korzeni

Korzeni is a grammatical form in Polish. It is the genitive plural of the noun korzeń, which means root. As a genitive plural, korzeni is used after prepositions or in constructions that require the genitive, for example after bez (without) or after quantities that govern the genitive. For reference, the related forms of korzeń include korzeń (nominative singular), korzenia (genitive singular), korzeniowi (dative singular), korzeń (accusative singular), korzeniem (instrumental singular), and korzeniu (locative singular). The nominative plural is korzenie, while the genitive plural is korzeni.

In ordinary usage, korzenie refers to the roots of plants or trees. The plural form used when describing the roots themselves in the nominative case is korzenie, not korzeni. Beyond botany, korzeń and its forms serve metaphorical purposes in Polish, such as in expressions about origin or heritage: someone can tracić korzenie (to lose one’s roots) or odnaleźć korzenie (to rediscover one’s roots).

As a proper noun, Korzeni (capitalized) may appear as a surname or place name, but it does not denote a specific widely recognized concept or entity in standard Polish. When encountered in text, capitalization often signals a family name or geographic reference rather than a common noun.

Etymology traces korzeń to Slavic roots shared across related languages, with korzeni continuing to function as a grammatical form rather than a standalone semantic unit in most uses. See also korzeń and korzenie for related forms.