214 Greville G. Corbettfor BLUE (a possibility noted by Berlin and Kay 1969: 99). This gives an invento-
ry of twelve basic terms (instead of the normal maximum of eleven): belyj 'white',
cernyj 'black', kmsnyj 'red', zelenyj green, zeltyj 'yellow', sinij 'dark blue', goluboj 'light
blue', koricnevyj 'brown', fioletovyj 'purple', rozovyj 'pink', oranzevyj 'orange', seryj
grey'. Our research suggests strongly that both terms for BLUE are indeed basic
(see, for example, Corbett and Morgan 1988, Corbett and Davies 1995, Davies and
Corbett 1994 and references there; for comparison across East Slavonic see Hip-
pisley 2001).
The claims of Berlin and Kay depend on the notion basic colour term; there has
been criticism of their criteria, and so a good deal of research has gone into com-
parative experimental work assessing both linguistic and behavioural measures
for identifying basic colour terms (for example, Corbett and Davies 1995, Davies
and Corbett 1998). One simple experiment, the list task, proves particularly effec-
tive. In an experiment involving seventy-seven subjects (fifty-three women and
twenty-four men), all native speakers of Russian, living in Moscow, subjects were
asked in Russian to write down as many colour terms as they could think of (Dav-
ies and Corbett 1994). A total of 126 terms were offered; the mean number offered
was 19.94, and the total number across subjects was 1,535. The twelve basic terms,
including the two BLUE terms, were the most frequently offered, by a considerable
margin. It is worth asking how children fare when acquiring this system. Davies,
Corbett, McGurk, and MacDermid (1998) investigated 200 Russian children, and
found that both blue terms were firmly in the basic group (see the original paper
for details on the difficulties the two terms cause for children).10.5. PHYSICAL PROPERTY
Tverdyj 'hard, resistant', zestkij 'hard, stiff', mjagkij 'soft', tjazelyj 'heavy', legkij 'light',
mokryj 'wet', suxoj 'dry', sil 'nyj 'strong, p owerful', krepkij 'strong, durable', cistyj 'clean,
kislyj 'sour', sladkij 'sweet', gorjacij 'hot (to the touch)', zarkij 'hot (felt through the
air)', xolodnyj 'cold'; for details of the range of adjectives relating to temperature see
Koptjevskaja-Tamm and Raxilina (1999), Raxilina (2000: 212-21). The sub-class
for corporeal properties includes: zdorovyj 'well', bol'noj 'sick', mertvyj 'dead', zivoj
'alive'.10.6. HUMAN PROPENSITY
Scastiivyj 'happy', dobryj 'kind', zloj evil', umnyj 'clever\glupyj stupid', scedryj gener-
ous', zestokij 'cruel', gordyj 'proud', skromnyj 'modest', xvastiivyj 'boastful'. For 'jeal-
ous', Russian has the adjectives revnivyj (in respect of affection) and zavistlivyj (in
the sense of envious'). Both are likely to be replaced by the cognate verbs: revno-
vat' 'to be jealous of and zavidovat' 'to envy'.10.7. SPEED
Bystryj 'fast, rapid, quick', me.dle.nnyj 'slow', skoryj 'fast'(particularly as in skoryj
poezd 'fast train), also 'forthcoming, impending'.