Breakdown of Мы нашли окаменелость около лагеря во время раскопок.
мы
we
найти
to find
около
near
лагерь
camp
во время
during
раскопки
excavations
окаменелость
fossil
Questions & Answers about Мы нашли окаменелость около лагеря во время раскопок.
Why didn't the ending of окаменелость change to -у or -ю in the accusative case?
Because окаменелость (fossil) is a 3rd declension feminine noun ending in a soft sign, just like ночь or кость. For these nouns, the accusative case form is exactly the same as the nominative.
What is the dictionary form of раскопок, and why is there an 'о' near the end?
The dictionary form is раскопки (excavations), a noun mostly used in the plural. Here it is in the genitive plural because it follows во время. The 'о' is a mobile vowel (or fleeting vowel) inserted to break up the awkward consonant cluster at the end of the word, changing what would be 'раскопка' into the much easier-to-pronounce раскопок.
Could I use в течение вместо of во время to mean 'during' here?
While both translate to 'during', во время is much better here because it means 'during an event' (the excavations). You would use в течение when talking about a duration or period of time, like 'during the week' (в течение недели).
Is there a connection between окаменелость and the word for stone?
Yes! You can see the root камень (stone) right in the middle of the word. Literally, окаменелость means 'something that has turned to stone'.
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