-очка

Russian

Alternative forms

• -ечка (-ečka) (after the unpaired sibilants ш ж ч щ ц)

Etymology

Originally a double diminutive Proto-Slavic *-ъčьka formed from *-ъka + *-ьka.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ət͡ɕkə]

Suffix

-очка • (-očka)

1. (added to (normally feminine) nouns, forms diminutives, sometimes with a further change in meaning)

   ‎ва́нна (vánna, “bathtub”) + ‎-очка (-očka) → ‎ва́нночка (vánnočka, “small bathtub”)

   ‎звезда́ (zvezdá, “star”) + ‎-очка (-očka) → ‎звёздочка (zvjózdočka, “small star; asterisk; sprocket”)

2. (added to nouns and adjectives, forms colloquial nouns referring to women with endearing qualities)

   ‎ми́лый (mílyj, “dear”) + ‎-очка (-očka) → ‎ми́лочка (míločka, “my dear, darling (referring to a woman; pejorative)”)

   ‎сексапи́л (sɛksapíl, “sex appeal”) + ‎-очка (-očka) → ‎(slang, colloquial, obsolete) сексапи́лочка (sɛksapíločka, “sexy babe, sexy woman”)

Declension

Declension of -очка (bian fem-form velar-stem accent-a reduc) 

	singular	plural
nominative	-очка -očka	-очки -očki
genitive	-очки -očki	-очек -oček
dative	-очке -očke	-очкам -očkam
accusative animate inanimate	-очку -očku	-очек -oček
		-очки -očki
instrumental	-очкой, -очкою -očkoj, -očkoju	-очками -očkami
prepositional	-очке -očke	-очках -očkax

Usage notes

Note the following properties:

• If the stress is on the ending, it is drawn onto the preceding syllable. Unstressed е may turn into ё when stressed.

  ‎звезда́ (zvezdá, “star”) + ‎-очка (-očka) → ‎звёздочка (zvjózdočka, “starlet; asterisk; sprocket”)

• Most occurrences of -очка (-očka) still result from adding diminutive -ка (-ka) to a word already ending in -ка (-ka), rather than by directly adding the independent suffix -очка (-očka).

  ‎вода́ (vodá, “water”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎во́дка (vódka, “vodka”) + ‎-ка (-ka) → ‎во́дочка (vódočka, “(small or endearing) vodka”); not derived directly from вода́ (vodá)

Derived terms

Russian terms suffixed with -очка

Related terms

• -ка (-ka)
• -о́к (-ók)