Pokusom

Pokusom is the instrumental singular form of the Czech noun pokus, which means an attempt or an experiment. As a noun, pokus denotes the act of trying or testing something, and its instrumental form pokusom expresses the means or method by which an action is carried out.

Etymology and meaning: pokusom derives from pokus, itself linked to the verb pokusit se, “to attempt.” In linguistic use, the instrumental form highlights instrumentality or manner, similar to how other Czech nouns function in instrumental constructions.

Usage: The use of pokusom is relatively formal and common in written Czech, especially in scientific, technical, or legal contexts. In everyday speech, speakers more often rely on the base noun pokus or preferred prepositional phrases such as pomocí pokusu ("by means of an experiment") or v pokusu ("in the experiment"). The form pokusom can appear when the emphasis is on the instrument or procedural aspect of performing an action.

Relation to related terms: Pokusom is closely related to the base noun pokus (the attempt or experiment). Adjectival forms include pokusný (experimental). The concept is also linked to broader terms such as test and experiment, which are used in similar contexts to describe procedures aimed at verification or discovery.

See also: pokus, pokusný, test, experiment, pokusit se.