полу-

See also: полу, полю, and Appendix:Variations of "polu"

Russian edit

Alternative forms edit

пол- (pol-) — especially in the nominative case

Etymology edit

Inherited from Old East Slavic полъ (polŭ), from Proto-Slavic *polъ (“half”).

Pronunciation edit

IPA^(key): [ˌpoɫʊ]

Prefix edit

полу- • (polu-)

(highly productive, takes nouns, produces compound nouns) semi-, demi-, half-^[1]
полукру́г ― polukrúg ― semicircle

полумра́к ― polumrák ― twilight, semi-darkness, shade

полуо́стров ― poluóstrov ― peninsula

полусо́н ― polusón ― half-sleep, twilight sleep

полупроводни́к ― poluprovodník ― semiconductor

полуавтома́т ― poluavtomát ― semi-automatic device
(highly productive, takes nouns in genitive case, produces compound nouns) semi-, demi-, half- paired with пол- form^[2]
полко́мнаты ― polkómnaty ― half a room

полпроце́нта ― polprocénta ― half a percent

полведра́ ― polvedrá ― half a bucket

полчаса́ ― polčasá ― half an hour, half-hour

пол-очка́ ― pol-očká ― half a point, half-point

пол-Москвы́ ― pol-Moskvý ― half of Moscow

полми́ра ― polmíra ― half the world

полбеды́ ― polbedý ― half the trouble, not that bad

полсу́ток ― polsútok ― half a day

по́лдень ― póldenʹ ― noon, midday

по́лночь ― pólnočʹ ― midnight

полу́дня ― polúdnja ― noon, midday

полу́ночи ― polúnoči ― midnight
(takes adjective, produces compound adjective) semi-, demi-, half-^[3]
полушерстяно́й ― polušerstjanój ― half-woollen

полулега́льный ― polulegálʹnyj ― semi-legal

полуосвещённый ― poluosveščónnyj ― half-lit, semi-illuminated

полувью́щийся ― poluvʹjúščijsja ― semi-curly
(productive, takes verbs, produces compound verbs) incompletely^[4]
полузакры́ть ― poluzakrýtʹ ― to half-close, to semi-enclose

полулежа́ть ― poluležátʹ ― to lie reclined, to lie with the upper body raised

полуоде́ть ― poluodétʹ ― to half-dress, to half-clothe

полусиде́ть ― polusidétʹ ― to sit reclined, to lie with the upper body raised

полуистле́ть ― poluistlétʹ ― to half-rot, to semi-rot

полускры́ть ― poluskrýtʹ ― to half-hide, to half-conceal

полусгиба́ться ― polusgibátʹsja ― to be half-bent, to half-bend (passive)
(takes adverb, produces compound adverb) incompletely^[5]
полулёжа ― poluljóža ― in a semi-recumbent position, recumbently

полуси́дя ― polusídja ― half-sitting

полушутя́ ― polušutjá ― half-jokingly

полутемно́ ― polutemnó ― half-dark, semi-dark, with insufficient lighting

полувсерьёз ― poluvserʹjóz ― half-seriously

полунауга́д ― polunaugád ― half-guessing, half-at-random

Usage notes edit

When the meaning of "half" is still present in a word with this prefix, this prefix almost always receives secondary stress and the /o/ vowel is almost never reduced.