mnohých

Mnohých is a Czech adjective form meaning many or numerous. It is considered archaic or literary and is mainly found in older texts, poetry, or formal writing. In contemporary everyday Czech, the more common word for quantity is mnoho, and many speakers would use other constructions rather than the form mnohý.

The specific form mnohých is the genitive plural of the adjective mnohý. It is used with nouns in genitive plural, and appears in phrases such as mnohých z nás (many of us) or mnohých lidí (many people). This form can give a sentence a formal or antique tone. For example: Mnohých z nás to překvapilo; Mnohých lidí v této oblasti žije málo. While the nominative plural form mnozí exists for masculine animate subjects (many), mnohých as a genitive plural is commonly found in combination with other words that govern case.

Etymology traces mnohý to the same root as mnoho, meaning “much” or “many,” and it shares common ancestry with cognate forms in related Slavic languages. Today, mnogý and its genitive plural mnohých are primarily encountered in literary or ceremonial language, legal or historical texts, and in stylistic writing where a traditional or emphatic tone is desired. In modern Czech prose, writers typically replace it with mnoho or rephrase to avoid the archaic flavor.

In summary, mnohých is the genitive plural form of an older Czech adjective meaning “many,” used today mainly to evoke formality, classic style, or emphasis in literary and historical contexts.