osiedlach

Osiedlach is the locative plural form of the Polish noun osiedle, which means a housing estate, residential area, or settlement. The term is used when describing multiple settlements or distinct residential areas in a geographic, urban planning, or statistical context. In sentences it appears after prepositions such as w or na, for example: w osiedlach miejskich rośnie liczba mieszkańców, or na osiedlach centralnych planuje się nowe tereny zielone.

Etymology and usage notes: The word osiedle comes from the verb osiedlić, meaning to settle or establish. The locative plural form osiedlach is used specifically to indicate location or presence within several settlements, rather than to name a particular place. In everyday language, speakers more often use the singular or plural nominative forms (osiedle/osiedla), but osiedlach appears regularly in formal writing, reports, and cartographic or demographic descriptions.

Context and related terms: Osiedle denotes a type of administrative or urban unit—often a planned housing neighborhood within a city, distinct from a city district (dzielnica) in common usage. While osiedle is widely understood, osiedlach is most relevant in grammatically precise statements about multiple settlements. Related terms include osiedla (nominative plural) and osiedlowy/osiedlowo, which describe attributes of such areas.