Russian Indefinite Pronoun Paradigm

@cite{haspelmath-1997} @cite{bubnov-2026} @cite{degano-aloni-2025} @cite{wals-2013}

Russian has a three-way split among indefinite pronouns, central to @cite{bubnov-2026}'s argument against nanosyntactic containment for indefinites. The three series suffix/prefix to interrogative bases (kto 'who', čto 'what', etc.); per @cite{wals-2013} F46A, Russian is classified .interrogativeBased.

Series	Form	Haspelmath function	D&A type
-нибудь	kto-nibud'	non-specific	(iii) nonSpec
-то	kto-to	specific unknown	(iv) epistemic
кое-	koe-kto	specific known	(v) specKnown

Note on -to: @cite{bubnov-2026} §7 maps -to to ∃_epistemic with semantics var(∅,x) — D&A type iv epistemic. Its restriction to the specific-unknown function (not also non-specific) is due to paradigmatic competition with -nibud'. The D&A theoretical profile of type iv permits both SU and NS, but -to's actual distribution is SU only — captured by IndefiniteEntry.consistentWith in Theories/Semantics/Quantification/DeganoAloni2025.lean.

def Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Indefinites.nibudEntry : Typology.Indefinite.IndefiniteEntry

кто-нибудь (kto-nibud'): non-specific indefinite, interrogative kto 'who' + suffix -nibud'. Imperatives, questions, irrealis. "Купи что-нибудь" 'Buy something [I don't care what]'. D&A type iii.

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def Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Indefinites.toEntry : Typology.Indefinite.IndefiniteEntry

кто-то (kto-to): specific-unknown function. Speaker believes there is a specific referent but doesn't know which. "Кто-то пришёл" 'Someone [specific] came'.

@cite{bubnov-2026} §7 maps -to to ∃_epistemic with semantics var(∅,x) — D&A type iv epistemic. The D&A profile of type iv permits both SU and NS, but -to's actual distribution is SU only because -nibud' (type iii) blocks it for NS. The narrower-than-profile claim is consistentWith (subset, not equality).

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def Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Indefinites.koeEntry : Typology.Indefinite.IndefiniteEntry

кое-кто (koe-kto): specific-known indefinite, prefix koe- + interrogative kto. Speaker knows the referent's identity. "Кое-кто пришёл" 'Someone [I know who] came'. D&A type v dep(∅,x).

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def Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Indefinites.paradigm : Typology.Indefinite.IndefiniteParadigm

The Russian paradigm exhibits an ABC pattern: three distinct interrogative-based forms for three distinct functions. No morphological containment.

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theorem Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Indefinites.russian_paradigm_is_ABC : paradigm.syncretism = some Typology.Indefinite.SyncretismPattern.ABC

Russian paradigm exhibits Haspelmath's ABC syncretism: all three SK/SU/NS functions distinct.

theorem Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Indefinites.russian_paradigm_is_interrogativeBased : paradigm.toWALS46A = some Data.WALS.F46A.IndefinitePronouns.interrogativeBased

Russian's WALS F46A classification: single basis .interrogative across all three forms → derives .interrogativeBased.