# Perfect



## ThomasK

Maybe you have a copy of the Latin word in your language, but probably some others as well. Do you ? Can you explain the meaning if somehow metaphorical? 

Dutch: _perfect_ - but also: _volmaakt_ (made to the full, made to be complete, perfect), _voltooid_ (fully decorated, or decorated to the full - so it seems - but in fact etymologically it is just the same as volmaakt, or prepare (said of leather)) 

_(I suggest we stick to the meaning of perfection, not of completion)_


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## apmoy70

In Greek when we call someone "perfect" or talk about "perfection", the meaning contains completion:
-Perfect, _adj._, in Greek «τέλειος, τέλεια, τέλειο», "t*e*lios, _m._, t*e*lia, _f._, t*e*lio, _n._" from the ancient noun τέλος ('telos, _n._: the goal). When we say that someone is perfect, e.g. «τέλειος μουσικός», t*e*lios musik*o*s, _m._, perfect musician, we introduce the concept of completeness, he's a complete musician. 
-Perfection, _noun_, in Greek «τελειότητα», teli*o*tita, _f._, from the ancient Greek «τελειότης», telī'otēs, _f._->lit. the completeness


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## ThomasK

This is interesting: _voleinden_ (implying: towards the end/ the goal) exists in Dutch too, but not as an adjective. Funny thing is that we do not think of an end in itself when we speak about _volmaken_ or _voltooien_, rather of fullness, completedness (not lacking anything). 

_Een complete muzikant_ is however different from _een volmaakte_: either he is very polyvalent (omnivalent: he knows everything well), in the latter he is just perfect (does not make mistakes) --- and strictly s/he does not exist. ;-) But of course one could say een volmaakte muzikant is able to 'complete' a concert without any problems.

Maybe it will be safer to ask for translations in a collocation: 
a - a perfect concert, a  perfect answer (_volmaakt_ would be ok, but _foutloos_ is probably more common in Dutch), to p*lay perfectly* (_foutloos_, without mistakes)
b - perfect happiness (_volmaakt geluk_) 
c - Bible: 'Wees volmaakt' [Mt 5, 48](undividedly good, is a recent translation)


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## rusita preciosa

Russian: *сoвеpшенный* [sovershennyi]: 
Some of the meanings of the prefix *c-/co-* are: togetherness; result.
The root -*веpш-* means complete / do / perform; it is related to the word *веpх *[verkh] (top/summit/up).


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## jazyk

In Portuguese: perfeito.


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## SDLX Master

In Spanish, *Perfecto.*


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## ThomasK

jazyk said:


> In Portuguese: perfeito.


 
No synonyms, Jazyk, for a person who is perfect, for perfect happiness, for work that is perfect ?


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## ThomasK

rusita preciosa said:


> Russian: *сoвеpшенный* [sovershennyi]:
> Some of the meanings of the prefix *c-/co-* are: togetherness; result.
> The root -*веpш-* means complete / do / perform; it is related to the word *веpх *[verkh] (top/summit/up).


 
Interesting, but can a person be _sovershennyi_ ?


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## rusita preciosa

ThomasK said:


> Interesting, but can a person be _sovershennyi_ ?


Theoretically, yes, however, I struggle to think of an instance when they would say сoвеpшенный (perfect) about a person.

There is an established saying though: *он/она caмо сoвеpшенcтво* [on/ona samo sovershenstvo] - he/she is perfection itself (perfection incarnate). It is very widely used.

EDIT: Come to think of it, the Russian word *сoвеpшенный* has much narrower meaning than the English word *perfect*. It means literally "perfect/falwless/complete". We do not use it in expressions like:
This job is perfect for me
Oh you are here? Perfect!
I have a perfectly good reason to say "no" to him
In these cases we would use the equivalents of good/great/wonderful.


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## federicoft

In Italian: *perfetto*.
There are some words that may overlap in meaning, depending on context, but I can't think of a _perfect_ synonymous. As most words describing abstract concepts, they are derived from Latin: _totale_, _assoluto_, _completo_.


