znanou

Znanou is a grammatical form in several Slavic languages, most commonly seen as a feminine singular inflection of the adjective meaning “known” or “famous.” In properly diacritized Czech, the form is známou; in Polish, the equivalent feminine form is znaną. When diacritics are removed, the resulting ascii representations can appear as znamou or znanou, depending on the language and transcription conventions. Znanou is therefore not a separate lexical entry but a declined form used to modify a feminine noun.

In Czech, známý (masculine), známá (feminine nominative), and známou (feminine accusative or instrumental) share the same root zná-, from the verb znát, meaning “to know.” The feminine form známou is used with feminine nouns in direct object position or in some instrumental constructions, for example: poznal známou herečku (he met a famous actress) or s známou dívkou (with a famous girl). The meaning conveys familiarity or fame, depending on context.

In Polish, the related adjective znany meaning “known” or “well-known” declines as znany, znana, znane, znanego, znanej, znanemu, znaną, etc. The feminine accusative singular form is znaną, used with feminine nouns, e.g., widział znaną aktorkę (he saw a well-known actress). Although the exact spelling differs, the semantic core is the same across languages: znany/známy/známou reflect prior knowledge or recognition.

Usage and relevance: znanou and its close variants appear in literary, journalistic, and everyday language to describe things or people that are familiar, established, or widely recognized. As with other inflected forms, the exact ending depends on language, case, and gender.