pitny

Pitny is a term used in several Slavic languages to denote drinkable or potable liquids, most often water. It functions as an adjective that classifies a liquid as safe for consumption. In everyday usage, pitny describes the quality or suitability of a liquid for drinking, rather than for other purposes.

In Polish, pitny is the masculine singular form of the adjective, with pitna for feminine and pitne for neuter. Plural forms include pitni and pitne, depending on grammatical gender and number. In practice, Polish phrases such as woda pitna mean drinking water.

In Czech and Slovak, the related forms are pitný (masculine), pitná (feminine), and pitné (neuter or plural). The phrase pitná voda in Czech, or pitná voda in Slovak, corresponds to drinking water or potable water in English. These languages use the word in regulatory and everyday contexts to distinguish potable water from non-potable water.

Etymology of pitny traces to the Proto-Slavic root related to drinking, and the term has cognates across Slavic languages with similar meanings. The concept is widely reflected in official standards, dictionaries, and educational materials to indicate water or other liquids that are safe to consume.

See also: potable water, drinking water, water quality, language-specific terminology for safety classifications.