bezsilno

Bezsilno is a transliterated term used in several Slavic languages to denote an action performed in a powerless or ineffective manner. In Cyrillic orthography the corresponding word appears as безсилно, and in Latin transliteration it is written as bezsilno. It forms from the prefix bez- meaning “without” and a stem related to sila, meaning strength, sharing its semantic field with related words in the same languages.

In related languages, the concept is expressed by various but cognate forms. In Russian the adjective бессильный (be s sil'nyy) denotes lack of strength, while in Polish the adjective bezsilny conveys a similar idea, with the adverb typically formed as bezsilnie. The Ukrainian equivalents, and other surrounding languages, likewise derive from the same root related to strength.

Usage and nuance: Bezsilno conveys powerlessness, lack of agency, or futility. It is often found in literary prose and poetry to emphasize helplessness or an action performed under constraints, and can appear in journalistic or descriptive contexts to characterize situations dominated by overwhelming forces or insufficient means. In everyday speech, speakers may prefer language- or region-specific forms such as bezsilnie for the standard adverb, whereas bezsilno can appear in stylized, archaic, or transliterated passages.

See also: бессильный, bezsilny, безсильний, readability of strength-related terms, powerlessness.

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