# full (prefix)



## ThomasK

Ilmo's question about fulfilling years made me think of the prefix _vol_- (_full-)_ in Dutch, which is quite common. Do you have a *full*-prefix in your language? 

Some examples in Dutch (and a lit. translation --- explanation): 
- _volop_, adv. (full-up --- fully - as in to go for something) 
- _voluit_, adv. (full-out --- full steam, not to refrain, frankly)
- _volkomen_, adv. (full-come (?] --- perfect)
- _volmaakt_, adj. (fully made, made to the full --- perfect)
- _voltooien_, verb (work/decorate to the full --- to complete [where -_plete_ refers to full as well])

I guess in some languages the _full_ is part of a phrasal verb. It is striking to me that *plein (de) *in French is used as a kind of indefinite pronoun.


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## ilocas2

Yes, we have such prefix.

plno-

for example:

plnoletý = full-yeared - 18-yeared and older human


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## rusita preciosa

There are many in Russian, the prefix is *полно-* (fully). Here are the ones I can think of:

*полноценный* /polnotsennyi/ (lit. fully-valuable) -  *proper *(e.g. nutrition); *much valued* 
*полноправный */polnopravnyi/ (lit. fully-righted) - *ritghtful*
*полномочный* /prolnomotchnyi/ (lit. fully-potent) - *plenipotentiary* (e.g. ambassador); *fully authorized*
*полноводный* /polnovodnyi/ (lit. fully-watered) - not sure how to translate it in Eng, it's when a river is at its highest in the spring or after rain
*полнокровный */polnokrovnyi/ (lit. fully-blooded) - hard to translate, something like "to the fullest" (e.g. live life to the fullest) 
*полновесный */polnovesnyi/ (lit. fully-weighted) - *weighty, fully-bodied*
*полновластный* / polnovlastnyi/ (lit. fully-powered) - *fully-authorized; completely empowered*
There are probably more...


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## Orlin

ilocas2 said:


> Yes, we have such prefix.
> 
> plno-
> 
> for example:
> 
> plnoletý = full-yeared - 18-yeared and older human


 
This probably applies to other Slavic languages: e. g. Bulgarian пълнолетен, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian punol(j)etan.


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## ThomasK

@ilocas: Thanks, but would you really call it a prefix? I mean: is this not a compound? My next question would be: can you make adj., verbs, nouns perhaps? 
And: are you always aware of that full-ness? I mean: we don't think of that any-longer, which we do when referring to _voltijds/ full-time_. You see? What do you think *(Thanks!-)*

@Rusita and Orlin: do you have other types of words as well? I am not yet sure those are not compounds. See my note above - and forgive me for insisting !


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## rusita preciosa

In Russian there are nouns, e.g. *полноводие *(lit. full-waterness) - high tide. Also, most of these adjectives could be used without *полно-* , so I'd say, it is a real prefix.


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## Orlin

rusita preciosa said:


> There are many in Russian, the prefix is *полно-* (fully). Here are the ones I can think of:
> 
> *полноценный* /polnotsennyi/ (lit. fully-valuable) - *proper *(e.g. nutrition); *much valued* *BG пълноценен.*
> *полноправный */polnopravnyi/ (lit. fully-righted) - *ritghtful BG пълноправен.*
> *полномочный* /prolnomotchnyi/ (lit. fully-potent) - *plenipotentiary* (e.g. ambassador); *fully authorized BG пълномощен.*
> *полноводный* /polnovodnyi/ (lit. fully-watered) - not sure how to translate it in Eng, it's when a river is at its highest in the spring or after rain *BG пълноводен.*
> *полнокровный */polnokrovnyi/ (lit. fully-blooded) - hard to translate, something like "to the fullest" (e.g. live life to the fullest) *BG пълнокръвен.*
> *полновесный */polnovesnyi/ (lit. fully-weighted) - *weighty, fully-bodied*
> *полновластный* / polnovlastnyi/ (lit. fully-powered) - *fully-authorized; completely empowered* *BG пълновластен.*
> There are probably more...


 
Added Bulgarian - it seems to usually follow the same model.


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## ThomasK

This is great information, thanks. But I wonder : 
- would you have a word like perfect, starting with _polno_-  ? 
- would you have a verb like finish, Dutch voltooien, starting with _polno_- ? 
- can the prefix have a 'broader' meaning, like Latin _per_- (to the end ?) - or are you always reminded of the original meaning (like in the above cases) ? [Thanks again !]


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## Orlin

rusita preciosa said:


> In Russian there are nouns, e.g. полноводие (lit full-waterness) - high tide = BG пълноводие. Also, most of these adjectives could be used without *полно-* , so I'd say, it is a real prefix.


 
Valid for Bulgarian too. I came upon another example: BG пълногласие, RUS полногласие - in linguistics it's a phonetical phenomenon in East Slavic languages (formation of groups -оро, -ере-), I think it has other meanings but can't remember them.


