р/-рь, colloquial):
(a) practitioners:
б"рменша ‘barmaid’, библиоткарша ‘librarian’, кассрша ‘cashier’.
(b) wives:
генер"льша ‘general’s wife’, министрша ‘minister’s wife’,
профссорша ‘professor’s wife’.

(47) -щик (-чик after д, ж, з, с, т):

(i) Persons:
(a) general (from nouns or transitive verbs, often with a pejorative
meaning):
обм"нщик ‘deceiver’, отм'вщик днег ‘money-launderer’, поптчик
‘fellow-traveller’, угнщик ‘vehicle thief’.
(b) practitioners:
"томщик ‘atomic scientist’, дальнобйщик ‘long-distance
lorry-driver’, лётчик ‘pilot’, перевдчик ‘interpreter’, часовщк
‘watch-maker’.
 29 Word Formation 53

Note
Some denote persons and implements: счётчик ‘census-taker’, ‘meter’.
Forms in derivative -льщик (with penultimate stress) derive from impf.
verbs: болльщик ‘fan’, чистльщик ‘cleaner’.
(ii) objects:
автоотвтчик ‘answerphone’, бомбардирвщик ‘bomber’, перед"тчик
‘transmitter’, погрзчик ‘loader’, тр"льщик ‘trawler’.

(48) -щина (-чина after д and т),

Attitudes and trends (from adjs. and nouns, especially surnames, usually
pejorative):
вонщина ‘military attitude’, облмовщина ‘Oblomovism’, ст"линщина
‘Stalinism’.
Also specific historical periods:
ежвщина ‘the Yezhov terror’ (i.e. 1937–38), жд"новщина ‘the
Zhdanov repression’ (i.e. the years 1946–48 associated with Andrei
Zhdanov’s cultural policies).
Note
-ов- infix in дедовщна ‘army brutality, hazing’ (from дед ‘senior soldier’),
митингвщина ‘megaphone diplomacy’.
(49) -щица
Feminine counterparts to nouns in -щик/-чик:
буфтчица ‘bar-maid’, крановщца ‘crane-driver’.
(50) -ыш
Non-adults and some others (sometimes expressing sympathy or
condescension, from adjs.):
корот'ш ‘short person’, креп'ш ‘sturdy child’, мал'ш ‘child, little boy’.
(51) -ье
Districts, areas, surroundings:
верхвье ‘upper reaches’, низвье ‘lower reaches’, побержье
‘coastline’, предгрье ‘foothills’, Подмосквье ‘Moscow region’.
(52) -ья
Feminine counterparts to nouns in -ун:
бегнья ‘runner’, лгнья ‘liar’, пляснья ‘dancer’.
Note
For diminutive suffixes, see 105 1– 4 and 106 1–2, for augmentative
suffixes, 109 1–2, for gender differentiation through suffixes, 43.
54 The Noun 30

Gender

30 Masculine, feminine and neuter gender

(1) Adjectives, pronouns and the past-tense forms of verbs have the same
gender as the noun they qualify or stand for:

хорший муж a good husband

хоршая жен a good wife
хоршее дло a good cause

Отц довлен Father is pleased

Мать довльна Mother is pleased

Где стол? Вот он Where is the table? There it is

Где к"рта? Вот он" Where is the map? There it is
Где окн? Вот он Where is the window? There it is

Дом стол в цнтре грода

The house stood in the city centre

Ёлка стола в цнтре грода

The Christmas tree stood in the city centre

Зд"ние столо в цнтре грода

The building stood in the city centre

Note
(a) There is no equivalent in Russian of the articles ‘a’ and ‘the’. Thus,
for example, дом means ‘a house’ and ‘the house’, the difference
being resolved by context or word order (see 476 (1) note (b), as
well as 126 (2) (i), 128 (2) note, 138 (1) (iii) (b), 143 (2) (i), 193
(4) (iii)). Note that such forms as ?тот ‘this’, тот с"мый ‘the very’,
в'ше упомнутый ‘the above-mentioned’, одн ‘one’ etc. are
sometimes used where an article would be used in English.
(b) When the predicate precedes the subject and the subject consists
of a number of nouns, agreement may be with the first noun
only: Нжно терпние, понимние, взамная откр'тость и
доброжелтельность (Komsomolskaya pravda) ‘Patience,
understanding, mutual openness and benevolence are necessary’
(pl. нужн' would also be possible, however).

(2) Grammatical gender (the assignment of gender to a noun in

accordance with its ending) is distinguished from natural gender (the