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  What it means

  Literally “cornerstone.” The foundational stone of a building — used figuratively for the fundamental basis of something. “The cornerstone,” “the foundation.”

  Vocabulary

  • kamień — stone
  • węgielny — corner (adjective, from węgieł — corner)

  Grammar note

  Nominative masculine. Used figuratively: 'kamień węgielny demokracji' — the cornerstone of democracy.

  Cultural context

  Laying the cornerstone ('położenie kamienia węgielnego') is a ceremonial tradition in Polish construction — often marked with a formal event.

  Intermediate

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