prawdy

Prawdy is the plural nominative form of the Polish noun prawda, and it can also be the genitive singular form of prawda. The word prawda itself means truth, reality, or fact, and is a fundamental term in philosophy, law, religion, and everyday speech. The distinction between prawda and its negation fałsz (falsehood) frames many discussions about knowledge and belief.

Etymology and forms

Prawda originates from Proto-Slavic and is related to similar words in other Slavic languages, such as Russian pravda and Czech pravda. In Polish grammar, prawdy functions as plural nominative (the truths) and as genitive singular (of truth), which can lead to ambiguity without context.

Usage

In philosophy, prawda concerns the relation between statements and reality, with theories such as the correspondence theory (truth as alignment with facts), coherence theory (truth as coherence within a system), and pragmatic theories (truth as usefulness or observable consequences). In everyday language, prawda appears in phrases like "to prawda" (that is the truth) and "mówi prawdę" (he tells the truth). In religious discourse, terms such as "prawda objawiona" (revealed truth) are common. In journalism and law, prawda is associated with accuracy, reliability, and verifiability, reflecting social norms that information should reflect what is true.

See also

Truth in philosophy, truthfulness, fałsz.

Prawdy, therefore, is a form linked to the broader concept of truth in Polish, used across linguistic, philosophical, and cultural contexts.