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## ThomasK

federicoft said:


> In Italian: *perfetto*.
> There are some words that may overlap in meaning, depending on context, but I can't think of a _perfect_ synonymous. As most words describing abstract concepts, they are derived from Latin: _totale_, _assoluto_, _completo_.


 
How about the word in the above contexts(a/b), Federico ?


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## federicoft

Sorry, I need to learn to read the whole thread before responding. As regards _a_, you would say something along the lines of excellent, superb etc. (_eccellente, eccelso, superbo, splendido, sublime, magnifico, esemplare_...). For _b _probably "_completa felicità_" or "_felicità assoluta_" would be the most likely translation. You can say "_completo_" or "_totale_" to translate "_perfetto_" when used ironically (e.g. "_un completo/perfetto idiota_").


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## ThomasK

Interesting to read you mention those words as synonyms for _perfect_, I had not thought of those very common/ subjective ones, like _*superb, splendid,*_ which refer to the effect on us, I think, and had been focused on this idea of *per-fection (done till it is complete*, I think, would be a bad wording of the etymology). Or ... ?

_*Assoluta*_ : absolute - interesting as well, as this person seems to stand out... Adn then complete. But I think I can safely say that there is a different shade of meaning in _complete_ and _perfect_, but maybe I am focusing on the etymology too much. I now realize the _*full*_ in _volmaakt/ voltooid_ is mirrored in *com-plete* ! ;-(

Just by the way: I was told that 'perfect' in Polish is _doskonale_ ! What it could mean precisely, I do not know...


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## HUMBERT0

federicoft said:


> Sorry, I need to learn to read the whole thread before responding. As regards _a_, you would say something along the lines of excellent, superb etc. (_eccellente, eccelso, superbo, splendido, sublime, magnifico, esemplare_...). For _b _probably "_completa felicità_" or "_felicità assoluta_" would be the most likely translation. You can say "_completo_" or "_totale_" to translate "_perfetto_" when used ironically (e.g. "_un completo/perfetto idiota_").


Same in Spanish:
Excelente, excelso, espléndido, sublime, magnifico, ejemplar, excelente, completo, acabado, correcto, impecable, maravilloso, magnífico, estupendo, inmejorable, insuperable, magistral, inmaculado, etc.
And “felicidad completa”, “felicidad absoluta/total”.


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## ThomasK

Just one critical note: the first terms seem to me to be emotional, whereas the 'perfect' I had in mind was like an objective quality... But 'impeccable' is already more interesting, and so is 'immaculado'. You see what I mean ?


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## jana.bo99

Croatian:

perfect - idealan (male); idealna (female) 

Slovenian:

perfect - idealen (male): idealna (female)
idealen moški: perfect man
idealna ženska: perfect woman


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## ThomasK

'Ideal-an/na' is great, but then there is no more Croatian alternative, like 'faultless', or is there ?


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## sakvaka

In *Finnish*: _täydellinen_ (38)

Probably from _täysi_ - 'full'.

Those declension and consonant gradation types can be found from the website of Kotus (Research Institute for the Languages of Finland).
http://kaino.kotus.fi/sanat/nykysuom...utustyypit.php
http://kaino.kotus.fi/sanat/nykysuom...telutyypit.php


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## ThomasK

Your words reminds me of *'tadellos'* (impeccable, I believe) in German and *'vollendet'* (completed, finished, perfect, I believe)...


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## ThomasK

sakvaka said:


> In *Finnish*: _täydellinen_ (38)
> 
> Probably from _täysi_ - 'full'.
> 
> Those declension and consonant gradation types can be found from the website of Kotus (Research Institute for the Languages of Finland).
> http://kaino.kotus.fi/sanat/nykysuom...utustyypit.php
> http://kaino.kotus.fi/sanat/nykysuom...telutyypit.php


 
I am ashamed to admit that this is Finnish, or no, Chinese, to me. Can you tell me about the link with the above. Thanks !


