duchowymi

Duchowymi is the instrumental plural form of the Polish adjective duchowny, meaning clerical or ecclesiastical. It is also the instrumental plural form used with nouns referring to members of the clergy. In practice, duchownymi appears in sentences where the affected noun is in the instrumental case or when describing or referring to groups of clergy in a prepositional or predicate context.

Linguistic notes: the base forms of the adjective are duchowny (masculine singular), duchowna (feminine singular), and duchowne (neuter singular or feminine plural in certain constructions). In the masculine personal plural, the nominative is duchowni, and the instrumental plural is duchownymi. The feminine plural nominative is duchowne, with instrumental plural also typically duchownymi. The form duchowymi is thus used after prepositions that require the instrumental case, such as z (with), or in phrases that equate or describe a group of clergy.

Usage: duchownymi frequently appears in religious, administrative, or journalistic contexts, where clergy are discussed or referenced in a grammatically instrumental sense. It can modify nouns or appear in predicates involving actions directed at or carried out with the clergy.

Examples:

- Rozmawiano z duchownymi na temat reform w diecezji. (They spoke with the clergy about reforms in the diocese.)

- Dokumenty zostały przekazane duchownym. (The documents were handed over to the clergy.)

Etymology: duchowny derives from the root duch- related to spirit or church office, with standard Polish adjectival suffixes, forming a term used to describe things pertaining to the clergy.

See also: duchowny, duchowieństwo, clergy, parish.