With the question "Is this a suffix or the end of a verb?" for more than a dozen years, both ordinary people and eminent philologists have been asked. The modern approach to the study of the Russian language allows the existence of two points of view, each of which has its pros and cons.
Ti is a suffix or an ending?
School grammar has long considered "t" and "ti" as an ending or a formal indicator of the infinitive. Most of the manuals intended for higher educational institutions adhere to the same position to this day. Among linguists, the opinion that “t” is an 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 it can have an ending. Such an explanation cannot be called satisfactory; moreover, it leads to contradictions. This is due to the fact that the infinitive in modern linguistics is considered an invariable word, and, accordingly, cannot have an ending.
Ть - suffix or ending for verbs?
New school textbooks support a different point of view, according to which "t", "ti" of verbs are suffixes. This theory wasdeveloped by such linguists as Babaitseva V. V., Valgina N. S. Answering the question: “Is this a suffix or an ending?”, scientists, first of all, tried to prove the inconsistency of another position that reveals this problem. They argued that the "t" of the verb cannot be inflection, since it does not express the grammatical meaning of the word and is not preserved in forms formed from the infinitive.
This approach seems convincing, but it has also caused a lot of controversy in linguistic circles. “If “t” is a suffix, then why is it not included in the basis of the word?” - this question has become one of the main ones for everyone who has become familiar with the new theory. It is easy to answer it if you remember the basics of morphemics. In modern Russian, suffixes are divided into form-forming and word-forming. Morphemes of the first type are not included in the stem. It is the formative suffix that we see in the infinitive.
What about "whose"?
Do not forget that in Russian there are examples of the initial form of the verb that end in "ch". How to deal with such cases? Is "whose" in these words an ending or a suffix?
There are also multiple answers to these questions:
- Is a suffix.
- Represents an inflection.
- Entering the root.
The first two points of view are obsolete. "Whose" was defined as a suffix or ending, similar to "t" and "ti".
Modern linguistics believes that this combination is part of the root. To prove that this opinion is correct, you can changeverb: bake-bake. In forms derived from the infinitive, "whose" is retained, which means it is part of the root.
What is the result?
It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question: "T - is it a suffix or an ending?". Both points of view described above are considered valid in modern Russian. Each of them has its supporters. However, at present, the school curriculum prefers the position according to which "t" is a formative suffix. In higher education institutions, it is customary to consider both theories.
