Russian edit

Etymology edit

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-nǫti.

Pronunciation edit

  • -нуть: IPA(key): [nʊtʲ]
  • -ну́ть: IPA(key): [ˈnutʲ]

Suffix edit

-нуть or -ну́ть (-nutʹ or -nútʹ)

  1. Suffix used to create primary imperfective intransitive verbs.
  2. Suffix used to create derived perfective verbs, most of which are semelfactive.

Usage notes edit

  • There are two related verbal suffixes. One variant suffix forms primary verbs (i.e. verbs formed directly from a root), and the other variant forms secondary verbs (i.e. verbs originally derived from other terms, although this may no be longer be obvious), usually with a semelfactive meaning, i.e. with the meaning "to do something once". The properties and conjugations of the two variants are distinct:
  • Note, for example, the following contrasts:
type 1 past masc past fem type 2 past masc past fem
imperfective дро́гнуть (drógnutʹ, to freeze, to feel cold) дрог (drog)/дро́гнул (drógnul) дро́гла (drógla) perfective дро́гнуть (drógnutʹ, to shiver, to shake) дро́гнул (drógnul) дро́гнула (drógnula)
imperfective па́хнуть (páxnutʹ, to smell (of), to have a smell) пах (pax)/па́хнул (páxnul) па́хла (páxla) perfective пахну́ть (paxnútʹ, to puff, to blow) пахну́л (paxnúl) пахну́ла (paxnúla)
prefixed perfective промо́кнуть (promóknutʹ, to get wet, to get soaked) промо́к (promók) промо́кла (promókla) prefixed perfective промокну́ть (promoknútʹ, to blot (paper)) промокну́л (promoknúl) промокну́ла (promoknúla)

Conjugation edit

primary:

secondary (often semelfactive):

Derived terms edit