Russian grammatical questions: Alaska and Hawaii

[Karen Chilstrom]

Dear Seelangers,

I lived for several years in Hawaii, and at that time, my native-speaking Russian friends all agreed that "na Gavaji" was the only option. Gavaji is indeclinable.

Best,
Karen Chilstrom


> 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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