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  What it means

  “Man is a wolf to man.” A pessimistic saying about human nature — people can be cruel, selfish, and predatory towards each other. From the Latin “homo homini lupus” by Plautus.

  Vocabulary

  • człowiek — man, human being
  • wilk — wolf

  Grammar note

  'Człowiekowi' is dative — 'to man'. The sentence has no verb; the dative construction implies 'is (like a wolf) to.'

  Cultural context

  A well-known Latin phrase adopted into Polish. Often quoted in philosophical or cynical discussions about society.

  Intermediate

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