ojców

Ojców is a grammatical form in Polish: it is the genitive plural of the masculine noun ojciec, meaning father. It is used to indicate possession or relation to more than one father, and appears in phrases such as ojców narodu (fathers of the nation) or wózek ojców rodu (the fathers of the lineage). In everyday language, the genitive plural ojców commonly occurs where a noun governs another noun in the genitive case, or where possession is expressed with a plural subject.

Etymology and form: the word ojciec comes from the Proto-Slavic root for father, and its genitive plural is formed with the ending -ów, yielding ojców. The form is an example of the Polish pattern for masculine personal nouns in the genitive plural, which often coincides with the accusative plural (I see the fathers = widzę ojców). The nominative plural is ojcowie, and the dative plural is ojcom, with other cases following standard Polish declension for this noun.

Usage notes: ojców appears almost exclusively in written or formal Polish when the genitive plural is required. It often functions to show possession or association by multiple fathers or father figures. It is distinct from the capitalized toponym Ojców, which refers to a place name in southern Poland.

Toponym: Ojców is also the name of a village in southern Poland, known for its proximity to the Ojców National Park. In toponym usage, Ojców denotes a proper noun and is capitalized, separate from the common noun form ojców.

See also: ojciec.