udary

Udary is a plural noun form found in several Slavic languages, deriving from the root udar, which means a blow, impact, or strike. The exact usage and grammatical form vary by language, but across Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, and related languages the word commonly denotes a physical hit or a forceful contact.

In Polish, udar (singular) means a blow or impact, and udary (plural) refers to multiple blows or strikes. The term also appears in medical contexts, for example udar mózgu means a stroke of the brain, with udary mózgu indicating multiple such events. In idiomatic Polish, phrases like udary losu describe “blows of fate,” using the metaphor of life’s setbacks as blows.

In Russian and Ukrainian, удáр (udar) and удáры (udáry) have parallel meanings: a blow or hit, a strike, or an impact. They appear in sports terminology (boxing, martial arts), military language (удары по цели - strikes against a target, авиационные удары - air strikes), and everyday speech. Metaphorically, удары судьбы (blows of fate) is a common expression in Russian, referring to unforeseen hardships.

Etymologically, the word is linked to Proto-Slavic roots for strike or hit and has cognates throughout Slavic languages, reflecting a shared concept of physical impact. Although the core meaning is consistent, collectors of the term should consider language-specific nuances, such as medical usage in Polish or the broader idiomatic uses in Russian and Ukrainian.

Overall, udary functions as a versatile term for multiple blows or strikes, used in physical, military, sports, medical, and figurative contexts within its language groups.