Prefixes pre- and pri-: linguistic factors, codification criteria and modern edition of the rule (from materials of the academic description of Russian spelling)

Abstract

The article is a fragment of the academic description of spelling. It is dedicated to the spelling of words with prefixes pre- and pri-. The assertion that the spelling of the vowel is determined by the correct choice of the prefix pre- or the prefix pri- is disputed. This thesis is true only for those meanings that occur in the stressed position. In other cases the spelling does not reflect the systemic opposition of morphemes, it is historically conditioned. The existing types of description of this spelling problem are compared. Two criteria are used in the description of this spelling: etymological and semantic. The semantic criterion can include different meanings and can refer to a prefix or a word. The expediency of building a rule based on the classification of the meanings of lexems, rather than prefixes, is shown. The restriction on the application of the prefix "check rule" is substantiated, it is determined when the check is allowed only by forms or derivatives of the same word. The reasons for including unchecked prefix meanings in the rule are considered. A version of the rule is proposed that reflects the systemic opposition of prefixes and the historically conditioned spelling that meets the requirements for an academic description.