-лка

In the meaning of a tool or instrument, may originate from a combination of the Proto-Slavic tool suffix *-dlo (Russian -ло (-lo), e.g. мы́ло (mýlo, “soap”), ра́ло (rálo, “plow”), ши́ло (šílo, “awl”)) + the diminutive -ка (-ka).

• IPA^(key): [ɫkə]

-лка • (-lka) f

1. -er (forms nouns denoting objects, generally tools or instruments, from verbs)

   ‎меша́ть (mešátʹ, “to mix, to blend”) + ‎-лка (-lka) → ‎меша́лка (mešálka, “mixer, blender”)

   ‎ве́шать (véšatʹ, “to hang”) + ‎-лка (-lka) → ‎ве́шалка (véšalka, “coat hanger”)

   ‎горе́ть (gorétʹ, “to burn”) + ‎-лка (-lka) → ‎горе́лка (gorélka, “burner (on a stove, etc.); nozzle of a welding torch”)

   ‎моро́зить (morózitʹ, “to freeze”) + ‎-лка (-lka) → ‎морози́лка (morozílka, “freezer”)

   ‎копи́ть (kopítʹ, “to accumulate”) + ‎-лка (-lka) → ‎копи́лка (kopílka, “money box, piggy bank”)

   ‎греть (gretʹ, “to heat”) + ‎-лка (-lka) → ‎гре́лка (grélka, “hot water bottle”)

   ‎зажига́ть (zažigátʹ, “to set fire, to ignite”) + ‎-лка (-lka) → ‎зажига́лка (zažigálka, “cigarette lighter”)

   ‎дразни́ть (draznítʹ, “to tease”) + ‎-лка (-lka) → ‎дразни́лка (draznílka, “teasing rhyme; (film) teaser (colloquial)”)

2. (forms nouns denoting places, generally of a colloquial nature, from verbs)

   ‎кури́ть (kurítʹ, “to smoke”) + ‎-лка (-lka) → ‎кури́лка (kurílka, “smoking room (colloquial)”)

   ‎па́рить (páritʹ, “to steam”) + ‎-лка (-lka) → ‎пари́лка (parílka, “steam room, sauna, steam bath”)

   ‎па́рить (páritʹ, “to steam”) + ‎-лка (-lka) → ‎па́рилка (párilka, “steaming room in a factory”)

   ‎чита́ть (čitátʹ, “to read”) + ‎-лка (-lka) → ‎чита́лка (čitálka, “reading room (colloquial)”)

   ‎раздева́ться (razdevátʹsja, “to take off a coat”) + ‎-лка (-lka) → ‎раздева́лка (razdeválka, “coatroom (colloquial)”)

3. (forms nouns, denoting women performing an occupation, from verbs)

   ‎сиде́ть (sidétʹ, “to sit, to look after”) + ‎-лка (-lka) → ‎сиде́лка (sidélka, “female caretaker (of a person), sick nurse”)

   ‎гада́ть (gadátʹ, “to divine, to tell fortunes”) + ‎-лка (-lka) → ‎гада́лка (gadálka, “female fortuneteller”)

• The suffix is common and productive in all three meanings.
• The suffix is added onto the infinitive minus -ть (-tʹ).
• The stress is sometimes (but not always) drawn onto the preceding syllable.
• The suffix referring to places is a colloquial variant of -льня (-lʹnja).
• The suffix referring to women is the feminine equivalent of -льщик (-lʹščik).