полу-

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

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

• IPA^(key):

полу- • (polu-)

1. (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

2. (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

3. (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

4. (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)

5. (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

• 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.

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *polъ (“half”).

полу- (Latin spelling polu-)

1. semi-, demi-