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  What it means

  This phrase is the direct Polish translation of “the domino effect,” a chain reaction in which one event triggers a series of similar events, like a falling domino knocking down the next. It is used in politics, economics, sociology, and everyday conversation to describe a chain of consequences. The image is widely understood, and the phrase comes from English through the metaphor, not from a Polish folk tradition.

  Vocabulary

  • efekt — effect (noun, masculine; loanword)
  • domino — domino (noun, neuter; indeclinable loanword)
  • efekt domina — domino effect (genitive: domino modifies efekt)

  Grammar note

  *Domina* is the genitive singular of *domino* used to modify *efekt*, meaning "the effect of dominoes" in a Polish genitive pattern. However, *domino* is an indeclinable neuter loanword, so the form *domina* follows a borrowing convention rather than regular inflection. The phrase is a fixed compound noun and stays unchanged across contexts.

  Cultural context

  The phrase entered Polish through journalism and political commentary, especially during Cold War coverage. The domino theory of communist expansion was widely discussed in Polish media. Today it remains common in Polish economic and political reporting. It is neutral in register and fits academic writing, broadsheet journalism, and casual talk about why one thing led to another.

  Beginner

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