Russian

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Etymology

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Inherited from Proto-Slavic *piliti, whence cognate with Polish pilić. By surface analysis, пила́ (pilá) +‎ -ить (-itʹ).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): [pʲɪˈlʲitʲ]
  • Audio:(file)

Verb

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пили́ть (pilítʹimpf

  1. to saw (cut with a saw)
    Оте́ц пи́лит во дворе́ дрова́.Otéc pílit vo dvoré drová.The father is sawing firewood in the courtyard.
    Perfectives: распили́ть (raspilítʹ), отпили́ть (otpilítʹ), попили́ть (popilítʹ)
  2. (colloquial) to nag, to chastise
  3. (colloquial) to appropriate (illegally, especially of public money, slang for the practice in which private contractors pay kickbacks to the various officials who award them projects)
    пили́ть бюдже́тpilítʹ bjudžétto cut/"saw" the budget
  4. (colloquial) to walk, to drive (especially of long distances)
  5. (colloquial) to screw, to have sex with
  6. (colloquial) to play awkwardly on a violin or similar instrument.
    • 1869, Иван Гончаров [Ivan Goncharov], “Часть I. Глава XV”, in Обрыв; English translation from Stephen Pearl, transl., Malinovka Heights, Alma Classics, 2020:
      — Ах, опя́ть э́тот пи́лит! — с доса́дой сказа́л он, гля́дя на противополо́жное окно́ фли́геля. — И опя́ть то́ же! — приба́вил он, захло́пывая фо́рточку.
      — Ax, opjátʹ étot pílit! — s dosádoj skazál on, gljádja na protivopolóžnoje oknó flígelja. — I opjátʹ tó že! — pribávil on, zaxlópyvaja fórtočku.
      “Oh, there he is again scraping away!” he said irritably, looking out at the window facing him on the opposite wing of the building. “And the same thing over and over again!” he added, slamming the window pane shut.

Conjugation

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Derived terms

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verbs

Compound words:

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