-ий

See also: -ии, ий, and її

Russian

Alternative forms

• -ій (-ij) (Pre-reform orthography (1918))

Etymology 1

From Proto-Slavic *-ьjь.

Suffix

-ий • (-ij)

1. forms relational and possessive adjectives from nouns describing animals and people: -'s, -ine, -ian

   ‎соба́ка (sobáka, “dog”) + ‎-ий (-ij) → ‎соба́чий (sobáčij, “dog (relational);, canine”)

   {{suffixusex|ru|ры́ба|t1=fish|ры́бий|t2=fish (relational);

   ‎пти́ца (ptíca, “bird”) + ‎-ий (-ij) → ‎пти́чий (ptíčij, “bird (relational); avian”)

   ‎коза́ (kozá, “goat”) + ‎-ий (-ij) → ‎ко́зий (kózij, “goat (relational);”)

   ‎лиса́ (lisá, “fox”) + ‎-ий (-ij) → ‎ли́сий (lísij, “fox (relational); vulpine, foxlike”)

   ‎стару́шка (starúška, “(little) old lady”) + ‎-ий (-ij) → ‎стару́шечий (starúšečij, “anile, like a crone or old lady”)

   {{suffixusex|ru|ча́йка|t1=seagull|ча́ячий|t2=seagull (relational); (with irregular -я-)

   ‎ко́шка (kóška, “cat”) + ‎-ий (-ij) → ‎коша́чий (košáčij, “cat (relational); , feline”) (with irregular -а́-)

   ‎бог (box, “god”) + ‎-ий (-ij) → ‎бо́жий (bóžij, “god's, divine”)

   ‎деви́ца (devíca, “girl, maiden”) + ‎-ий (-ij) → ‎деви́чий (devíčij, “girl's, girlish”)

   ‎ба́ба (bába, “woman”) + ‎-ий (-ij) → ‎ба́бий (bábij, “women's”) (pejorative or in expressions)

   ‎ребя́та (rebjáta, “children”) + ‎-ий (-ij) → ‎ребя́чий (rebjáčij, “children's; childish”) (with irregular iotation)

Usage notes

• This suffix is added particularly to animate nouns, and has the special possessive declension. It triggers the Slavic first palatalization but not (normally) iotation; but see ребя́чий (rebjáčij) from ребя́та (rebjáta), with iotation.
• If added to reducible nouns, the noun assumes the unreduced form.

Declension

Declension of -ий (possessive)

		masculine	neuter	feminine	plural
nominative		-ий -ij	-ье -ʹje	-ья -ʹja	-ьи -ʹi
genitive		-ьего -ʹjevo		-ьей -ʹjej	-ьих -ʹix
dative		-ьему -ʹjemu		-ьей -ʹjej	-ьим -ʹim
accusative	animate	-ьего -ʹjevo	-ье -ʹje	-ью -ʹju	-ьих -ʹix
	inanimate	-ий -ij			-ьи -ʹi
instrumental		-ьим -ʹim		-ьей, -ьею -ʹjej, -ʹjeju	-ьими -ʹimi
prepositional		-ьем -ʹjem		-ьей -ʹjej	-ьих -ʹix

Derived terms

Russian terms suffixed with -ий

Etymology 2

From Proto-Slavic *-ъ.

Suffix

-ий • (-ij)

1. -ed

   ‎одно- (odno-, “one”) + ‎нога́ (nogá, “leg”) + ‎-ий (-ij) → ‎одноно́гий (odnonógij, “one-legged”)

   ‎жёлтый (žóltyj, “yellow”) + ‎-о- (-o-) + ‎брю́хо (brjúxo, “belly”) + ‎-ий (-ij) → ‎желтобрю́хий (želtobrjúxij, “yellow-bellied”)

   ‎без- (bez-, “without”) + ‎лик (lik, “face”) + ‎-ий (-ij) → ‎безли́кий (bezlíkij, “faceless”, literally “no-faced”)

Usage notes

• This suffix is a variant of -ый (-yj) used particularly after velars (к г х) due to Russian spelling rules. It is used particularly with two-part compounds, where the second part normally refers to a body part. It does not trigger the Slavic first palatalization.
• These adjectives do have short forms, of accent pattern a.

Declension

for an adjective whose stem ends in к; similarly for г and х

Declension of -кий (short class a)

		masculine	neuter	feminine	plural
nominative		-кий -kij	-кое -koje	-кая -kaja	-кие -kije
genitive		-кого -kovo		-кой -koj	-ких -kix
dative		-кому -komu		-кой -koj	-ким -kim
accusative	animate	-кого -kovo	-кое -koje	-кую -kuju	-ких -kix
	inanimate	-кий -kij			-кие -kije
instrumental		-ким -kim		-кой, -кою -koj, -koju	-кими -kimi
prepositional		-ком -kom		-кой -koj	-ких -kix
short form		-к -k	-ко -ko	-ка -ka	-ки -ki

Derived terms

Russian terms suffixed with -ий

Etymology 3

From Proto-Slavic *-jь.

Suffix

-ий • (-ij)

1. forms adjectives from verbs, verbal nouns and compounds: -ous, -al, etc.

   ‎сход (sxod, “gathering”) + ‎-ий (-ij) → ‎схо́жий (sxóžij, “similar”)

   ‎расходи́ться (rasxodítʹsja, “to sell out”) + ‎-ий (-ij) → ‎расхо́жий (rasxóžij, “popular, in demand”)

   ‎бес- (bes-, “without”) + ‎стыд (styd, “shame”) + ‎-ий (-ij) → ‎бессты́жий (besstýžij, “shameless”)

2. forms adjectives and adjectival nouns from some nouns referring to people

   ‎возни́ца (vozníca, “charioteer”) + ‎-ий (-ij) → ‎возни́чий (vozníčij, “charioteer”)

   ‎лесни́к (lesník, “woodsman, forest ranger”) + ‎-ий (-ij) → ‎лесни́чий (lesníčij, “woodsman, forest ranger”)

   ‎рабо́та (rabóta, “work”) + ‎-ий (-ij) → ‎рабо́чий (rabóčij, “worker; worker's”)

Usage notes

• This suffix is not too common and appears to be formed especially from nouns and verbs ending in д. Unlike the other two suffixes, it triggers iotation.
• Adjectives formed this way tend to have a popular, colloquial flavor.

Declension

for an adjective whose stem ends in ж

Declension of -жий (short class a)

		masculine	neuter	feminine	plural
nominative		-жий -žij	-жее -žeje	-жая -žaja	-жие -žije
genitive		-жего -ževo		-жей -žej	-жих -žix
dative		-жему -žemu		-жей -žej	-жим -žim
accusative	animate	-жего -ževo	-жее -žeje	-жую -žuju	-жих -žix
	inanimate	-жий -žij			-жие -žije
instrumental		-жим -žim		-жей, -жею -žej, -žeju	-жими -žimi
prepositional		-жем -žem		-жей -žej	-жих -žix
short form		-ж -ž	-же -že	-жа -ža	-жи -ži

Derived terms

Russian terms suffixed with -ий