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## rusita preciosa

ThomasK said:


> This is great information, thanks. But I wonder :
> For Russian:
> - would you have a word like perfect, starting with _polno_- ? no, probably the closest would be *полноценный* (proper, fully-valuable)
> - would you have a verb like finish, Dutch voltooien, starting with _polno_- ? no, the word would be выполнить, where -poln- would become the root and the prefix would be вы- (completion)
> - can the prefix have a 'broader' meaning, like Latin _per_- (to the end ?) - or are you always reminded of the original meaning (like in the above cases) not sure I fully understand the Q, but my feeling is that the latter is the case. [Thanks again !]


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## ThomasK

Thanks! выполнить reminds me of _com-plete_ in English. *полноценный* comes close indeed, though the root is not a verb. The last question was whether you are always literally reminded of the meaning of the word 'full'? I guess not, so that would mean it is a real prefix indeed.


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## Orlin

Bulgarian doesn't differ from Russian as ThomasK's question above is concerned.


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## jazyk

There's a beautiful Portuguese word that we hardly ever use: plenilúnio (plenilune, full moon). We usually go for the more mundane _lua cheia _(lit. moon full).


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## ThomasK

That is quite nice indeed. But would you have other _*pleni*_-words, Jazyk, or do you use pleni- like the French when they say _*plein de*_ (lots of, lit. full of)? Or maybe: does _*ple*_- work as a prefix somewhere?


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## ilocas2

ThomasK said:


> @ilocas: Thanks, but would you really call it a prefix? I mean: is this not a compound? My next question would be: can you make adj., verbs, nouns perhaps?
> And: are you always aware of that full-ness? I mean: we don't think of that any-longer, which we do when referring to _voltijds/ full-time_. You see? What do you think *(Thanks!-)*


 
Hm, probably it's compound, not prefix
Yes, there are adjectives and nouns with this "prefix"

Other examples:

plnohodnotný - full-worthy
plnoštíhlý - full-slim = little bit fat
plnovous - full-beard 
plnokrevník - full-blooded horse
plnoprávný - full-righted
plnotučný - full-fatty - with high concentration of grease
plnomocný - full-potent - fully authorized


And the fullness is rather perceived. Maybe not. Really I don't know.


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## ThomasK

You know, not too bad if it is not a real prefix. These seem like compounds indeed. But don't worry, I am interested in the power and the colours of words in all languages ! ;-)


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## ilocas2

ThomasK said:


> You know, not too bad if it is not a real prefix. These seem like compounds indeed. But don't worry, I am interested in the power and the colours of words in all languages ! ;-)


 
I haven't problem with if it's prefix or not  

IMHO the Dutch vol- looks much more like prefix to me than this thing in Slavic languages.


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## ThomasK

Mind the appearances! ;-) I think one never knows, except after several tests, the main being, I think, that the prefix does not retain its literal meaning... Thanks for your cooperation though !


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## autobusas

jazyk said:


> There's a beautiful Portuguese word that we hardly ever use: plenilúnio (plenilune, full moon). We usually go for the more mundane _lua cheia _(lit. moon full).


 

I don't think that we have a lot of words with "full" as a prefix, but now I've remembered that we also have a word for full moon - pilnatis. Maybe it could be considered as a prefix, because *full* in Lithuanian would be *pilnas*. However, we usually use "full" as an adverb


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## ThomasK

But I do guess you have a lot of compounds with _full_, don't you? Do you have something like _complete _(plete, full)/ _volkomen_ in Dutch, with _full_-?


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## bibax

I don't think that the Slavic *polno- *(plno-, puno-, ...) is a prefix. The words beginning with polno- are always compounds with the adjective polnyj, pln, pun, ... (= full) as a first part. For example: polnokrovnyi < polnaya krov (= full blood); polnopravnyi < polnoe pravo (= full right); polnotsennyi < polnaya tsena (= full price/worth); etc.

The Slavic adjective *polen, pln, pun, ...* (also Lithuanian *pilnas*, = full) came from PIE passive participle *pl-no-s _= filled_ (cf. the Indian river Purna).

The Slavic verb *polniť, plniti, puniti, ...* (= _to fill_, usually with various prefixes) is regularly derived from the adjective polen/pln/pun (= _full_). Thus it is a secondary verb similarly like Spanish _completar_ (from the Latin supine completum). The original ancient verb for _'to fill'_ has not preserved in the Slavic languages (unlike in Latin: _to fill_ = pleo, plere usually with prefixes: compleo, impleo; pletum is supine).

The Latin pleni- words (plenilunium, plenipotens, etc.) are also compounds.


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## ThomasK

You might be right. But I think it is very difficult to see where the transition happens from a compound to a derivation (c.q. a prefix). However, I think one criterion is: if they cannot split up anymore, it must be a prefix (in Dutch the _vol_- is almost always a fixed part of the verb for example). Oh yes: and the meaning might be less explicit as well...


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