okolicy

Okolicy is the locative singular form of the Polish noun okolica, which denotes the vicinity, surrounding area, or region around a place. In everyday use it refers to the space near a reference point such as a town, river, or landscape. The term is most often encountered in phrases like w okolicy, meaning “in the vicinity,” or w okolicach miasta, meaning “in the surrounding areas of the city.” The plural form okolicach also appears when speaking about multiple surrounding areas.

Etymology and related forms point to the root meaning around or near, shared with other Slavic languages. The related adjective oblik: okoliczny is used to describe things related to or located in the surrounding area, for example okoliczne wsie (surrounding villages) or okoliczny teren (local area). This usage emphasizes proximity rather than administrative boundaries.

Usage and context: okolicy appears mainly in geographical, travel, real estate, or planning contexts to describe nearby regions, suburbs, or rural outskirts. It conveys proximity to a reference location and can be combined with a wide range of nouns to specify the area being discussed.

See also: okolica (the base noun), otoczenie (surroundings), sąsiedztwo (neighborhood), pobliże (proximity).

Note: In Polish, precise forms change with case, so okolicy specifically represents the locative singular form used after prepositions like w. For other cases, different endings of okolica are used.