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  What it means

  “A talkative peasant and a hunting cat will not die of hunger.” People who use their natural gifts, whether speech or skill, can find a way to survive.

  English equivalent

  The gift of the gab never goes hungry.

  Vocabulary

  • chłop — peasant, man
  • mowny — talkative, eloquent
  • łowny — good at hunting, skilled at catching
  • głód — hunger
  • zemrzeć — to die (archaic/literary)

  Grammar note

  'Zemrą' is third person plural future of archaic 'zemrzeć'. 'Z głodu' , genitive expressing cause: 'of hunger'.

  Cultural context

  Pairing a peasant with a cat gives the proverb its plain, earthy folk humour.

  Intermediate

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