króla

Króla is the genitive singular form of the Polish noun król, meaning king. It marks possession or association and also appears as the accusative singular for masculine animate nouns. In usage, it appears in phrases such as historia króla Polski (“the history of the king of Poland”) or pałac króla (“the king’s palace”).

Declension notes: singular forms are N król, G króla, D królowi, A króla, I królem, L królu, V królu. Plural forms are N królowie, G królów, D królowom, A królów, I królowami, L królowach, V królowie. Thus króla specifically functions as the genitive singular (and also as the accusative singular for masculine animate nouns).

Etymology: król is related to cognates across Slavic languages, such as Russian korol’, Czech král, Slovene kralj, and Croatian kralj. The form król and its genitive króla derive from Proto-Slavic *krolъ. While the term is widely treated as native to Slavic vocabulary, its deeper historical origin is a subject of scholarly discussion, with various theories about external influence considered but not definitively established.

Historical and contemporary use: in Polish history the title król denotes monarchs who ruled over Poland and other realms. In modern Poland, the title is largely historical or literary, as the country is a republic; the word still appears in historical contexts, literature, and discussions of monarchy.

See also: król, monarchy, list of Polish monarchs.