-ь

From Old East Slavic -ь (-ĭ), from Proto-Slavic *-ь.

• IPA^(key): [ʲ]

-ь • (-ʹ) f

1. (forms nouns denoting objects or (usually) abstract concepts from verbs, or occasionally from adjectives)

   ‎связа́ть (svjazátʹ, “to tie, to bind”) + ‎-ь (-ʹ) → ‎связь (svjazʹ, “tie, bond”)

   ‎-речь (-rečʹ, “to speak”) (root рек- (rek-)) + ‎-ь (-ʹ) → ‎речь (rečʹ, “speech”)

   ‎записа́ть (zapisátʹ, “to write down”) + ‎-ь (-ʹ) → ‎за́пись (zápisʹ, “writing down, record”)

   ‎накипе́ть (nakipétʹ, “to form a scum”) + ‎-ь (-ʹ) → ‎на́кипь (nákipʹ, “scum”)

   ‎но́вый (nóvyj, “new”) + ‎-ь (-ʹ) → ‎новь (novʹ, “novelty; virgin, unplowed land”)

   ‎зелёный (zeljónyj, “green”) + ‎-ь (-ʹ) → ‎зе́лень (zélenʹ, “greenery, verdure”)

   ‎высо́кий (vysókij, “high”) (root выс- (vys-), cf. comparative вы́ше (výše)) + ‎-ь (-ʹ) → ‎высь (vysʹ, “height(s), high place”)

• In multisyllabic words, the stress retracts onto the first syllable.
• Velars turn into palatals as a result of the Slavic first palatalization, as expected with what was originally a front vowel.