# BCS: variants for genitive plural?



## polskajason

Hi,

I had learned that the genitive plural for most nouns ends with -a, with a "movable a" added to a final consonant cluster.
Djevojka -> djevojaka
krletka -> krletaka

However I've also seen djevojki and krletki (just to use these two examples).

Is there a rule about when this alternative -i ending is used? Is it a Croatian vs Serbian thing?

Hvala vam unaprijed.


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## Pajapatak

polskajason said:


> I had learned that the genitive plural for most nouns ends with -a, with a "movable a" added to a final consonant cluster.
> Djevojka -> djevojaka
> krletka -> krletaka





polskajason said:


> However I've also seen djevojki and krletki (just to use these two examples).



You can hear it (quite often) but it's not correct. In some cases it is just "less correct". Examples: krošnja - > krošanja (better), (but also) krošnji;  zagonetka - > zagonetaka (better), (but also) zagonetki...
I hope my answer was of some help.


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## itreius

I was under the impression that both _krletki_ and _krletaka_ were accepted in the standard language (as well as _djevojki_/_djevojaka_). Perhaps that's not the case in Serbian, though.


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## Pajapatak

itreius said:


> I was under the impression that both _krletki_ and _krletaka_ were accepted in the standard language (as well as _djevojki_/_djevojaka_). Perhaps that's not the case in Serbian, though.


Serbian Pravopis says: _devojaka_, but _zagonetaka_ and _zagonetk_i (better: _zagonetaka_), _krošanja_ and _krošnji _(better: _krošanja_) etc. I wouldn't know why it is so. I would never say _devojki, _but I admit that I use _krošnji_ and_ zagonetki _when I speak, but I force myself to write _zagonetaka_, _krošanja_...


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## Duya

The bottom line is that there is no hard and fast rule. Some nouns have one, some the other, and yet others have both forms. There is no particular difference between Serbian and Croatian; I don't even sense it as a dialectal issue. Sure, some difference in standardization might exist, but it's secondary.

There's, I think, a certain correlation between type of accent and suffix. At least for disyllabic ones, long and rising accents favor -i (_mâjka : mâjki, sàrma:sàrmi_) and short falling accent -a (_tëtka : tëtaka, čëtka : četaka_). But I'm mostly speculating; unfortunately, getting it right much requires native competence (and, as you saw above, even native speakers have doubts or disagreements). Anyway: don't worry about it too much, it will be understood either way.


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## polskajason

Thank you so much for your replies, everyone. I'll probably stick with the -a ending since it seems to be safer (except for words like majka & sarma).


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## Duya

Actually, for trisyllabic words -i is much safer. All ethnics have only -i: _Zagrepčanki, Sarajki, Mostarki, Španjolki_ etc. _Djevojka_ and _olovka_ have both. _Čitanka_ has only -i. I can't even recall off the top of my head a trisyllabic one with only -a.


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## polskajason

Very helpful, thank you. Does this only apply to feminine nouns?


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## Duya

Yes, I had in mind only them; masculine and neuter ones always have -a anyway.


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## polskajason

Thank you!


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## Pajapatak

Duya said:


> I can't even recall off the top of my head a trisyllabic one with only -a.


 I've been thining and thinking and finaly remembered _alkica_, _vunica, vučica, lavica,  (policijska) marica, sadnica, kravica, palica_... and other feminin nouns ending in "ica". Genitive plural is the same: alkica, vunica... Although, there is no "disappearing a" (ex. krošnja -> kroš*a*nja), so I'm probably off topic.


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