почти

Bulgarian

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian почти́ (počtí), an imperative of *počьsti whence native Bulgarian почета́ (početá, “to take into account”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [pot͡ʃˈti]

Adverb

почти́ • (počtí) (not comparable)

1. almost, nearly

Anagrams

• почит (počit)

Russian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [pɐt͡ɕˈtʲi]

• Audio:

  (file)

Etymology 1

Imperative of поче́сть (počéstʹ, “count, consider”). Literally, “consider it so”, when something is almost true.

Adverb

почти́ • (počtí)

1. almost, nearly

   Synonym: счита́й (sčitáj)

   • 1874, Иван Тургенев [Ivan Turgenev], “I. 1830 г.”, in Пунин и Бабурин; English translation from Constance Garnett, transl., Punin and Baburin, 1899:

     Мне э́тот чуда́к вдруг «ужа́сно» полюби́лся. Как почти́ все ма́льчики, я с чужи́ми ли́бо робе́л, ли́бо ва́жничал, а с э́тим я сло́вно век был знако́м.

     Mne étot čudák vdrug «užásno» poljubílsja. Kak počtí vse málʹčiki, ja s čužími líbo robél, líbo vážničal, a s étim ja slóvno vek byl znakóm.

     This queer creature took my fancy 'awfully' all at once. Like almost all boys, I was either timid or consequential with strangers, but I felt with this man as if I had known him for ages.

Descendants

• → Ingrian: pocti

References

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “почти”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress

Etymology 2

Verb

почти́ • (počtí)

1. second-person singular imperative perfective of поче́сть (počéstʹ, “consider”)
2. second-person singular imperative perfective of почти́ть (počtítʹ, “honour/honor”)