osada

Osada is a Polish term for a small rural settlement. It is used in geography and land administration to denote a living locality within a gmina (municipality) and is considered a type of miejscowość in official registers such as the National Official Register of Territorial Land Apportionment (TERYT) maintained by Główny Urząd Statystyczny (GUS).

In contrast to a village (wieś), an osada is typically smaller and does not have an independent local government. It may consist of a cluster of houses along a road, a linear settlement near a stream, or a housing complex connected to a specific activity. Osady can form parts of larger villages, or exist as separate, small settlements established around farms, factories, forestry operations, or other economic activities.

Common forms include osada rolnicza (agricultural settlement), osada leśna (forest settlement), and osada przemysłowa or osada pracownicza (industrial or workers’ settlement). The term can also describe historical or newly created settlements that arose from colonization, land reform, or industrial development in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Etymology traces osada to the idea of settling or establishing dwellings, from the Polish verb osiedlać się. The concept is shared with cognate terms in other Slavic languages, where similar words denote small settlements or colonies.

See also: wieś, kolonia, przysiółek, osada leśna, miejscowość.