neznámy

Neznámy is a Slovak adjective meaning unknown or unidentified. It describes something that is not known to the speaker or not yet identified, and it can refer to people, objects, events, or ideas. It is used both attributively before nouns (neznámy predmet) and predicatively in clauses (ten človek je neznámy).

Etymology and forms: The word is formed with the prefix ne- added to známy, which means known. It shares the same root as the Czech neznámý. Like other Slovak adjectives, neznámy inflects for gender and number: masculine singular neznámy, feminine singular neznáma, neuter singular neznáme; plural forms vary with the noun’s gender, commonly neznámi for masculine plural and neznáme for feminine or neuter plural.

Usage: Neznámy is widely used in everyday language, journalism, and scientific or investigative contexts to indicate that the identity or nature of something is not known. Examples include neznámy páchateľ (unknown perpetrator), neznámy predmet (unknown object), or neznáma príčina (unknown cause). It can describe a state of ignorance or a lack of information at a given time.

See also: The antonym of neznámy is známy, meaning known or familiar. In some contexts, other synonyms such as nejasný (unclear) or neidentifikovaný (unidentified) may be used depending on nuance.