The rules formulated in this project apply to stems and formations represented with the Cyrillic alphabet. (See charts of consonants and vowels on the "Terms and Concepts" page.) The application of the rules is "ordered" and "non-recursive," that is, within any process environment the rules must be applied in the order they are listed; and, once a rule is applied, it may not be reapplied, nor may any rule preceding it be applied.
Conventions used in the formula versions of the rules: in the left-hand black box the letter(s) to the left of the arrow "transform to" the letter(s) on the right side of the arrow depending upon the environment represented in the right-hand black box. Capitalized Cyrillic vowels indicate "fleeting vowels." Latin cap C is a generic symbol for any consonant. Latin cap V is a generic symbol for any vowel. Superscripts and subscripts may further define a classes of consonants or vowels.
For commentary on the determination of some of the rule processes, click on this link to
Introductory Comments.
| Non-Past Tense Endings
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
|
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
| е-, и-, & я-stem verbs
|
-й-у | -ишь | -ит | -им | -ите | -ят |
| other regular verb stems
| -у | -ешь | -ет | -ем | -ете | -ут |
| special endings
| -м | -шь | -т | | | |
Non-Past Tense Endings are valid for both imperfective verb forms (with present reference) and perfective verb forms (with future reference).
For commentary on the determination of stem types and ending associations, click on this link to
Stems and Endings: Additional Comments.
| Imperative Endings
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| all verb stems
| -ь | -ьте |
Imperative endings are influenced by a supra-segmental stress component. See
commentary to Rule 9.
| Past Tense Endings
|
|
|
Masculine
|
Feminine
|
Neuter
|
Plural
|
| all verb stems
| -л | -ла | -ло | -ли |
| Other Endings
|
|
|
Infinitive
|
Present
active
participle
|
Past
active
participle
|
Present
passive
participle
|
Past
passive
participle
|
Present
adverbial
participle
|
Past
adverbial
participle
|
| я-stem verbs
|
-ть | -ящий | -вший | -имый | -янный | -я | -в(ши) |
| е- & и-stem verbs
| -ть | -ящий | -вший | -имый | -й-енный | -я | -в(ши) |
| sonorant stem verbs
| -ть | -ущий | -вший | -(емый) | -тый | -я | -в(ши) |
| consonant stem verbs
| -ть | -ущий | -(в)ший | -омый | -(й)-енный | -я | -(в)ши |
| other verb stems
| -ть | -ущий | -вший | -емый | -нный | -я | -в(ши) |
The occurrence / non-occurrence of participles with various verb stems may be influenced by lexical characteristics of the verb stems.
For commentary on the determination of stem types and ending associations, click on this link to
Stems and Endings: Additional Comments.
For commentary on the approach to stress, click on this link to
Approach to Stress: Comments.
Rule #
transformation process
environment
F
V → Ø
in WEAK position
| WEAK POSITION (Pink)
|
|
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
|
|
| C |
V |
V |
V | + | C |
| C |
V |
V |
V | + | V |
Rule 1a: Fleeting Vowel in WEAK position.
(
F
V) is realized as null when in WEAK position. When an ending begins with a consonant, even-numbered vowel positions (including "Fleeting Vowels") counting from the end of the stem are considered WEAK. When an ending begins with a vowel, odd-numbered vowel positions are considered WEAK.
For related comments and exceptions click on the link to
additional commentary to Rule 1a.
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F
V → V
in STRONG position
| STRONG POSITION (Yellow)
|
|
|
3
|
|
2
|
|
1
|
|
|
| C |
V | C |
V | C |
V | + | C |
| C |
V | C |
V | C |
V | + | V |
Rule 1b: Fleeting Vowel in STRONG position.
(
F
V) is realized as an actual vowel (V) in STRONG position. When an ending begins with a consonant, odd-numbered vowel positions (including "Fleeting Vowels") counting from the end of the stem are considered STRONG. When an ending begins with a vowel, even-numbered vowel positions are considered STRONG.
For related comments click on the link to
additional commentary for Rule 1b.
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ьн → Ø
ьн → й
ьн → ни
ьм, ьн → я
ьй → и
и__м + V
V__м + V
C__м + V
C__ + C
__ + C
Rule 2: Jer plus nasal or glide consonant transformation.
