-ь

Russian

Etymology

Inherited from Old East Slavic -ь (-ĭ), from Proto-Slavic *-ь.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʲ]

Suffix

-ь • (-ʹ) f

1. (forms nouns denoting objects or (usually) abstract concepts from verbs, or occasionally from adjectives)

   ‎связа́ть (svjazátʹ, “to tie, to bind”) + ‎-ь (-ʹ) → ‎связь (svjazʹ, “tie, bond”)

   ‎-речь (-rečʹ, “to speak”) (root рек- (rek-)) + ‎-ь (-ʹ) → ‎речь (rečʹ, “speech”)

   ‎записа́ть (zapisátʹ, “to write down”) + ‎-ь (-ʹ) → ‎за́пись (zápisʹ, “writing down, record”)

   ‎накипе́ть (nakipétʹ, “to form a scum”) + ‎-ь (-ʹ) → ‎на́кипь (nákipʹ, “scum”)

   ‎но́вый (nóvyj, “new”) + ‎-ь (-ʹ) → ‎новь (novʹ, “novelty; virgin, unplowed land”)

   ‎зелёный (zeljónyj, “green”) + ‎-ь (-ʹ) → ‎зе́лень (zélenʹ, “greenery, verdure”)

   ‎высо́кий (vysókij, “high”) (root выс- (vys-), cf. comparative вы́ше (výše)) + ‎-ь (-ʹ) → ‎высь (vysʹ, “height(s), high place”)

Usage notes

• In multisyllabic words, the stress retracts onto the first syllable.
• Velars turn into palatals as a result of the Slavic first palatalization, as expected with what was originally a front vowel.

Declension

Declension of -ь (inan fem-form 3rd-decl accent-a) 

	singular	plural
nominative	-ь -ʹ	-и -i
genitive	-и -i	-ей -ej
dative	-и -i	-ям -jam
accusative	-ь -ʹ	-и -i
instrumental	-ью -ʹju	-ями -jami
prepositional	-и -i	-ях -jax

Derived terms

Russian terms suffixed with -ь