pochodny

Pochodny is a Polish term used primarily as an adjective meaning derived, originating, or related to something else. It is employed in everyday language to indicate a source or influence, and in linguistic contexts it often appears in the phrase wyraz pochodny, referring to a word formed from another word by affixation or composition.

In linguistics, pochodny describes words that are derived from a base form. Such words are called wyrazy pochodne. An example is the derived word kotek, formed from kot with the diminutive suffix -ek; in this case kotek is a pochodny wyraz relative to kot. The concept highlights morphological relationships within a language, showing how new vocabulary emerges from existing roots.

In mathematics, the central term is pochodna, the derivative of a function. The adjective pochodny is not the standard name for the mathematical object itself, which is always called pochodna (or the derivative). The derivative measures the instantaneous rate of change; for a function f(x), the derivative at a point x0 is denoted f′(x0). For example, if f(x) = x^2, then the pochodna f′(x) = 2x. The concept is foundational in calculus and feeds into rules such as the power rule, chain rule, and product rule.

Etymology: pochodny derives from the verb pochodzić, meaning to originate or come from, with the suffix -ny forming an adjective meaning “derived.”