The question "Is Th a suffix or the end of a verb?" ordinary people and eminent philologists have been asking for decades. The modern approach to the study of the Russian language allows for the existence of two points of view, each of which has its pros and cons.
Is it a suffix or an ending?
For a long time, school grammar considered "t" and "t" as the ending or formal indicator of the infinitive. To this day, the majority of benefits intended for higher education institutions adhere to this position. Among linguists, the opinion that "t" is the ending is shared by Shansky N.M., Baranov M.T., Kuznetsov G.S.
Defending their version, scientists argue as follows: the infinitive is the initial form of the verb, which means that the ending can be distinguished from it. Such an explanation cannot be called satisfactory; moreover, it leads to the appearance of contradictions. This is due to the fact that the infinitive in modern linguistics is considered an unchangeable word, and, accordingly, cannot have an ending.
Is the suffix or ending in verbs?
New school textbooks support a different point of view, according to which βtβ, βtβ in verbs are suffixes. This theory was developed by such linguists as Babaitseva V.V., Valgina N.S. Answering the question: βIs it a suffix or an ending?β, Scientists, first of all, tried to prove the failure of another position that reveals this problem. They argued that "t" in the verb cannot be inflection, since it does not express the grammatical meaning of the word and is not stored in forms formed from the infinitive.
This approach seems convincing, but it has also caused a lot of controversy in linguistic circles. βIfβ Th βis a suffix, then why is it not included in the basis of the word?β, This question has become one of the main for everyone who has familiarized themselves with the new theory. It is easy to answer it, if you recall the basics of morphemic. In modern Russian, suffixes are divided into formative and word-forming. Morphemes of the first type are not included in the basis. It is the formative suffix that we see in the infinitive.
What about "whose"?
Do not forget that in the Russian language there are examples of the initial form of the verb, which end with "whose". How to consider such cases? What is βwhoseβ in such words: an ending or a suffix?
You can also give several answers to these questions:
- It is a suffix.
- It is a flexion.
- Included in the root.
The first two points of view are outdated. βWhβ was defined as a suffix or ending by analogy with βtβ and βtβ.
Modern linguistics believes that this combination is part of the root. You can prove that this opinion is correct by changing the verb: bake-bake. In the forms formed from the infinitive, βwhoseβ is preserved, which means that it is part of the root.
What is the outcome?
It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question: "Is it a suffix or an ending?" Both points of view described above are considered consistent in modern Russian. Each of them has its supporters. However, at present, the school curriculum prefers the position according to which "t" is the formative suffix. In higher education institutions it is customary to consider both theories.