królowa

Królowa is a Polish noun meaning queen. It refers to the female ruler of a monarchy or the wife of a king, depending on context. In monarchies, a queen can be a reigning monarch (królowa regnant) or a consort (królowa małżonka). The term is also used in cultural and historical references to individual queens.

Etymology and form: królowa is formed from the masculine noun król (king) with the feminine suffix -owa, a common way in Polish to derive female titles or roles from male forms. The word thus marks a female counterpart or partner of a king.

Historical and cultural usage: In Polish, as in many languages, królowa can denote a queen consort or a queen regnant. It appears in historical accounts, literature, and heraldry. In modern Poland there is no monarchy, but the word is used when referring to historical figures such as Jadwiga or to queens of other nations, and in ceremonial or symbolic contexts.

Biological usage: In biology, królowa designates the reproductive female in a eusocial colony, such as a queen bee (królowa pszczół), a queen ant (królowa mrówek), or a queen termite (królowa termitów). This queen is chiefly responsible for reproduction and for sustaining the colony, while workers and drones perform other tasks.

See also: król, monarchia, pszczoła, mrówka, termit.