tmav

Tmav is a linguistic stem associated with the meaning “dark” in Slavic languages. In modern Czech and Slovak, the common everyday adjective for the color or condition of low light is tmavý, formed from the stem tmav- with typical adjectival endings (masc. tmavý, fem. tmavá, neut. tmavé). The standalone sequence tmav is not used as a separate dictionary entry in standard orthographies, but it functions as the underlying base that combines with suffixes to yield related forms, such as tmavost (darkness) and tmavě (darkly).

Etymology and cognates are traced to Proto-Slavic roots connected with darkness. Across Slavic languages there are related terms with similar meanings: Czech and Slovak temný or tmavý, Russian temnyj, and other descendants that express dark or gloom. The existence of parallel noun forms such as tma or temnota in various languages reflects shared semantic development toward existence of a root referring to lack of light.

Morphology and usage in contemporary languages center on color description and mood. Examples include tmavé modré auto (a dark blue car) or tmavá noc (a dark night). The adverbial form tmavě is used to describe action or state, as in světlo tmavě svítí (“the light shines darkly” in a literal sense) or to indicate a figurative sense, such as tmavě úmyslný tón (a dark/intense tone). In Czech and Slovak grammar, tmav- also participates in comparative forms (tmavší, “darker”).

See also: temnota, tma, tmavost.