{"id":14957,"date":"2022-01-14T01:36:07","date_gmt":"2022-01-14T01:36:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=14957"},"modified":"2022-01-14T23:11:25","modified_gmt":"2022-01-14T23:11:25","slug":"lets-explore-russian-morphology-with-baby-animals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/lets-explore-russian-morphology-with-baby-animals\/","title":{"rendered":"Let’s Explore Russian Morphology with Baby Animals"},"content":{"rendered":"

With all the craziness going on in the world, I think we need a bit of baby animal therapy to take our mind off things. How about a lesson on Russian morphology to go along with it? \u0423\u0431\u0438\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u044c<\/strong> \u0434\u0432\u0443\u0445<\/strong> \u0437\u0430<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0439\u0446\u0435\u0432<\/strong> Kill two birds with one stone.<\/em> (Yes, in Russian, we say \u201cto kill two hares\u201d). Here is a photo to get us started:<\/p>\n

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\u0424\u043e\u0442\u043e \u0430\u0432\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0430 Helena Lopes: Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n

\u041c\u0438\u043c\u0438<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0448\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044c<\/strong> \u0437\u0430\u0448\u043a\u0430<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u043b\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442<\/strong>!<\/strong> The cuteness is skyrocketing!<\/em> When we want to say something is cute, you can say it is \u043c\u0438<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u043b\u044b\u0439<\/strong>, \u0442\u0440\u043e<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0433\u0430\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/strong>, \u0445\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0448\u0435\u043d\u044c\u043a\u0438\u0439<\/strong>. And there is a special interjection associated with this word: \u043c\u0438<\/strong>–<\/strong>\u043c\u0438<\/strong>–<\/strong>\u043c\u0438<\/strong>!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some basic vocabulary for talking about animals. A male animal is referred to as a \u0441\u0430\u043c\u0435<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0446<\/strong> and a female is a \u0441\u0430<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u043c\u043a\u0430<\/strong>. Pretty easy words. But when we get to the names of the actual animals is where some things get complicated, but this can also be the case in English. Let\u2019s take for example \u043b\u043e<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0448\u0430\u0434\u044c<\/strong> horse<\/em>. The \u0441\u0430\u043c\u0435<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0446<\/strong> is known as a \u043a\u043e\u043d\u044c<\/strong> steed<\/em>, while a female is called a \u043a\u043e\u0431\u044b<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u043b\u0430<\/strong> mare<\/em>. Another example: a hen is known as \u043a\u0443<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0440\u0438\u0446\u0430<\/strong>, while a rooster is a \u043f\u0435\u0442\u0443<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0445<\/strong>. If there is no separate word for male\/female animals you can simply refer to them as \u0441\u0430\u043c\u0435<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0446<\/strong> (<\/strong>\u043a\u0430\u043a\u043e<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0433\u043e<\/strong>–<\/strong>\u0442\u043e<\/strong> \u0436\u0438\u0432\u043e<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/strong>)<\/strong> or \u0441\u0430<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u043c\u043a\u0430<\/strong> (<\/strong>\u043a\u0430\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/strong>–<\/strong>\u0442\u043e<\/strong> \u0436\u0438\u0432\u043e\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/strong>)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

But enough of that. We came here for the babies! \u201cOffspring\u201d is \u0434\u0435\u0442\u0451\u043d\u044b\u0448<\/strong>. And there is a pretty convenient, but rather strange, morphological principle related to \u0434\u0435\u0442\u0451\u043d\u044b\u0448\u0438<\/strong> \u0436\u0438\u0432\u043e<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0445<\/strong> that we will cover today that will make you able to correctly generate the name of baby animals of (almost) any species!<\/p>\n

The principle is this: You take the name of the animal and slap on the ending –<\/strong>\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong> (or –<\/strong>\u043e\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong> for soft stems). Easy enough. If you have a \u0442\u0438\u0433\u0440<\/strong> tiger<\/em> and you want to say, \u201ctiger cub,\u201d you can just slap on –<\/strong>\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong> and get \u0442\u0438\u0433\u0440\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong>! Sometimes you have to make slight changes using a phonetic phenomenon known in Russian as \u0447\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u043d\u0438\u0435<\/strong>. So, for example, from \u0432\u043e\u043b\u043a<\/strong> wolf<\/em>, we can derive the word \u0432\u043e\u043b\u0447\u043e<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong> wolf pup<\/em> (the \u0447\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u043d\u0438\u0435<\/strong> here is \u043a<\/strong> \u2013 <\/strong>\u0447<\/strong>, which we can see in words like \u0431\u0443<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u043b\u043a<\/u>\u0430<\/strong> roll<\/em> \u2013 \u0431\u0443<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u043b\u043e\u0447<\/u>\u043d\u0430\u044f<\/strong> bread bakery<\/em>, \u0440\u0443\u043a<\/u>\u0430<\/strong>\u0301 <\/strong>hand<\/em> \u2013 \u0440\u0443<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0447<\/u><\/strong>\u043a\u0430<\/strong> little hand\/pen<\/em>). But other than minor phonetic changes, we can make a baby version of \u043b\u0435\u0432<\/strong> lion<\/em> (<\/strong>\u043b\u044c\u0432\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong>), <\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u043d\u0433\u0432\u0438<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u043d<\/strong> penguin<\/em> (<\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u043d\u0433\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong>), <\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u043e\u043d<\/strong> elephant<\/em> (<\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u043e\u043d\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong>), <\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u0442<\/strong> cat<\/em> (<\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u0442\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong>)<\/strong> and so on.<\/p>\n

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\u041a\u043e\u0442\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a \u043d\u044e\u0445\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0446\u0432\u0435\u0442\u043e\u043a.
\u0424\u043e\u0442\u043e \u0430\u0432\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0430 Alex Bargain: Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n

