práv

Práv is a semantic field and common morpheme in Czech and Slovak that relates to law, rights, and truth. It is not typically used as a standalone word in ordinary speech, but it functions as a root or stem in many legal and philosophical terms. In both languages, words built from prav- cover concepts of legality, justice, and correctness.

Etymology and cognates: The root prav- comes from Proto-Slavic and is cognate with related forms across Slavic languages, such as Russian pravo, Polish prawo, and Czech právo. The sense broadens from notions of straight, right, or proper to laws and rights, influencing words for truth and rightfulness as well.

Czech usage: In Czech, legal and normative vocabulary centers on právo (law), právník (lawyer), and právní (legal, juridical). Other derivatives include právomoc (jurisdiction) and pravý (true, correct) or pravda (truth). The boundary between “right” as a moral/ethical notion and “law” is reflected in these related terms.

Slovak usage: In Slovak, právo means law; právny means legal or lawful; právnik is a lawyer and právomoc denotes jurisdiction. Pravda is truth, and pravý expresses correctness or sincerity. Like Czech, Slovak uses the same root to connect concepts of legality, legitimacy, and truth.

See also: právo, právnik, právomoc, právny, pravda, pravý. The common root prav- underpins a wide range of legal, normative, and philosophical terms in both Czech and Slovak, illustrating how language encodes the relationship between law, justice, and truth.