dôvodov

Dôvodov is the genitive plural form of the Slovak noun dôvod, which means reason or cause. It is used when referring to multiple reasons or causes in contexts that require the genitive case.

Etymology and relatives: Dôvod has cognates in other Slavic languages, such as Czech důvod and Polish powód. The word is a basic term in Slovak for referring to the explanation or motivation behind an action, decision, or event. Its meaning is closely related to synonyms like príčina and motív, but dôvod emphasizes the justification or rationale.

Morphology and usage: The singular form is dôvod, with the nominative plural dôvody and the genitive plural dôvodov. The genitive plural dôvodov is used after numerals and quantifiers that require the genitive plural, for example in phrases like päť dôvodov or niekoľko dôvodov. In fixed expressions, the common form for “for this reason” is z tohto dôvodu, where dôvodu is the genitive singular. Dôvodov can appear in sentences that discuss multiple reasons, such as Niekoľko dôvodov potvrdzuje túto hypotézu (Several reasons confirm this hypothesis).

Usage notes: In Slovak, the choice between nominative plural dôvody and genitive plural dôvodov depends on the grammatical construction and numerals used. Dôvodov is the typical form after five or more, or after phrases requiring the genitive plural. The term is widely used in formal writing, academic prose, and argumentation to enumerate or justify positions.

See also: Príčina (cause), Motív (motive), Z dôvodu (for the reason of).