Jutro

Jutro is a term found in several Slavic languages, where its meaning varies by language and context. It illustrates how closely related languages can share a similar form but assign different senses to everyday words.

In Polish, jutro means tomorrow, referring to the day after today. It is a common word in daily conversation, scheduling, and planning for future events. The word is used across all varieties of standard Polish and appears in many idioms and expressions connected with the near or distant future.

In Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian, the word jutro means morning. It is used in greetings such as dobro jutro (good morning) and to refer to the early part of the day. Although the spelling is the same as the Polish term for tomorrow, its meaning in these languages is distinct and typically understood from the context.

Beyond its ordinary use, jutro can also appear as a proper name or title in various cultural and organizational contexts within Slavic-speaking regions. It has been adopted in some cases for artistic works, media outlets, or groups, chosen for its brevity and recognizability rather than for a particular semantic meaning.

Overall, jutro serves as an example of polysemy across closely related languages: a single written form that conveys tomorrow in Polish and morning in Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian, reflecting historical linguistic connections and regional usage.