The plural version here is a little tricky, but it is always consistent. You just take off the –\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong> ending and add –<\/strong>\u044f<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0430<\/strong> (–<\/strong>\u0430<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0430<\/strong> after soft consonants). So, if we take some of our examples above, in the plural, \u0442\u0438\u0433\u0440\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong> becomes \u0442\u0438\u0433\u0440\u044f<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0430<\/strong>, \u0432\u043e\u043b\u0447\u043e<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong> \u2013 \u0432\u043e\u043b\u0447\u0430<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0430<\/strong>, \u043b\u044c\u0432\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong> \u2013 \u043b\u044c\u0432\u044f<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0430<\/strong>, \u043f\u0438\u043d\u0433\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong> \u2013 \u043f\u0438\u043d\u0433\u0432\u0438\u043d\u044f<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0430<\/strong>, \u0441\u043b\u043e\u043d\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong> \u2013 \u0441\u043b\u043e\u043d\u044f<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0430<\/strong>, \u043a\u043e\u0442\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong> \u2013 \u043a\u043e\u0442\u044f<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0430<\/strong>. The –\u044f<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0430<\/strong> form declines as follows: \u041c\u043d\u043e<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0433\u043e<\/strong> (<\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/strong>\u0301?) <\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u0433\u0432\u0438\u043d\u044f<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442<\/strong> ; <\/strong>\u0412\u0438<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0436\u0443<\/strong> (<\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/strong>\u0301?) <\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u043d\u0433\u0432\u0438\u043d\u044f<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442<\/strong> ; <\/strong>\u042d\u0442\u043e<\/strong> \u043d\u0435<\/strong> \u043d\u0440\u0430<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0432\u0438\u0442\u0441\u044f<\/strong> (<\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u043c\u0443<\/strong>\u0301?) <\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u043d\u0433\u0432\u0438\u043d\u044f<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0430\u043c<\/u><\/strong>; <\/strong>\u041f\u0438\u0448\u0443<\/strong>\u0301 <\/strong>\u043e<\/strong> (<\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u043c<\/strong>) <\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u043d\u0433\u0432\u0438\u043d\u044f<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0430\u0445<\/u><\/strong>; <\/strong>\u041f\u0438\u043d\u0433\u0432\u0438<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u043d<\/strong> \u0441<\/strong> (<\/strong>\u043a\u0435\u043c<\/strong>?) <\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u043d\u0433\u0432\u0438\u043d\u044f<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0430\u043c\u0438<\/u><\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u041e\u0432\u0446\u0430 \u0441 \u044f\u0433\u043d\u0451\u043d\u043a\u043e\u043c.
\u0424\u043e\u0442\u043e \u0430\u0432\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0430 Adrian Dorobantu: Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n

Of course, the more common animals that were economically or socially important to Russians take forms with different stems, but other than that, they still mostly follow the –\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong> –\u044f<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0430<\/strong> pattern.<\/p>\n

\u041a\u0443<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0440\u0438\u0446\u0430<\/strong> \u0438<\/strong> \u043f\u0435\u0442\u0443<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0445<\/strong>: <\/strong>\u0446\u044b\u043f\u043b\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong> \u2013 <\/strong>\u0446\u044b\u043f\u043b\u044f<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0430<\/strong>1<\/a><\/sup>Hen and rooster: chick \u2013 chicks<\/span><\/p>\n

\u0421\u043e\u0431\u0430<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u043a\u0430<\/strong>: <\/strong>\u0449\u0435\u043d\u043e<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u043a<\/strong> \u2013 <\/strong>\u0449\u0435\u043d\u043a\u0438<\/strong>\u0301\/<\/strong>\u0449\u0435\u043d\u044f<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0430<\/strong>2<\/a><\/sup>Dog: puppy – puppies<\/span> (the former is a bit more common, breaking the rule, of course, but that\u2019s language for you!)<\/p>\n

\u041b\u043e<\/strong>\u0301\u0448<\/strong>\u0430\u0434\u044c<\/strong>: <\/strong>\u0436\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0431\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong> \u2013 <\/strong>\u0436\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0431\u044f<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0430<\/strong>3<\/a><\/sup>Horse: colt – colts<\/span><\/p>\n

\u041a\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0432\u0430<\/strong>: <\/strong>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong> \u2013 <\/strong>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044f<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0430<\/strong>4<\/a><\/sup>Cow: calf – calves<\/span><\/p>\n

\u041e\u0432\u0446\u0430<\/strong>\u0301: <\/strong>\u044f\u0433\u043d\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong> \u2013 <\/strong>\u044f\u0433\u043d\u044f<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0430<\/strong>5<\/a><\/sup>Sheep: lamb – lambs<\/span><\/p>\n

And the strangest one of all:<\/p>\n

\u0427\u0435\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u043a<\/strong>: <\/strong>\u0440\u0435\u0431\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong> \u2013 <\/strong>\u0440\u0435\u0431\u044f<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0430<\/strong>?<\/strong> 6<\/a><\/sup>Human: child \u2013 childs?<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, anyone who has studied a bit of informal Russian would know that \u0440\u0435\u0431\u044f<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0430<\/strong> does not, in fact, mean \u201cchildren,\u201d but something more akin to \u201cguys, fellas.\u201d However, here you can see where the word comes from. In fact, it is the grammatical plural of \u0440\u0435\u0431\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a<\/strong>! And that\u2019s really cool. So what is the actual form? Let\u2019s try this again:<\/p>\n

\u0427\u0435\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u043a<\/strong>: <\/strong>\u0440\u0435\u0431\u0451\u043d\u043e\u043a \u2013 \u0434\u0435<\/strong>\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u0438<\/strong>!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Can you make any other animal forms? What are some examples you can think of?<\/p>\n