znaný

Znaný is a Slavic-language form that conveys the sense of “known” or “well-known.” In modern standard usage, Czech uses známý and Slovak uses známy, while Polish has znany. These forms share a common root related to the verb znát (to know) and reflect a common Slavic pattern for forming adjectives meaning “known.”

Usage and meanings vary slightly by language, but the core meaning is the same: something or someone that is recognized or widely familiar. The adjective is typically used to describe a person, place, or thing that is recognized or widely discussed. In Czech, you would say, for example, Je známý spisovatel (He is a famous writer). In Slovak, the equivalent would be Je známy spisovateľ.

Orthography and variant forms are important. The form znaný with that specific acute on the a is not standard in contemporary Czech or Slovak; the correct standard spellings are známý (Czech) and známy (Slovak). The Polish equivalent znany has no diacritic marks. Outside normal usage, the capitalized form Znaný can appear as a surname or proper noun in some contexts, though this is not a common or universal feature of the language.

Etymology traces back to proto-Slavic roots related to knowledge and recognition, with the adjectival suffixes -ný forming the modern standard terms in Czech and Slovak. The word illustrates the close connections among Slavic languages in expressing familiarity and prominence.