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  What it means

  Literally “the pharaoh’s curse.” Refers to the supposed curse on those who disturb ancient Egyptian tombs — used figuratively for any mysterious string of bad luck or misfortune that seems to follow someone.

  Vocabulary

  • klątwa — curse
  • faraon — pharaoh

  Grammar note

  'Faraona' is the genitive of 'faraon' — genitive of possession (the pharaoh's curse).

  Cultural context

  The curse of Tutankhamun captured Polish imagination just as it did the rest of the world — 'klątwa faraona' entered the language as a byword for inexplicable, persistent bad luck.

  Intermediate

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