# Declining diminutive nicknames



## bjoleniacz

Hi,
I've noticed that all diminutive nicknames end in -a.  Are they all feminine nouns, and thus declined like feminine nouns?

я люблю витю.  ?

я дал вите торт.   ?

спасибо!!


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## Maroseika

> Я люблю Витю.
> 
> Я дал Вите торт.
> 
> Спасибо!!





They are not feminine, but masculine and of the same declension type like папа or дядя. Therefore don't say Витя сильная. 
Anyway, you declension is correct.


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## LilianaB

I don't think all diminutive words in Russian end in -a.


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## Maroseika

LilianaB said:


> I don't think all diminutive words in Russian end in -a.


'Nicknames' he said. I think they really do, at least the "simpliest" ones (Виктор - Витя - Витек...).


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## LilianaB

What about Kolan, Damon? Keet from Nikita, this is something I have heard recently.


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## Maroseika

We mean the elementary, i.e. not coloured stylistically, not colloquial, just "first" nikcnames produced from the full names. I hope you understand what I mean "first"? It's too long to explain while I'm sure you as a native know what I mean. In Russian each name has only one "first" derivation which is neutral stylistically: Сережа, Коля, Дима...


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## LilianaB

Yes, Like Danilka, Sasha, etc.


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## Maroseika

LilianaB said:


> Yes, Like Danilka, Sasha, etc.


I don't think Данилка is good example - it is a bit disparaging or maybe too much diminutive. Neutral  diminutive from Даниил is Даня.


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## LilianaB

Would they still refer to a grown-up man as Danya in Russia?


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## Carrot Ironfoundersson

> Would they still refer to a grown-up man as Danya in Russia?



If by "they" you mean friends and relatives, then yes.


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## LilianaB

Ok, thank you. I don't like nicknames in general, but this is just my personal taste. I have noticed that some young Russian speaking boys or man are not to thrilled to use their nicknames. These are people living outside of Russia, however.


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## Maroseika

How is it possible to avoid nicknames in Russian? I cannot imagine anybody calling his children or friends or close relatives using only full names.


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## LilianaB

I am not saying they should be avoided. I just said that young, grown-up man were not too thrilled to use their nicknames, but this was about the people living outside of Russia. They sound really nice for children. Some of them, at least.


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## bjoleniacz

Thanks so much for the help!
Here's another one:

How do you decline the American girls' name "Maggie?"  It seems like it's a second declension noun.
Маггий
Я люблю Маггия?  but she is a woman, not masculine animate.  So would the rule for masculine animate nouns still hold? or is it...
Я люблю Маггий  , since she is feminine??
Я дал Маггию торт.

Is this right?


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## Lakshmi-A

bjoleniacz said:


> Thanks so much for the help!
> Here's another one:
> 
> How do you decline the American girls' name "Maggie?"  It seems like it's a second declension noun.
> Маггий
> Я люблю Маггия?  but she is a woman, not masculine animate.  So would the rule for masculine animate nouns still hold? or is it...
> Я люблю Маггий  , since she is feminine??
> Я дал Маггию торт.
> 
> Is this right?



You don't decline foreign female name which ends with a vowel other than "-а, -я" in Russian transcription. In case with the name Maggie it would look like Мэгги (though I am not a fan of transcribing double consonants, I personally like Мэги transcription better). 
So you say:
Я люблю Мэгги. 
Я дал Мэгги торт.


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## bjoleniacz

Lakshmi-A said:


> You don't decline foreign female name which ends with a vowel other than "-а, -я" in Russian transcription. In case with the name Maggie it would look like Мэгги (though I am not a fan of transcribing double consonants, I personally like Мэги transcription better).
> 
> So you say:
> Я люблю Мэгги.
> Я дал Мэгги торт.



Thanks!! Does the lack of declension ever cause confusion?


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## Lakshmi-A

You're welcome and no, it should not cause any confusion. We have different nuances in Russian language for that purpose


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## LilianaB

You do not decline it, I think, because it is a foreign word. I do not want to provide any rules because I do not know if all foreign words, or even names do not decline. It may depend on a name, sometimes. This name, however, will not be declined.


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## estreets

bjoleniacz said:


> Thanks!! Does the lack of declension ever cause confusion?


Yes, sometimes it does. In these cases we prefer to use some declinable nouns or pronouns instead. But it really seldom happens. In Russian there are some proper names which are not declined (Нелли, for example) so we are used to overcome such difficulties


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## LilianaB

I also think that what is unusual in Russian is that the forms of nick names often look totally different from the basic form. 

Sasha for Alexander
Njura for Anna.


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## Syline

> Sasha for Alexander
> Njura for Anna.


Also, Shura for Alexander 
and Anya for Anna


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## Maroseika

LilianaB said:


> I also think that what is unusual in Russian is that the forms of nick names often look totally different from the basic form.
> 
> Sasha for Alexander
> Njura for Anna.



It looks strange only if omitting intermediate stages: Александр > Алексаша > Саша > Сашура > Шура, Анна > Анюта > Анюра > Нюра.


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## rusita preciosa

bjoleniacz said:


> Thanks!! Does the lack of declension ever cause confusion?


No, because in that case the rule is, the male names are declined and the females are not. The name Robin can be male and female. In this case, 
for female:
Я люблю Робин 
Я дал Робин торт
for male:
Я люблю Робина 
Я дал Робину торт


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## ahvalj

If a French woman's name ends on «-e», it is sometimes transliterated into Russian with «-а»: Жанна, Марианна, Клодина, Каролина...


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## Albertovna

LilianaB said:


> I also think that what is unusual in Russian is that the forms of nick names often look totally different from the basic form.


This happens in many languages!
English, for example, Маргарет - Пэг
French, for example, Эфрази - Козетта
Spanish, for example, Хосефа - Пепита 
Czech, for example, Йозеф - Пепик
et cetera


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## LilianaB

I don't think it happens in English that often. I do not know the other languages, except Spanish, but I do know much about their nicknames. In English, it is BoB or Dick from Robert, and some  others, not too many, but I can't think about them right now.


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## Albertovna

LilianaB said:


> Dick from Robert


Dick is from Richard  I just want to say that Russian is not unique in having odd nicknames. *<...>*


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