Póniejsze

Póniejsze is a Polish term that appears mainly in historical, literary, or philological contexts. It is an archaic or literary demonstrative adjective or pronoun used to refer to things in the present discourse, that is, “these present ones” or “the present ones.” In contemporary everyday Polish, the form is largely obsolete and is generally encountered in editions of old texts, linguistic studies, or stylized writings.

Etymology and occurrences are not always clear in modern sources. Linguists treat the form as part of older Polish orthography and morphology, noting its appearance in manuscripts, sermons, legal documents, and poetry. When it occurs, it is often accompanied by discussions about archaism, dialectal variation, or textual transmission. Some modern editors reproduce it with diacritics to reflect the original spelling.

Usage and function in text are primarily to mark immediacy or to create historical or ceremonial tone. It can modify nouns or appear in phrases that point to elements under consideration in the current passage. In translation and glossing, it is typically rendered as “these present” or simply “these,” depending on context. The tone is distinctly archaising and is not used in standard modern prose.

Examples (illustrative):

- Póniejsze czasy wymagają odpowiedzialnych decyzji.

- Póniejsze wiersze tego zbioru prezentują motywy miłości i utraty.

See also: poniejsze (modern form in certain contexts), poniższe (the following).