- The stem sequence ьн in the environment between и AND a stem-final м transforms to NULL (disapears) when the ending begins with a vowel.
- The stem sequence ьн in the environment between a VOWEL AND a stem-final м transforms to й when the ending begins with a vowel.
- The stem sequence ьн in the environment between a CONSONANT AND a stem-final м transforms to ни when the ending begins with a vowel.
- The stem-final sequence ьм or ьн following a CONSONANT transforms to я when the ending begins with a CONSONANT.
- The stem-final sequence ьй transforms to и when the ending begins with a CONSONANT.
For related comments click on the link to
additional commentary to Rule 2.
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Cd, Cv(+)й → Cp
Cl(+)й → Clлй
Cdsй → no change
__
Consonant / й-glide Coalescence Transformations.
|
| Labial
|
Dental
|
Palatal
|
Velar
|
| Obstruent
|
Stop
|
Voiceless
|
пй → |
плй |
тй → |
ч |
← кй |
| Voiced
|
бй → |
блй |
дй → |
ж |
← гй |
| Affricate
|
Voiceless
| | |
стй → |
щ |
← скй |
| Fricative
|
Voiceless
|
фй → |
флй |
сй → |
ш |
← хй |
| Voiced
|
вй → |
влй |
зй → |
ж | |
| Sonorant
|
| Nasal
|
мй → |
млй |
нй → |
нй | |
| Lateral
| | |
лй → |
лй | |
| Trilled
| | |
рй → |
рй | |
Rule 3: Consonant / й-glide coalescence transformations.
The sequence of CONSONANT + й transforms to a new consonant or consonant sequence [й-glide coalescence]. There are 3 basic transformation environments (See the й-glide coalescence transformations table):
- dental and velar consonants which transform to palatals
- labial consonants which generate an epenthetic л
- the remaining dental sonorants which show no transforamtion
This transformation is valid for the й-glide associated with the 1st person singular ending of the и theme non-past endings where a stem boundary is present.
For related comments and information click on the links to
additional commentary for Rule 3.
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Cv → Cp
__ (+) е
__ (+) и
__ (+) я
Rule 4: Palatal transformation of velar consonants.
VELAR CONSONANTS transform to PALATAL CONSONANTS when followed by е, и, or я.
For related comments click on the link to
additional commentary to Rule 4.
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й(+)у → ю
й(+)а → я
ю → у
я → а
__
__
C
p
(+) __
C
p
(+) __
Rule 5: Vocalic adjustments.
- When a contiguous sequence
- йу transform to ю
- йа transform to я
- When preceded by a PALATAL CONSONANT
- ю transforms to у
- я transforms to а
For related comments click on the link to
General Commentary to Rules 5 - 7.
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к, г + ть → чь
б, т, д, н → с
т, д, н → Ø
л → Ø
stem# [infinitive form]
__ + т
__ + л [past tense form]
с, з + __# [masc. past]
Rule 6: Stem plus ending consonant adjustments.
- Stem-final VELAR CONSONANTS (к, г) plus following infinitive marker -ть coalesce to -чь.
- Stem-final CONSONANTS (б, т, д, н) when followed by -т transform to -с.
- Stem-final CONSONANTS (т, д, н) when followed by the ending-final masc. sing. past tense marker -л are lost.
- Ending-final masc. sing. past tense marker -л is lost when preceded by stem-final CONSONANTS (с, з).
For related comments see the
General Commentary to Rules 5 - 7.
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е → ë
ь → и
ь → Ø
in stressed environment
in stressed environment
in unstressed ending (imperative) for й-stem verbs
Rule 8: Vowel adjustment within stressed syllable.
- The vowel е becomes ë in a stressed syllable (stem or ending).
- The "jer" ь becomes a syllable bearing vowel и within a stressed environment, especially when the imperative endings are stressed. A special case of Rule 9 occurs with -ьй- stem verbs for past forms and other applicable forms even though the syllable containing ь might not be stressed. (e.g., в'ыбить) The occurrence of и might also be attributable to the transformation ьй → и in this environment
- The "jer" ь is lost within the unstressed imperative endings for stems ending in й.
For related comments click on the link to
additional commentary to Rule 8.
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