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-я. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
-я, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
-я in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
-я you have here. The definition of the word
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Mongolian
Pronunciation
Suffix
-я • (-ja)
- Alternative form of -ъя (-ʺja) following vowel and diphthong stems.
Inflection
| back vowel | front vowel |
unrounded | -я -ja | -е -e |
rounded | -ё -jo |
Russian
- -а (-a) — used after a hard consonant
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-ę.
Pronunciation
Suffix
-я • (-ja)
- Noun-forming diminutive suffix used after a soft (palatalized) consonant.
Derived terms
Ukrainian
- -а (-a) — used after a hard consonant
Etymology 1
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-ę.
Suffix
-я́ • (-já) (diminutive -я́тко)
- Forms nouns for young animals and other diminutives.
- Synonym: -еня́ (-enjá)
- звір (zvir, “animal”) + -я́ (-já) → звіря́ (zvirjá, “baby animal”)
- смере́ка (smeréka, “spruce”) + -я́ (-já) → смереча́ (smerečá, “young spruce tree”)
- со́кіл (sókil, “falcon”) + -я́ (-já) → соколя́ (sokoljá, “falconet”)
- птах (ptax, “bird”) + -я́ (-já) → пташа́ (ptašá, “fledgling”)
- соба́ка (sobáka, “dog”) + -я́ (-já) → собача́ (sobačá, “puppy”)
Usage notes
Being derived from a front nasal vowel, this suffix has the following properties:
- When added onto a stem ending in a velar consonant, the Slavic first palatalization applies.
- When added onto a stem ending with /r/, it is palatalized to /rʲ/.
- The stress usually falls on the suffix.
Etymology 2
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-ьje.
Suffix
-я • (-ja) (diminutive -ячко)
- Denominal, forming collective nouns
- звір (zvir, “animal”) + -я (-ja) → звір'я́ (zvirʺjá, “animals”)
- смере́ка (smeréka, “spruce”) + -я (-ja) → смері́ччя (smeríččja, “spruces”) or
- смере́ка (smeréka, “spruce”) + -я (-ja) → смере́ччя (smeréččja, “spruces”)
- паву́к (pavúk, “spider”) + -я (-ja) → паву́ччя (pavúččja, “spiders”)
- гора́ (horá, “mountain”) + -я (-ja) → гі́р'я (hírʺja, “mountains”)
- ка́мінь (káminʹ, “stone”) + -я (-ja) → камі́ння (kamínnja, “rocks”)
- Deverbal (from past participle), forming action nouns
- сра́ти (sráty, “to shit”) → сра́тий (srátyj) / сра́ний (srányj) ("shitty") → сраття́ (srattjá) / срання́ (srannjá) ("shitting")
- Denominal, forming nouns denoting various concepts
- уста́ (ustá, “mouth, lips”) + -я (-ja) → у́стя (ústja, “mouth, estuary”)
- Deadjectival, forming nouns denoting a property, state or condition
- здоро́вий (zdoróvyj, “healthy”) + -я (-ja) → здоро́в'я (zdoróvʺja, “health”)
- весе́лий (vesélyj, “happy”) + -я (-ja) → весі́лля (vesíllja, “*happiness → wedding”)
- Denominal, forming nouns denoting location or time
- по (po) + ріка́ (riká, “river”) + -я (-ja) → порі́ччя (poríččja, “region near, along a river”)
- над (nad) + ве́чір (véčir, “eve”) + -я (-ja) → надвечі́р'я (nadvečírʺja, “time before dawn”)
Usage notes
Being derived from an ьjV cluster, this suffix has the following properties:
- When added onto a stem ending in a velar consonant, the Slavic first palatalization applies.
- When added onto a stem ending with /r/, it is not palatalized.
- When added onto a stem ending in a single palatalizable consonant, that consonant is geminated.
- /o/→/i/ and /e/→/i/ shifts in the stem may or may not occur.
Derived terms