moralnych

Moralnych is an inflected form of the Polish adjective moralny, meaning related to morality or ethics. Specifically, moralnych is the genitive plural (and, in some constructions, the accusative plural) form of the adjective. It appears when describing a plural noun in contexts that require the genitive or accusative case, or when a noun phrase is in a larger genitive construction such as “zasad moralnych” or “wartości moralnych.”

Etymology and meaning: The root mor-al derives from Latin moralis, via other European languages, and in Polish it has become the common word for matters of ethics, virtue, and conduct. The form moralnych carries the same core meaning as moralny, but its use is determined by grammar rather than by a change in sense.

Usage and examples: In ordinary speech, Polish speakers often use the neuter or feminine plural form moralne with nouns in nominative plural, as in moralne zasady (moral principles) or moralne wartości (moral values). The form moralnych is encountered in formal writing and speech, especially when the phrase is part of a larger genitive construction: zasad moralnych (of moral principles), wartości moralnych (moral values, in genitive plural), normy moralnych (this may occur in some legal or philosophical phrasings). In everyday language, speakers tend to favor the simpler construction using the base form before the noun (moralne zasady, wartości moralne).

See also: moralność (morality), moralny (moral), etyka (ethics).