Russian grammatical questions: Alaska and Hawaii

[Information Specialist]

Aloha everyone!

Гавайи = Гавайские острова => на Гавайях (также: на Бермудах, на Мальдивах и
т. п.)

Generally, Ruscorpora.ru is very helpful :-)

Yaroslav Seregin
RFL Specialist marooned on Oahu



On Fri, Oct 29, 2010 at 12:36 PM, Karen Chilstrom <klmcbiz at sbcglobal.net>wrote:

> 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
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