Russian grammatical questions: Alaska and Hawaii

[Francoise Rosset]

I thought na Gavajjax was the older, more formal form.
I have also heard v Gavaji, though never v Gavajjax.
This in Honolulu, from Russians visiting as well as from the local 
Russia speakers (absolutely, they do exist).

My current assistant Alla does not like v, she says na is logical 
because it's islands.

I guess it is declined beause it was treated as a plural.
Somewhat logical, since the original is Hawai'i, with the second i 
clearly separated from the diphthong before it. (Not like Mississippi 
or Missouri which cannot logically pass for a plural?)

-FR


>Dear Seelangers,
>
>I've seen both prepositions v and na used before Alaska.  Are both 
>acceptable or would v Aliaske be considered a substandard form?  I'm 
>assuming that it's historically been "na Aliaske", but that the 
>speakers have gradually been replacing na with v--is that the case? 
>Is there any difference in meaning?  
>
>Along those lines, I've always thought that Hawaii was indeclinable, 
>but I'm finding examples in which it is declined using plural forms. 
>Are both options correct?
>
>Thank you in advance!
>
>Adrienne M. Harris, Ph.D.
>Assistant Professor of Russian
>Modern Foreign Languages
>Baylor University
>
>One Bear Place #97391
>Waco, TX 76798-7391
>(254) 710-3898
>Adrienne_Harris at baylor.edu
>
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-- 

Francoise Rosset
Chair, Russian and Russian Studies
Coordinator, German and Russian
Wheaton College                         
Norton, Massachusetts 02766
        
phone: 	(508) 286-3696
fax #:   	(508) 286-3640
e-mail: FRosset at wheatonma.edu

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