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## jana.bo99

ThomasK said:


> 'Ideal-an/na' is great, but then there is no more Croatian alternative, like 'faultless', or is there ?


Hi ThomasK,

It is the same in Croatian as in Slovenian, with a bit different words:

Perfect man - Idealan muškarac
Perfect woman - Idealna žena

With regards,
jana.bo

p.s. You can say so in Croatia, if you find the perfect woman.


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## sakvaka

ThomasK said:


> I am ashamed to admit that this is Finnish, or no, Chinese, to me. Can you tell me about the link with the above. Thanks !



*A) *When we add suffixes to Finnish words their stems may change or alter. Besides that, eg. the illative case is formed differently with different words. Declension type tells the pattern, according to which the word is declined (according to KOTUS there are 51 different noun declension types in Finnish, but the most study books use 5-10).

Example: _pilvi _(cloud), _pilven_* (7)
_nainen _(woman), _naisen_ (38)
_kirjain _(letter), _kirjaimen_ (33)

*B) *Consonant gradation is a characteristic of words in which the letters k, p or t disappear or alternate with other consonants in different declension forms.

Example: 
_purkka _(bubble gum), _purkan _(10-A)
_katu _(street), _kadun_ (1-F)
_piirre _(characteristic), _piirteen_ (48-K)

I attached the declension number and the links just to make the word's declension easier.

___
* Each word pair: noun + (its English translation) + its genitive form + (declension type number + consonant gradation letter)


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## ThomasK

jana.bo99 said:


> Hi ThomasK,
> 
> It is the same in Croatian as in Slovenian, with a bit different words:
> 
> p.s. You can say so in Croatia, if you find the perfect woman.


 
Thanks, Jana, but I meant: don't you have more literal translations of 'faultless', 'finished', 'completed', meaning perfect ?


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## ThomasK

Thanks, Sakvaka, but your point is that _taysi/ taidi..._ might very well be related, I guess. Or isn't it ?


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## sakvaka

ThomasK said:


> Thanks, Sakvaka, but your point is that _taysi/ taidi..._ might very well be related, I guess. Or isn't it ?



Yes, I strongly believe that the Finnish adjectives _täydellinen_ (perfect) and _täysi_ (full) are related; they share the same root.


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## ThomasK

Great, then there is the idea of *full* in it, also in Finnish. 'Complete' contains the same reference, by the way (ple-). 

By the way: *per*- refers to an end, maybe a summit, as in Czech, I believe (_per-fect_, made till the end: accomplished, finished, ...). 

I am still amazed that there are so few alternatives. Of course in Romanic languages it might be logical because perfect/ parfait, perfetto, ... is derived from Latin.

*τελειοποιώ* (finish) in Greek is one I like : make it to the end/ goal/ target, if I may be allowed to translate clumsily/literally.

In Vietnamese it must be *hoàn hảo* (impeccable, perfectly). Something like super-perfect (perfect-perfect) ? Anyone ?


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## jana.bo99

ThomasK said:


> Thanks, Jana, but I meant: don't you have more literal translations of 'faultless', 'finished', 'completed', meaning perfect ?


Hi Thomas,
"faultless" can be one letter, well written without errors.

"completed" can be one house: but doesn't mean it is "perfect".

"finished" has nothing to do with perfect.
F.e. I have finished my work - Končala sem (svoje or moje) delo.  

I can say: 

Here is perfect place for me:

Croatian: 
Za mene je ovdje idealno mjesto.

Slovenian: 
Tukaj je idealno mesto zame. 

Regards.


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## ThomasK

Thanks, Jana, but are you really convinced of that ? I mean: 
- for us 'completed' means not half-done
- faultless means well taken care of
- finished: idem, it is complete, no further to be done - as it is (seems) perfect !

Isn't  this a logical association to you too ? Maybe I am narrow-minded in this, please tell me.


