martwy

Martwy is a Polish adjective meaning dead or lifeless. It is used to describe someone or something that is no longer alive or lacking life, and it can function in both attributive and predicative positions. For example, martwy człowiek refers to a dead man, while Cóż, ten człowiek jest martwy, means he is dead.

Etymology and cognates: Martwy derives from the Proto-Slavic root associated with death. It has cognates in other Slavic languages, such as Russian mertvyy (мёртвый) and Ukrainian mertvyi (мертвий), reflecting a shared linguistic heritage. The Polish form is part of the same family of words that describe non-living or deceased states.

Grammar and usage: In Polish, martwy declines like a regular adjective, matching gender, number, and case with the noun it modifies. The masculine singular nominative form is martwy, with feminine martwa and neuter martwe; plural forms follow standard adjective patterns. It can be used predicate-ly, as in Człowiek jest martwy, or attributively, as in martwy człowiek or martwe zwierzę.

Figurative use and common phrases: Beyond literal death, martwy can describe figurative lifelessness or inactivity. It appears in expressions such as martwy sezon (dead season) to denote a period with little activity, or martwy punkt (dead point) in systems or processes, indicating stagnation or impasse. It is often contrasted with nieżywy, a more formal synonym meaning not alive.

See also: nieżywy; śmierć; zmartwychwstały.