Inf lectional morphology 127

Table 3.24 Mixed declension of possessive surnames

	msc	fem	pl
nom	Rfhfvp∫y	Rfhfvpbyƒ	Rfhfvpbyß
acc	=gen	Rfhfvpbyé	=gen
gen	Rfhfvpbyƒ	Rfhfvpbyj´q	Rfhfvpbyß[
dat	Rfhfvpbyé	Rfhfvpbyj´q	Rfhfvpbyßv
loc	Rfhfvpby†	Rfhfvpbyj´q	Rfhfvpbyß[
ins	Rfhfvpbyßv	Rfhfvpbyj´q	Rfhfvpbyßvb

3.5.3 Mixed adjectives and surnames

In the change from an original nominal inflection to a distinctively adjectival declension, the heavy, adjectival endings have been adopted according to the order: instrumental ≥ locative ≥ dative, genitive ≥ accusative ≥ nominative. Surnames and possessive adjectives have paused at different points along this process.

Surnames are commonly derived from the possessive adjectives with the suffixes {-ov-} or {-in-}. These still have nominal endings throughout the singular of the masculine, except in the instrumental, which has an adjectival (“long”) ending; the feminine forms of names have adjectival endings in all singular oblique cases. In the plural, only the nominative retains the nominal ending (Table 3.24).

Possessive adjectives in {-ov-} (from nouns of Declension<Ia>), as in Table 3.25 jnwj´d ‘father’s’, which are restricted in the contemporary language -- they are characterized as “little used”17 -- differ from surnames by having the adjectival ending additionally in the locative singular masculine. Possessive adjectives in {-in}, which are derived from both feminine and masculine nouns of Declension<II> and are used frequently, have taken a further step towards adjectival endings in the masculine-neuter genitive and dative singular, which (except for fixed expressions) now use adjectival endings: r vƒvbyjve<nt dat sg> ( vƒvbye) p†hrfke ‘to mama’s mirror’.

The ordinal nh†nbq and generic possessive adjectives (k∫cbq ‘of a fox’, vtld†;bq ‘of a bear’) likewise have mixed declension, with the same distribution of nominal and adjectival endings as possessives in {-in} (Table 3.26).

3.5.4 Comparatives and superlatives

Adjectives form a synthetic comparative and an analytic comparative.

17 Zalizniak 1977[a]:63.

128 A Reference Grammar of Russian

Table 3.25 Mixed declension: jnwj´d ‘ father’s’, vƒvby ‘ mother’s’

	msc	msc=nt	nt	fem	pl
nom	(jnwj´d)		(jnwj´dj)	(jnwj´df)	(jnwj´ds)
	vƒvby		vƒvbyj	vƒvbyf	vƒvbys
acc	=nom<in>		=nom	(jnwj´de)	=nom<in>
	gen<an>			vƒvbye	gen<an>
gen		(jnwj´df)		(jnwj´djq)	(jnwj´ds[)
		vƒvbyjuj		vƒvbyjq	vƒvbys[
dat		(jnwj´de)		(jnwj´djq)	(jnwj´dsv)
		vƒvbyjve		vƒvbyjq	vƒvbysv
loc		(jnwj´djv)		(jnwj´djq)	(jnwj´ds[)
		vƒvbyjv		vƒvbyjq	vƒvbys[
ins		(jnwj´dsv)		(jnwj´djq)	(jnwj´dsvb)
		vƒvbysv		vƒvbyjq	vƒvbysvb

Table 3.26 Mixed declension: k∫cbq ‘ of foxes’, nh†nbq ‘ third’

	msc	msc=nt	nt	fem	pl
nom	k∫cbq		k∫cmt	k∫cmz	k∫cmb
	nh†nbq		nh†nmt	nh†nmz	nh†nmb
acc	=nom<in>		=nom	k∫cm/	=nom<in>
	gen<an>			nh†nm/	gen<an>
gen		k∫cmtuj		k∫cmtq	k∫cmb[
		nh†nmtuj		nh†nmtq	nh†nmb[
dat		k∫cmtve		k∫cmtq	k∫cmbv
		nh†nmtve		nh†nmtq	nh†nmbv
loc		k∫cmtv		k∫cmtq	k∫cmb[
		nh†nmtv		nh†nmtq	nh†nmb[
ins		k∫cmbv		k∫cmtq	k∫cmbvb
		nh†nmbv		nh†nmtq	nh†nmbvb

The analytic comparative is formed by modifying the usual form of the adjective by the adverb ,j´ktt. The adjective reflects the gender, case, and number of the noun it modifies.

