Bez

Bez is a term with multiple meanings across languages. In many Central and Eastern European languages, notably Polish, Czech, Slovak, and Serbo-Croatian varieties, bez is a preposition meaning "without." It governs the genitive case, so phrases such as bez cukru (without sugar) or bez wody (without water) are common. The preposition is a basic element of negation and appears in numerous expressions describing absence or deprivation. It is a cognate across these languages, reflecting a shared Proto-Slavic origin.

In Turkish, bez is a common noun meaning "cloth" or "fabric." It appears in everyday speech as well as in compound terms related to textiles and materials.

Beyond language, bez can occur as a surname or nickname in some cultures, and it may appear as an acronym in specialized contexts, though such uses are variable and depend on the linguistic community.

Etymology: In Slavic languages, bez derives from Proto-Slavic *bezъ and is related to forms used to express absence across related tongues. The bez prefix functions as a productive marker for negation or privation in many words.

Usage notes: When used as a preposition, bez typically requires the genitive case of the following noun in many languages, aligning with patterns seen in Bez cukru, Bez wody, etc.

See also: bezpieczny (an illustrative example of the bez- prefix in Polish), and cross-language cognates meaning "without."

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