Thread: Космополитический и космополитичный

Thanks. One of these days, I'll write a clean sentence...

One question though -- I have a English-Russian dictionary (Oxford) and a Russian dictionary (Ушаков) and both translate "cosmopolitan" as космополитический. Is космополитичный a more common version?

Originally Posted by почемучка

One question though -- I have a English-Russian dictionary (Oxford) and a Russian dictionary (Ушаков) and both translate "cosmopolitan" as космополитический. Is космополитичный a more common version?

There is a fundamental difference between adjectives which ends with -ный and -еский. It's like aspect for verbs - in the same way complicated and inexact. But unlike verb aspect native speakers themselves are often lost in this problem.

Usually -ный is a relative property which which describes the object (may be more or less) while -еский is an inherent property which is used to identify the object and is absolute. (But of course there are many exceptions. )

Examples:
Космополитические идеи - ideas which come from or belong to cosmopolitanism.

космополитичный город - a city which is full of cosmopolitanism. Or containing some cosmopolitanism.

[quote=it-ogo]

Originally Posted by "почемучка":3bscz6sb

One question though -- I have a English-Russian dictionary (Oxford) and a Russian dictionary (Ушаков) and both translate "cosmopolitan" as космополитический. Is космополитичный a more common version?

There is a fundamental difference between adjectives which ends with -ный and -еский. It's like aspect for verbs - in the same way complicated and inexact. But unlike verb aspect native speakers themselves are often lost in this problem.

Usually -ный is a relative property which which describes the object (may be more or less) while -еский is an inherent property which is used to identify the object and is absolute. (But of course there are many exceptions. )

Examples:
Космополитические идеи - ideas which come from or belong to cosmopolitanism.

космополитичный город - a city which is full of cosmopolitanism. Or containing some cosmopolitanism.[/quote:3bscz6sb]

Do all -еский adjectives have a -ный version and vice versa? Would it work like this:

политическая партия
политичный вопрос

Hmm. Something else to think about.

Originally Posted by почемучка

Do all -еский adjectives have a -ный version and vice versa?

Not necessary. Usually -ский is derived from noun while -ный usually is not so they are not always in couples. For example there is no -ский couple for красный. And there is no -ный couple for -русский.

Originally Posted by почемучка

Would it work like this:

политическая партия
политичный вопрос

вопрос is again can be политический if it belongs to the sphere of politics. But a person who does not like politics is аполитичный. Somewhy there is no word политичный in contemporary Russian so we have to use some combination to express this idea: "повёрнутый на политке", "политически ангажированный", "интересующийся политикой".

There is an adjective derived from verb: "политизированный" (err... it is called participle actually) but it is applied to passive objects. For example вопрос can be политизированный if it did not belong to the politics originally but have some influence from politics for some reason. I.E. вопрос was politicized by someone.

[quote=it-ogo]

Originally Posted by "почемучка":2szwy60h

Do all -еский adjectives have a -ный version and vice versa?

Not necessary. Usually -ский is derived from noun while -ный usually is not so they are not always in couples. For example there is no -ский couple for красный. And there is no -ный couple for -русский.

Originally Posted by почемучка

Would it work like this:

политическая партия
политичный вопрос

вопрос is again can be политический if it belongs to the sphere of politics. But a person who does not like politics is аполитичный. [s:2szwy60h]Somewhy[/s:2szwy60h] (Somehow or For some reason) there is no word политичный in contemporary Russian so we have to use some combination to express this idea: "повёрнутый на политке", "политически ангажированный", "интересующийся политикой".

There is an adjective derived from verb: "политизированный" (err... it is called participle actually) but it is applied to passive objects. For example вопрос can be политизированный if it did not belong to the politics originally but have some influence from politics for some reason. I.E. вопрос was politicized by someone.[/quote:2szwy60h]

This is depressing

I hate you.

But thanks for the help! I think obsessing over these details is a little beyond my level at the moment, but it's definitely something to keep in mind for the future.

Originally Posted by почемучка

This is depressing

I hate you.

Looks like this discussion should be split off to the separate thread in "Grammar and vocabulary."