The noun 71 вечора evening оптимізму optimism кілометра kilometre гніву anger листопада November Кавказу Caucasus тенісиста tennis player тенісу tennis еміра Emir емірату Emirate пентагона a pentagon Пентагону the Pentagon бика bull футболу football The pairs 'tennis - tennis player' and 'Emirate - Emir' are good examples of the distribution of -a vs. -y. Notice, in 'pentagon', an instance of one word having two forms to differentiate their meanings: in the -a form we are dealing with a geometric shape (following the pattern of measurements, et al., with this ending), while the -y form indicates the reification of the shape in reference to the organization. DATIVE SINGULAR One generally finds -ові for animates, -y for all others; some sources prefer the former for all nouns to reduce the level of ambiguity, but both endings are certainly encountered and ought to be noted. Compare the following list of examples: -ові -у дідові grandfather степу steppe робітникові worker гектару hectare синові (-у) son столу table LOCATIVE SINGULAR -у is found with most words containing the suffixes -ok, -ак, -ик, -ник, while -ові generally occurs with animates (although -y and -i are possible as well), and -i with other (non-suffixed) stems. The alternation of velar consonants does not take place if the ending is -y or -ові. -ові -у -і робітникові worker будинку building базарі bazaar батькові father історику historian Києві Kyiv студентові student попереднику predecessor році year синові son степу steppe лісі forest The following are all also possible, however: історикові, попередникові, сину, робітнику, студенту. The stress patterns of the following paradigms require special attention, as they can be as varied as they are in the feminine declensions. STRESS E + E: стіл 'TABLE' This is a typical masculine declension (note the i-o alternation): Singular \. стіл r. стола - Однина Plural - Множина столи столів н. p.
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