oddechem

Oddechem is the instrumental singular form of the Polish noun oddech, which means breath. As a grammatical form, oddechem has no separate lexical meaning; its primary function is to indicate the instrument or manner by which an action is performed, and it appears mainly in idiomatic or literary contexts. One of the best-known usages is the expression oddechem ulgi, meaning a breath of relief. In prose and poetry, oddechem can be part of descriptive phrases that evoke breathing as a symbol of life, fatigue, or emotional states.

In Polish, oddech is a masculine noun with various cases (oddechu, oddechowi, oddechem, etc.). The instrumental oddechem is encountered most often in literary language and in fixed phrases. Though largely a grammatical form, oddechem contributes to imagery by foregrounding the act of breathing as a tangible, sensory detail. In linguistic references, oddechem is typically described as the instrumental form of oddech used in idiomatic expressions, rather than as a separate concept.