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## sakvaka

ThomasK said:


> Thanks, Jana, but are you really convinced of that ? I mean:
> - for us 'completed' means not half-done
> - faultless means well taken care of
> - finished: idem, it is complete, no further to be done - as it is (seems) perfect !
> 
> Isn't  this a logical association to you too ? Maybe I am narrow-minded in this, please tell me.



I'm sorry but I don't quite understand your logic. I have understood that _faultless_ means "that has no faults/errors", and therefore see no straightforward connection with taking care of something. 

I agree with you that _finished_ is something complete, "no further to be done". But that doesn't necessarily have to be "perfect", which is something absolutely good. 

_Perfect_ can, of course, be used when something is extremely good or the best you could ever imagine ("she's a perfect wife"), but it often has a tone of exaggeration or hyperbole. I think this is what Jana meant by saying: "not necessarily perfect". _Ideal_ would be a more neutral expression.


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## ThomasK

I wonder how we solve this 'problem'. OK, let me try. 

i have just looked up Dutch synonyms for 'perfect' at www.mijnwoordenboek.nl/. I mention some:  


> (*antonym* van perfect is gebrekkig (defective)). But "Synoniem van perfect: af (finished), foutloos (faultless),  ideaal, volmaakt perfectly made, made to the full)(


, etc. So these are the official (hm) results from a site. We consider those to be synonyms. Of course one can object that there are never full synonyms. I agree - and maybe this exchange will prove that once more. 

'Faultless': the less care one takes of a text, the more mistakes; 
'Finished': we generally only stop when everything is perfect, I'd say (we try...)
'Perfect' and 'volmaakt' are really considered synonyms with us. 

So... ? By the way: you do have those f-words ;-), I guess, but maybe they cannot be considered adjectives or qualifiers... I am curious !


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## sakvaka

Yes, in Finnish the f-words are: 

faultless - _virheetön _(with no errors)
finished - _valmis _(ready), _viimeistelty_ (polished)

'faultless': You're right, but the reason why something is faultless is only a secondary matter. The important thing is that it has no errors.
'finished': Something is ready, it has been carried to an end and polished. The "perfectuality" is exaggerated, but we still use the word.

My synonyme dictionary lists the following options:
*
täydellinen*
1. eheä, kokonainen, täysi, yhtenäinen (complete, full, whole, harmonious)
2. ehdoton, kertakaikkinen, perinpohjainen, perusteellinen, tarkka, tyhjentävä (accurate, total, complete, exhaustive)
3. ensiluokkainen, erinomainen, hyvä, kelpo, kiitettävä, moitteeton, oiva, verraton (first-class, excellent, good, flawless, splendid)

And antonyme: _puuttellinen_ (inadequate; defective)

I strongly believe that the key to the solution is to understand that "perfect" is a hyperbole in many of its uses.


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## jana.bo99

Hi Thomas,

Now I will write only what those words mean:

Slovenian:

"finished" - končana (female), končan (male)
"faultless" - brezhibna (female), brezhiben (male)
"completed" - zaključena (female), zaključen (male)

Croatian:

"finished"
gotova (female), gotov (male); 
svršena (female), svršen (male)
završena (female), završen (male)

"faultless"
besprijekorna (female), besprijekoran (male)

"completed"
gotova (female), gotov (male)
dovršena (female), dovršen (male)

Hope, now is OK?

jana.bo


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## ThomasK

Thanks a lot for those contributions, S and J !!! I remain baffled at the fact that there is no (trace of) interchangeability in your languages, and hope to be able to go into that in some other thread. 

I most certainly agree that 'perfect' and all the others are hyperboles, but they are typical of emotional/ affectionate language, I think. When we have strong feelings, then we say all kinds of irrational things. Don't you think?


