nieprawda

Nieprawda is a Polish noun meaning untruth or falsehood. It is formed by adding the negating prefix nie- to prawda, which means truth. The term can refer to a statement or claim that is not true and may denote an error, a misrepresentation, or a fabrication. It is generally less morally charged than kłamstwo, which specifically denotes a lie told with intent to deceive, though context may influence nuance.

Etymology and usage: nieprawda derives from Old Polish and shares a common Slavic root with truths in related languages (for example Russian pravda and Ukrainian pravda). As a linguistic unit, it functions as a neutral or evaluative label for statements that are inaccurate or not reflective of reality. In everyday language, phrases such as "to nieprawda" or "to nieprawda, że ..." are used to challenge or correct assertions. In journalism, education, and public discourse, nieprawda is often employed to describe misinformation or misstatements without making a determination about intent.

Related forms: the adjective nieprawdziwy means untrue or false, and the noun nieprawdziwość refers to falseness or falsehood in a more abstract sense. Related terms include prawda (truth) and fałsz (falsehood or falsity). The distinction between nieprawda and kłamstwo hinges on intent: nieprawda is a statement that is not true, while kłamstwo implies knowingly false communication.

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