Potomek

Potomek is a Polish noun meaning descendant or offspring. It refers to a person who descends from an ancestor or from a particular lineage. The term is used in genealogy, history, and everyday speech to emphasize direct descent or the continuation of a family line. A single descendant is a potomek; several descendants are potomkowie, and the broader concept can be expressed with potomstwo.

In addition to its biological sense, potomek can be used figuratively to denote the inheritance of traits, traditions, or reputations from predecessors, as in phrases like potomek dawnej tradycji. Related terms include przodek (ancestor) and potomstwo (the descendants as a collective). The expression potomek rodu highlights a direct line of descent from a known progenitor.

Grammatically, potomek is a masculine noun; its plural form is potomkowie. Although the form is masculine, it is used to describe descendants regardless of gender. The word appears in genealogical records, historical writings, and discussions of family history, reflecting both biological lineage and cultural continuity.