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## sakvaka

ThomasK said:


> Thanks a lot for those contributions, S and J !!! I remain baffled at the fact that there is no (trce of) interchangeability in your languages, and hope to be able to go into that in some other thread.
> 
> I most certainly agree that 'perfect' and all the others are hyperboles, but they are typical of emotional/ affectionate language, I think. When we have strong feelings, then we say all kinds of irrational things. Don't you think?


 
I agree with you. Luckily I wasn't claiming that exaggerating and saying things irrationally would belong to bad language use.

I am still wondering which words you hope to be interchangeable. 'Perfect' and 'faultless'/'completed'? In Finnish we can surely say: _Kirje on valmis, se on täydellinen! _The letter is finished, it's perfect! but this is, again, its hyperbolaic use.

Where did this start from?  



> The house is 'completed', but not necessarily 'perfect'.


 
It seems that we're circling around the same point. Shouldn't we free the discussion for other languages?


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## ThomasK

Your last line throws light on the problem, I guess, that I come to realize right now: 

'Het huis is *volmaakt'* is very uncommon, probably because that would mean it is perfect _('fully made' literally, but we understand it as 'perfect')_. Which is not very strange: what house could be perfect. 
'Het huis is *afgewerkt'* just means: the house is finished, has been finished - and that is quite common indeed. That is very literal. 

So the point might be that only one of the two can mean 'perfect' indeed, because we can use it figuratively. Indeed: finished in itself is not perfect. (By the way the 'vol-' is not a productive prefix any longer: we can now only create new words it in the literal sense, I guess, or maybe in a fig. sense, but then with some irony.) 

So now I could *rephrase* my question: *can you use figurative words for 'complete' or 'perfect', based on the concept of fullness, ending/ finishing, target, ... ?* Correct ? 

_(Sorry, but the longer the more, I realize this idea of synonymy in translation is hard to get...)_


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## sakvaka

ThomasK said:


> So now I could *rephrase* my question: *can you use figurative words for 'complete' or 'perfect', based on the concept of fullness, ending/ finishing, target, ... ?* Correct ?



_Tämä talo on täydellinen asua. _This house is perfect to live. 
_Tämä talo on valmis. _This house is finished (ready, completed).
_Tämä talo on viimeistelty. _This house is finished (polished, touched up).

Notice, how the first sentence started to make sense when I added the word: "to live". 

Our word _täydellinen_ can't be associated with "fully made", as in Dutch, but "seeming full". That may also explain why we look into this matter differently.

Complete (in the meaning of "perfect, full" eg. a complete set) can be translated in Finnish only by using the concepts of 'fullness' and 'solidity, one-pieceness'.


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## ThomasK

Ho, but this is interesting: 'one-piecenes' is new to me. 

But I also wonder: then you can't say that someone is perfect, even if you are exaggerating, ironic, etc. ? 

_(Anyway, we seem to have touched upon the untranslatables...)_


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## jana.bo99

ThomasK said:


> 'Faultless': the less care one takes of a text, the more mistakes;
> 'Finished': we generally only stop when everything is perfect, I'd say (we try...)


Hi Thomas, 

Of course we can't understand each other.

"Faultless"- means: without error or mistake

"Finished": we generally only stop when everything is perfect (your words)
If you think so, then the World would be perfect, but isn't.

"Finished" means that something was done, doesn't matter is that perfect or not. It can be done more times and maybe after five times can be perfect.

jana.bo


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## ThomasK

Hi Jana, 
Please try to understand that I am not explaining my view. In Dutch the two seem to be synonyms, but not in a literal sense anymore, as I explained (and came to realize) in my exchange with Sakvaka, about the houses. The point seemed to be that 'perfect' is often or mostly used very irrationally, not so literally, and that etymologically we seem to make that association.

So there is no stubbornness on my behalf, I think, and I just wished to understand better what is causing the misunderstanding... I have a Czech student and a Finnish one, and I could try to check with them. 

JanG


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## ThomasK

I just read "dokonalý" in Czech elsewhere. Can anyone explain the precise meaning? I know it is supposed to mean _[to be] perfect_, but ???


