Short Adjective Inquiry

[Katya Jordan]

"Sinij" is definitely not the only adjective that has short forms, but it is 
the only one that has an interesting form.  However, if you're looking for 
other short-form color adjectives, they seem to be used only in set 
expressions, poetry, and proverbs, if they are used at all: Khorosh 
vinograd, da zelen;  Ne krasna izba uglami, a krasna pirogami, just to name 
a couple.

When it comes to ordinary everyday speech, they are used rarely, and 
"zholty" and "sine" would sound just as awkward as "golubo" and "fioletov." 
 The only short color adjective that I do use and I heard others use is 
"belo" in a phrase "na ulitse belym-belo."

Katya Jordan

Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures
University of Virginia
109 New Cabell Hall / PO Box 400783
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4783
Tel: (434) 924-3548   FAX: (434) 982-2744

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