Russian grammatical questions: Alaska and Hawaii
Karen Chilstrom
klmcbiz at SBCGLOBAL.NET
Fri Oct 29 22:36:23 UTC 2010
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
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
>> options, and more. Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
>> http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> --
>
> 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
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
> options, and more. Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
> http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
options, and more. Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
More information about the SEELANG
mailing list