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## ilocas2

ThomasK said:


> I just read "dokonalý" in Czech elsewhere. Can anyone explain the precise meaning? I know it is supposed to mean _[to be] perfect_, but ???



Hi

According Czech etymological dictionary it's derived from "dokonati", so it means in fact "finished, completed".

But nowadays it's used only in the meaning of "perfect".


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## ThomasK

Thanks, but then: isn't there another stem to be recognized in that word ? Something like 'end-' or 'full-' or ...? Thanks in advance !


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## itreius

Croatian

savršeno _(m. savršen, f. savršena)_ - perfect, etym. _vršiti_ - to perform, to do;
etymologically related words: svršiti - to complete, to put an end to something (colloquially - to have an orgasm)
svrha - purpose, aim, objective, goal
završiti - to finish, to end
usavršiti - to perfect, to improve

as for the Czech word, do*kon*ati, I assume _kon_ is related to the slavic root *kon'c' which means end.


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## ilocas2

"dokonat" is from "konat" - to do (somewhat poetic), "do" is prefix which means end of action when it's used with verbs (f. e. "jíst" - eat, "dojíst" - to finish eating etc.), so it means "to finish doing"

But original meaning of "konati" was "to bring to end"

It's related to that slavic root *kon'c'

In modern Czech "konec" still means "end"


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## apmoy70

ThomasK said:


> *τελειοποιώ* (finish) in Greek is one I like : make it to the end/ goal/ target, if I may be allowed to translate clumsily/literally


«Τελειοποιώ» (teliopi'o) indeed lit. means "to end-_ise_" (if I may use the English suffix -ise, -ize); in Greek with the suffix «-ποιώ» we translate English verbs with the derivational suffix -ise, -ize (which at the end of a word means to make). E.g:
Social-_ize_-->Κοινωνικο-_ποιώ_ (cinonikopi'o)
Parameter-_ise_-->Παραμετρο-_ποιώ_ (parametropi'o).
In Modern Greek *τελειοποιώ *means strictly, "to make something perfect"

[c] is a voiceless palatal plosive


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## Orlin

itreius said:


> Croatian
> 
> savršeno _(m. savršen, f. savršena)_ BG съвършен, -а, -о - perfect, etym. _vršiti_ - to perform, to do BG върша; etymologically related words: svršiti - to complete, to put an end to something BG (да) свърша
> završiti - to finish, to end BG (да) завърша
> usavršiti - to perfect, to improve BG усъвършенствам


+Bulgarian.


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## bibax

Czech has more adjectives derived from the participles of the verb *dokonati* (do-kon-a-ti):

*dokonalý* (from past participle) = perfect, faultless, ideal, ...;
*dokonaný* (from passive participle) = finished, completed, finalized, ...;
*dokonavý* (-vý expresses ability or tendency) = perfective (e.g. verb);

There is a difference between _dokonalá vražda_ (a perfect murder) and _dokonaná vražda_ (accomplished murder, a legal term).

According to Machek's etymological dictionary the verb konati (kon-a-ti, = to do, used exclusively with abstract objects) is not related to the noun konec (= end). It is related to Latin conor (conari, conatus sum; cf. conation, conative) and perhaps with Greek koneo (diakoneo).


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## ilocas2

There exist various etymological dictionaries, which often contradict each other.


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## traveling cloud

There are many Romanian words for "perfect", and one of the most used is even "perfect".

Also, there is a loadword from slavic: "desăvârşit", where the verb is "desăvârşi". The prefix "de" means something to be done, and "săvârşi" has some ambiguous meaning. It can be translated as "to make", "to finish", "to accomplish", and retains some archaic meanings like "to kill", "to perish", "to die". The most common modern usage is in negative contexts like "atacul s-a săvârşit ieri" ("the attack took place yesterday", literally "the attack was made yesterday"), or "el a săvârşit o faptă ilegală" ("he made an illegal act").

