Barwnym

Barwnym is a grammatical form of the Polish adjective barwny, meaning colorful or variegated. It is used to describe nouns and to indicate that something displays color or colors. The form barwnym appears in several cases and numbers, most notably as the instrumental singular form for masculine and neuter nouns (barwnym) and as the locative singular form after certain prepositions. In the plural, barwnym functions as the dative plural form.

Examples of usage include phrases such as barwnym kolorem (with a colorful color) and barwnym tle (on a colorful background). Barwnym tłem is the instrumental singular neuter form used with the noun tło, while na barwnym tle demonstrates the locative singular usage. In addition, barwnym serves in the dative plural form, as in barwnym kolorom (to colorful colors).

Linguistically, barwnym derives from the base adjective barwny, which comes from the Slavic root related to color and dye. The pair barwny/barwnym is typical of Polish adjectives, which decline across cases and numbers to reflect the relationship between the descriptor and the noun it modifies. The distinction between barwny and synonyms like kolorowy can shed light on nuance: barwny often emphasizes a presence of multiple colors or a rich coloration, while kolorowy more directly signals color.

See also: barwa, kolor, koloryzacja, barwny.