наи-

See also: най and нај-

Russian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *naj-. From *na and particle *i.

Compare Ukrainian най- (naj-), Polish naj-, Serbo-Croatian naj-, Slovak naj- Slovene naj-, Czech nej-, Macedonian нај- (naj-), Bulgarian най- (naj-).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [nəɪ]

Prefix

наи- • (nai-)

1. Prefix forming superlatives from comparative adjectives (or nonstandardly from positive adjectives).

   бо́льший (bólʹšij, “bigger, greater”) → наибо́льший (naibólʹšij, “the biggest, the greatest”)

   лу́чший (lúčšij, “better, the best”) → наилу́чший (nailúčšij, “the best”)

   хоро́ший (xoróšij, “good”) → (nonstandard) наихоро́ший (naixoróšij, “the best”)