-ка

See also: ка and Appendix:Variations of "ka"

Contents

Russian

Etymology 1

Particle

-ка • (-ka)

1. now, just (usually appended to an imperative verb to express a pressing request)

   Иди́те-ка сюда́ ― Idíte-ka sjudá ― Just come here!

   Послу́шай-ка, па́рень ― Poslúšaj-ka, párenʹ ― Now listen, lad!

Etymology 2

From a conflation of two suffixes Proto-Slavic *-ьka and Proto-Slavic *-ъka. The former always came to be used after velars (hence the occurrence of the Slavic first palatalization), while the latter always came to be used after -л- (hence the lack of palatalization of -л- before -ка).

Suffix

-ка • (-ka)

1. (added to (normally feminine) nouns, forms diminutives, sometimes with a further change in meaning)

   ‎жи́ла (žíla, “vein”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎жи́лка (žílka, “veinlet, small vein”)

   ‎моги́ла (mogíla, “grave”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎моги́лка (mogílka, “small grave”)

   ‎бума́га (bumága, “paper, document”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎бума́жка (bumážka, “small document”)

   ‎ку́кла (kúkla, “doll, puppet”) (genitive plural ку́кол (kúkol)) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎ку́колка (kúkolka, “small doll, pupa”)

   ‎пчела́ (pčelá, “bee”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎пчёлка (pčólka, “small bee”)

   ‎вода́ (vodá, “water”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎во́дка (vódka, “vodka”) (originally, "something diluted with water")

2. (added to nouns denoting classes of people, forms the feminine equivalent; replaces the suffix -ец (-ec) if present)

   ‎бисексуа́л (bisɛksuál, “bisexual”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎бисексуа́лка (bisɛksuálka, “female bisexual”)

   ‎ленингра́дец (leningrádec, “resident of Leningrad”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎ленингра́дка (leningrádka, “female resident of Leningrad”)

3. (added to verbs, forms abstract nouns or nouns indicating the result of the action)

   ‎закали́ть (zakalítʹ, “to temper, to harden”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎зака́лка (zakálka, “tempering, hardening; training (for endurance)”)

   ‎мочи́ть (močítʹ, “to soak, to wet”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎мо́чка (móčka, “soaking, wetting”)

   ‎отде́лать (otdélatʹ, “to finish, to trim”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎отде́лка (otdélka, “finishing, trimming; finish, trim”)

   ‎подде́лать (poddélatʹ, “to counterfeit, to fake”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎подде́лка (poddélka, “counterfeit, imitation, fake, forgery”)

   ‎блоки́ровать (blokírovatʹ, “to block”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎блокиро́вка (blokiróvka, “blocking, blockage”)

4. (added to verbs, forms instruments or tools)

   ‎заколо́ть (zakolótʹ, “to attach with a pin”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎зако́лка (zakólka, “barrette”)

   ‎пили́ть (pilítʹ, “to saw”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎пи́лка (pílka, “fretsaw; fingernail file”)

5. (added to adjectives or numerals, forms colloquial nouns with the meaning of a carrier of the adjective's or numeral's properties)

   ‎минера́льный (minerálʹnyj, “mineral (relational)”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎минера́лка (minerálka, “mineral water (colloquial); mineral fertilizer (colloquial)”)

   ‎зени́тный (zenítnyj, “zenith (relational); anti-aircraft (relational)”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎зени́тка (zenítka, “anti-aircraft gun (colloquial)”)

   ‎полтора́ (poltorá, “one and a half”) (oblique cases полу́тора (polútora)) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎полу́торка (polútorka, “small apartment consisting of a medium-sized room and a small room (colloquial); GAZ-AA-brand truck with a 1.5-ton payload (colloquial)”)

Usage notes

Note the following properties:

• If the stress is on the ending, it is drawn onto the preceding syllable. Unstressed е may turn into ё when stressed.

  ‎вода́ (vodá, “water”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎во́дка (vódka, “vodka”)

  ‎бечева́ (bečevá, “twine”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎бечёвка (bečóvka, “twine”) (originally, "small twine")

• If the stress is not on the ending, it generally remains in the same place, but with added onto verbs ending in -и́ровать (-írovatʹ), the stress moves onto -ов-.

  ‎блоки́ровать (blokírovatʹ, “to block”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎блокиро́вка (blokiróvka, “blocking, blockage”)

• A velar may turn into a palatal as a result of the Slavic first palatalization. This is due to the *ь that was formerly present at the beginning of one variant of the suffix.

  ‎апте́ка (aptéka, “pharmacy”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎апте́чка (aptéčka, “medicine box”)

  ‎бума́га (bumága, “paper”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎бума́жка (bumážka, “small document”)

• If the noun is feminine or neuter and reducible, the unreduced stem (as found in the genitive plural) is used. This happens frequently when the suffix is added onto a noun already in diminutive form.

  ‎ку́кла (kúkla, “doll, puppet”) (genitive plural ку́кол (kúkol)) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎ку́колка (kúkolka, “small doll, pupa”)

  ‎бу́дка (búdka, “booth”) (genitive plural бу́док (búdok)) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎бу́дочка (búdočka, “small booth”)

Declension

Declension of -ка (inan fem-form velar-stem accent-a irreg) 

	singular	plural
nominative	-ка -ka	-ки -ki
genitive	-ки -ki	-ок△, -ек△ -ok△, -ek△
dative	-ке -ke	-кам -kam
accusative	-ку -ku	-ки -ki
instrumental	-кой, -кою -koj, -koju	-ками -kami
prepositional	-ке -ke	-ках -kax

^△ Irregular.

Derived terms

► Russian words suffixed with -ка

Related terms

• -о́к (-ók)

See also

• -то (-to)

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Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *-ъka.

Suffix

-ка (Latin spelling -ka)

1. Suffix appended to words to create a feminine noun, denoting a part, profession, feature, membership, origin, social status, complexion, proper name, abstract noun or animal's name.

See also

• -инка
• -енка
• -овка