originálu

Originál is a masculine inanimate Czech noun meaning the original item, as opposed to a copy. It is used for tangible objects such as documents, artworks, manuscripts, or artifacts, and in a broader sense for anything that is the first or authentic version of something. The term is common in legal, archival, museum, and everyday contexts, where distinguishing the original from a reproduction is important.

Etymology and usage context: originál is borrowed into Czech from the Latin-rooted family of words meaning original or origin, with the form likely entering through European languages such as French or German. In Czech, the word is used to refer to the authentic, non-reproduced instance of an object, source, or text. The phrase with the form originálu commonly appears when indicating possession or relation to the original in singular, for example in contexts like “předložit originál” (to present the original document).

Forms and grammar note: the form originálu is the genitive singular, and is also used as the dative singular in many contexts. In plural usage, the word takes distinct forms such as originály (nominative/accusative plural) and originálů (genitive plural), with other cases following standard Czech declension for masculine inanimate nouns ending in -ál.

See also: kopie, dokument, právo, archiv, autentifikace.