Chowany

Chowany is a Polish adjective and past passive participle derived from the verb chować, meaning to hide, store away, keep safe, or to rear in some senses. As an adjective it agrees with the noun: chowany (masc. sing.), chowana (fem. sing.), chowane (neut. sing. or plur.), chowani (masc. pl.), chowane (fem. pl. or neut. pl.). The core sense is that something is kept hidden, stored, or safeguarded, rather than visible or public.

Usage and nuance: chowany describes objects, places, or information that are kept out of sight or preserved for later use. Examples include chowany sekret (a kept secret), chowany skarb (a hidden treasure), or dokumenty chowane w archiwum (documents stored away in an archive). The term can appear in literary, formal, or technical contexts, but in everyday language it is more common to use synonyms such as ukryty, przechowywany, or zachowany, depending on the nuance.

Distinction from related forms: pochowany is the past participle meaning buried in the sense of interment, which is distinct from chowany, where the emphasis is on concealment, safekeeping, or preservation rather than burial. The word is most often encountered in descriptive language rather than as a single technical label.

See also: chować, ukryty, przechowywany, pochować.