The synthetic comparative is invariant; for a given adjective, a single form is used for all genders and numbers and cases. Synthetic comparatives, which are effectively short-form adjectives, are not used freely in all argument positions (§4.4.7). The synthetic comparative is formed regularly by suffixing -tt to the stem of the adjective; in speech, it has long been pronounced -tq. This originally colloquial variant is often written. Stress usually falls on the stem syllable of the adjective, though the suffix is stressed in certain adjectives: ;tkn†t ‘more

					Inf lectional morphology 129
	Table 3.27 Irregular synthetic comparatives
	consonant			positive	comparative
	{k g x} {c˛‹ˇs ˇz} uj´hmrbq ‘bitter’, k=urbq ‘light’,				uj´hxt, k†uxt, kj´dxt (kjdx†t),
				kj´drbq ‘agile’, ;tcnj´rbq ‘cruel’,	;tcnj´xt, x=nxt, ljhj´;t
	{t d} {ˇc ˇz}			x=nrbq ‘precise’, ljhjuj´q ‘expensive’
				,juƒnsq ‘rich’, uƒlrbq ‘vile’,	,juƒxt, uƒ;t, ;∫;t,
				;∫lrbq ‘fatty’, rjhj´nrbq ‘short’,	rjhj´xt, y∫;t, h†;t
	{s z} {ˇs ˇz}			y∫prbq ‘low’, h†lrbq ‘rare’
				dscj´rbq ‘high’, ,k∫prbq ‘near’,	dßit, ,k∫;t, é;t
	{		} {s‹}	éprbq ‘narrow’
		st sk		uecnj´q ‘thick’, gkj´crbq ‘flat’,	uéot, gkj´ot, ckƒot
			˛
	{P} {Pl˛}			ckƒlrbq ‘sweet’
				lti=dsq ‘cheap’	lti†dkt
	? {-ˇse}/{-ˇze}			uke,j´rbq ‘deep’, lfk=rbq ‘far’,	uké,;t, lƒkmit, lj´kmit,
				lj´kubq ‘long’, nj´yrbq ‘fine’	nj´ymit
	unpredictable			vƒktymrbq ‘small’, ibhj´rbq ‘wide’,	v†ymit, i∫ht, kéxit
				[jhj´ibq ‘good’

yellow’ (22% ;tkn†q on the web <04.XI.02>), gecn†t ‘emptier’ (29% gecn†q), k/n†t ‘wilder’, csn†t ‘more satisfied’, cdzn†t ‘holier’.

Certain frequent adjectives use an older, more irregular form of the comparative in {-e}, implying a modified consonant grade C j. The stem can be shortened, by eliminating what were very old suffixes. In some instances the compara-

tive suffix adds its own consonant, {-se} or {-ze}. There are also unpredictable

‹ ‹

relations and instances of suppletion among the most frequent and familiar words: [é;t ‘worse’ is isolated (though it derives etymologically from [elj´q ‘thin, meager’); kéxit ‘better’ is used as the comparative of [jhj´ibq ‘good’; ,j´kmibq ‘greater’, unusually for a comparative, is used as a long form in all cases (note the difference in stress: ,jkmij´q ‘large’).

The superlative is formed by combining the adjective cƒvsq with the positive of the adjective: jy cksk cfvsv gjgekzhysv fldjrfnjv ‘he was reputed to be the most popular lawyer’, nt lyb ,skb cfvsvb cxfcnkbdsvb ‘those days were the happiest’.

The bookish prefix yfb- combines with the comparative of irregular adjectives (yfbdßcibq ‘highest’, yfbkéxibq ‘very best’) or an extension of the comparative of regular adjectives (yfb,†lytqibq ‘the very poorest’). The derivative expresses an extreme degree of the adjective or adverb. It is now infrequent except in the most common adjectives: yfbdscibt ehj;fb ‘the very highest harvests’, yfbkexibv j,hfpjv ‘in the very best manner’, d yfbvtymitq cntgtyb ‘to the very least degree’, yfbgthdtqitt ltkj ‘the very first priority’, Z ujnjd pf vfke/ gkfne cjplfnm