relatywnemu

Relatywnemu is the dative singular masculine/neuter form of the Polish adjective relatywny, meaning relative. It is used when the noun it modifies is in the dative case.

In Polish, adjectives decline by gender, number, and case. The base relatywny follows standard patterns: feminine nominative relatywna; neuter nominative relatywne; genitive singular masculine/neuter relatywnego; dative singular masculine/neuter relatywnemu; feminine dative relatywnej; and so on. The form relatywnemu therefore marks a dative masculine or neuter noun, for example relatywnemu podejściu.

Usage: The adjective relatywny is common in formal and academic Polish where concepts are described in relation to something else. The dative form relatywnemu appears in phrases such as Relatywnemu podejściu do problemu trzeba poświęcić uwagę.

Etymology: Relatywny comes from Latin relativus, via Polish, with related forms in many European languages. The construction is typical for adjectives in Polish, reflecting the language’s system of inflection by case.

See also: relatywny, relatywizm, relacja.