-ник

See also: ник

Russian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *-ьnikъ, itself originally by nominalization of adjectives in *-ьnъ with the suffix *-ikъ (whence -ик (-ik)). The suffix originates from the Proto-Balto-Slavic period; compare dialectal Lithuanian lauk-inykas (“peasant, farmer”) (from laũkas (“field”)) and Old Prussian lauk-inikis (“vassal”).

Suffix

-ник or -ни́к • (-nik or -ník)

1. Suffix appended to nominal stems to create a masculine noun, usually denoting a professional, performer, adherent, place, object, tool or a feature.

   ‎лы́жа (lýža, “ski”) + ‎-ник (-nik) → ‎лы́жник (lýžnik, “skier”)

   ‎путь (putʹ, “way, path, road”) + ‎-ник (-nik) → ‎пу́тник (pútnik, “traveler”)

   ‎бюдже́т (bjudžét, “budget”) + ‎-ник (-nik) → ‎(colloquial) бюджетни́к (bjudžetník, “government employee”)

   ‎кни́га (kníga, “book”) + ‎-ник (-nik) → ‎(colloquial) кни́жник (knížnik, “bookseller; book lover; scribe”)

   ‎двор (dvor, “yard, courtyard”) + ‎-ник (-nik) → ‎дво́рник (dvórnik, “janitor; street cleaner”)

   ‎бума́га (bumága, “paper, document”) + ‎-ник (-nik) → ‎бума́жник (bumážnik, “wallet; papermaker”)

   ‎пар (par, “steam”) + ‎-ник (-nik) → ‎па́рник (párnik, “pot used for steaming”)

   ‎учёба (učóba, “studies, learning”) + ‎-ник (-nik) → ‎уче́бник (učébnik, “textbook; manual”)

Usage notes

The suffix has the same properties as -ный (-nyj):

• A velar (as well as ц) normally turns into a palatal as a result of the Slavic first palatalization.

  сапо́г (sapóg, “shoe”) → сапо́жник (sapóžnik, “cobbler”)

  скворе́ц (skvoréc, “starling”) → скворе́чник (skvoréšnik, skvoréčnik, “birdhouse, nestbox”)

• A stem ending in -л turns into -ль before the suffix; contrariwise, all other stems ending in -ь lose this.

  шко́ла (škóla, “school”) → шко́льник (škólʹnik, “schoolboy”)

  ла́герь (lágerʹ, “camp”) → ла́герник (lágernik, “prisoner (in a labor camp or concentration camp)”)

• With reducible nouns, the stem assumes its non-reduced form before the suffix. With feminine and neuter nouns, this form is found only in the genitive plural. This applies even to nouns with no plural.

  яйцо́ (jajcó, “egg”), genitive plural яи́ц (jaíc) → яи́чник (jaíšnik, jaíčnik, “ovary”)

  се́рдце (sérdce, “heart”), genitive plural серде́ц (serdéc) → серде́чник (serdéčnik, “core, inner part of a machine”)

  ядро́ (jadró, “nucleus”), genitive plural я́дер (jáder) → я́дерник (jádernik, “nuclear physicist”)

  ружьё (ružʹjó, “gun”), genitive plural ру́жей (rúžej) → руже́йник (ružéjnik, “gunsmith”)

• ё may turn back into е before the suffix.

  лёд (ljod, “ice”) → ле́дник (lédnik, “icehouse, icebox”)

• The stress is sometimes (but not always) drawn onto the preceding syllable.

  ружьё (ružʹjó, “gun”), genitive plural ру́жей (rúžej) → руже́йник (ružéjnik, “gunsmith”)

• Foreign nouns ending in invariant -е change this to stressed -е́й before the suffix.

  ко́фе (kófe, “coffee”) → кофе́йник (koféjnik, “coffee pot”)

  шоссе́ (šossɛ́, “highway”) → шоссе́йник (šossɛ́jnik, “racing bicycle, racing cyclist”)

• Some adjectives in -ия, -ие change this to stressed -е́й before the suffix (as if they ended in -ья, -ье/-ьё).

  ору́жие (orúžije, “weapon, arms”) → оруже́йник (oružéjnik, “weapons maker, armorer, gunsmith”)

Additional properties:

• Nouns in -ник may be formed directly from adjectives in -ный (-nyj) when no base noun exists or has a different meaning:

  поля́рный (poljárnyj, “polar”) (formed from a foreign word, e.g. German polar) → поля́рник (poljárnik, “polar explorer”)

  ча́стный (částnyj, “private”) (formed from часть (častʹ, “part, share”)) → ча́стник (částnik, “(colloquial) private owner, private entrepreneur”)

• Not all nouns ending in -ник contain this suffix. Some contain -ик, e.g. чле́ник (člénik, “(anatomy) segment”) from член (člen, “limb”).
• In some nouns, the suffix is stressed, in which case it declines according to accent pattern b (always end-stressed).

  ледни́к (ledník, “glacier”), genitive singular ледника́ (ledniká), nominative plural ледники́ (lednikí)

Note in particular that nouns in -ка (-ka), -ко (-ko) have corresponding derived nouns in unstressed -очник or -ечник.

Declension

Declension of -ник, -ни́к (bian masc-form velar-stem accent-a/b) 

	singular	plural
nominative	-ник, -ни́к -nik, -ník	-ники, -ники́ -niki, -nikí
genitive	-ника, -ника́ -nika, -niká	-ников, -нико́в -nikov, -nikóv
dative	-нику, -нику́ -niku, -nikú	-никам, -ника́м -nikam, -nikám
accusative animate inanimate	-ника, -ника́ -nika, -niká	-ников, -нико́в -nikov, -nikóv
	-ник, -ни́к -nik, -ník	-ники, -ники́ -niki, -nikí
instrumental	-ником, -нико́м -nikom, -nikóm	-никами, -ника́ми -nikami, -nikámi
prepositional	-нике, -нике́ -nike, -niké	-никах, -ника́х -nikax, -nikáx

Derived terms

Russian terms suffixed with -ник

Related terms

• -ик (-ik)
• -ица (-ica)
• -ница (-nica)

---

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *-(ь)nikъ, itself originally by nominalization of adjectives in *-ьnъ with the suffix *-ikъ (whence -ик). The suffix originates from the Proto-Balto-Slavic period; compare with dialectal Lithuanian lauk-inykas (“peasant, farmer”) (from laũkas (“field”)) and Old Prussian lauk-inikis (“vassal”).

Suffix

-ник (Latin spelling -nik)

1. Suffix appended to nominal stems to create a masculine noun, usually denoting a profession, performer, place, object, tool or a feature.

Derived terms

• -еник
• -овник
• -евник

Related terms

• -ик
• -ица