Ciemna masa
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What it means
Literally “dark mass.” Refers to an ignorant, uneducated crowd — the unwashed masses, the rabble. Used condescendingly about people seen as lacking culture or awareness.
Vocabulary
- ciemny — dark / ignorant / uneducated
- masa — mass / crowd
Grammar note
A noun phrase in the nominative. 'Ciemny' here means intellectually or culturally 'in the dark.'
Cultural context
Has a long history in Polish social discourse — used by the intelligentsia about the peasantry, and still used today in political commentary.
Intermediate
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