The word "săvârşit" (adjective or past participle of "săvârşi") has all three positive (perfect, extraordinary), neutral (finished, accomplished), and negative (dead, disappeared) senses.


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## Rallino

*Turkish:*

1. Kusursuz = flawless
2. Mükemmel = Perfect
3. Harika = Magnificent
4. Tamam = Complete. (Although, used less and less in this sense, as it is nowadays used for: _OK_.)


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## ThomasK

Thanks !

@TC: could *de-* not refer to a perfective aspect (having finished, making it off, literally)? That reminded me of the Dutch _afgemaakt_, lit. the same as your word, I think, which could mean 'finished' in a clear context, but without context just 'killed, eliminated'... 

@R: one of those is a compound, is it ? Or are they derivations based on a stem ?


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## Rallino

ThomasK said:


> [...]
> @R: one of those is a compound, is it ? Or are they derivations based on a stem ?



The first one is. _
Kusur = flaw_. 
_Göz kusuru = (lit.eyeflaw) visual defect/disorder_
_Kusurlu = (lit.with flaw) flawed
Kusurlu elmas = flawed diamond
Kusursuz = flawless
Kusursuz mimarî = Flawless achitecture
Kusursuz zümrüt = Flawless emerald_
and so on.

The rest comes from Arabic. For example the word "mükemmel" comes from Arabic "kemal", which means "something that is matured,  that has come to the final state". Kemal, in Turkey, is merely a male name nowadays; not used as a word in the modern language. Apparently it received a prefix "mü-". I have no idea what it means, we don't use prefixes in Turkish.


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## ThomasK

Great information, thanks !


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## ThomasK

I happened to read that *'tökéletes'* means _perfect_ in Hungarian. Can anyone explain the origin of the word or the precise meaning ?


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## francisgranada

Hungarian:

_*Tökéletes* _

The meaning of this word is exactly "_perfect_", used with persons as well as with things, ideas etc... (but not in grammar like _perfect tense, pluperfect etc ..._). 




ThomasK said:


> ... Can anyone explain the origin ...


_*tökél*__ -_ verb _(_orig. meanings:_ "he/she accomplishes, executes, makes complete, makes healthy ...")_
_*tökélet*__ -_ noun from the verb_ tökél (not used today)_
_*tökéletes*__ -_ adjective from the noun_ tökélet _


The verb *tökél*

1. This verb in its general meaning is not used anymore. Today, it survives only with the prefix _el_- ("_away_"): _*eltökél*_ (approx. _"he/she decides/determines resolutely")_

2. The verb occurs in known written documents from about the year 1372 (of course, not with modern ortography as the letter *ö* did no exist) 

3. Etymologically, _-*kél*_ is a compound verbal formant which gives an iterative sense to the verb. So the original stem of finnougric origin could have been *te*-(with the meaning _"to do, to put, to post, etc ...",_ e.g. _tenni_, _tett_, _tét, tény_ ...). Others suppose, that the original stem was _tek-_ (or a variant of this) with uncertain meaning.


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## ThomasK

That is very interesting information, embedding the perfect meaning into a broader whole.


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## francisgranada

ThomasK said:


> That is very interesting information, embedding the perfect meaning into a broader whole.


 
Yes, and even understandable. If the original stem was *te-* (probable, but still discussed), then we have the following logic (the verbs are in infinitive):

*tenni:* _to do, to put, to post etc. ..._
*tökélni:* (iterative from the previous): _to do/put repeatedely_, _to go on doing/putting_ untill not _accomplished/complete/healthy_... i.e. until not _perfect_

(the rest is clear from written documents)

P.S. The early date of the oldest occurences of this verb is interesting, because so we can eliminate the possible direct influences of modern languages


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## mataripis

Perfect in Pilipino is "Perpekto" from Spanish word "Perfecto" But the Tagalog has few terms that imply 1.) perfectness 2.) righteousness and 3.) completeness and these are 1.) Sakdal 2.) Ganap and 3.) Lubos, respectively.


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