полу-

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

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

• IPA^(key): [ˌpolʊ]

полу- • (polu-)

1. (highly productive, takes nouns, produces compound nouns) semi-, demi-, half-[1]

   полукру́г ― polukrúg ― semicircle

   полумра́к ― polumrák ― semi-darkness, shade, twilight

   полуо́стров ― poluóstrov ― peninsula

   полусо́н ― polusón ― half asleep, drowse

   полупроводни́к ― poluprovodník ― semiconductor

   полуавтома́т ― poluavtomát ― semi-automatic

2. (highly productive, takes nouns in genitive case, produces compound nouns) semi-, demi-, half- paired with пол- form[2]

   полкомнаты ― polkomnaty ― half-rooms

   полпроцента ― polprocenta ― half a percent

   полведра́ ― polvedrá ― half a bucket

   полчаса́ ― polčasá ― half an hour

   пол-очка́ ― pol-očká ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   пол-Москвы́ ― pol-Moskvý ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полмира ― polmira ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полбеды ― polbedy ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полсуток ― polsutok ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   по́лдень ― póldenʹ ― midday; noon

   по́лночь ― pólnočʹ ― midnight

   полу́дня ― polúdnja ― midday; noon

   полу́ночи ― polúnoči ― midnight

3. (takes adjective, produces compound adjective) semi-, demi-, half-[3]

   полушерстяно́й ― polušerstjanój ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полулега́льный ― polulegálʹnyj ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полуосвещённый ― poluosveščónnyj ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полувьющийся ― poluvʹjuščijsja ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

4. (productive, takes verbs, produces compound verbs) incompletely[4]

   полузакрыть ― poluzakrytʹ ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полулежа́ть ― poluležátʹ ― (Perfective verb; я полежу́, ты полежишь) To lie for a while; to lie down for a while. To recline

   полуодеть ― poluodetʹ ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полусидеть ― polusidetʹ ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полуистлеть ― poluistletʹ ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полускрыть ― poluskrytʹ ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полусгибается ― polusgibajetsja ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

5. (takes adverb, produces compound adverb) incompletely[5]

   полулёжа ― poluljóža ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полусидя ― polusidja ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полушутя ― polušutja ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полутемно ― polutemno ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полушутя ― polušutja ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полувсерьез ― poluvserʹjez ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полунаугад ― polunaugad ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

• 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.

From Proto-Slavic *polъ (“half”).

полу- (Latin spelling polu-)

1. semi-, demi-