Why genitive plural needs its own module
Unlike dative, instrumental, and prepositional plural, genitive plural has several competing endings and frequent stem changes.
- The same form serves plural absence, larger quantities, dependent reference, genitive prepositions, and - in 2.07 - animate accusative plural.
| Major strategy | Typical domain | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -ов / -ев | many masculine stems | столо́в, музе́ев |
| -ей | soft/sibilant masculine; fem. -ь; soft neuter | словаре́й, ноче́й, море́й |
| zero ending | many feminine -а/-я and neuter -о | книг, школ, мест |
| irregular stem | lexically stored classes | люде́й, дете́й, имён |
Mini-check
1. Name the three main ending strategies. 2. Why does accusative plural depend on this module?
Apply this next
- Retrieve the rule without looking, then continue to the next lesson.