Denominal adjective families
Russian builds many relational adjectives from nouns with suffixes such as -н-, -ск-, -ическ-, -ов-/-ев-, -ан-/-ян-, and -ин-.
- Suffix choice triggers spelling and consonant changes and is often lexically fixed. Segmenting the word helps decode meaning but does not license free invention.
| Source | Derivative | Formation cue |
|---|---|---|
| сте́на | стенно́й | -н-; doubled н across boundary |
| го́род | городско́й | -ск- |
| исто́рия | истори́ческий | -ическ- |
| серебро́ | серебря́ный | -ян- + stem change |
| ко́жа | ко́жаный | -ан- |
| гу́сь | гуси́ный | -ин- |
Read the model
3.17 · Denominal adjective families · table 1
сте́на · стенно́й · -н-; doubled н across boundaryго́род · городско́й · -ск-Mini-check
Identify the source of городско́й. Why is *историйный unsafe?
Apply this next
- Say the Russian examples aloud, cover the model, and retrieve the pattern once before continuing.