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  What it means

  Literally “by the sword,” this archaic-sounding phrase refers to the male line of descent in a family (paternal). Historically, it was used to distinguish relatives from the father’s side versus the mother’s side. In modern Polish, it is mostly used in genealogical contexts or when discussing royal and noble histories.

  Vocabulary

  • miecz — sword
  • pokrewieństwo — kinship / relationship
  • ród — lineage / clan

  Grammar note

  The preposition 'po' here takes the locative case, which is why 'miecz' becomes 'mieczu'. This structure is a fossilized grammatical form used primarily in this specific idiom.

  Cultural context

  The sword was the traditional symbol of the knight (rycerz), who passed his status down through his sons. The female equivalent is 'po kądzieli' (by the distaff/spindle).

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