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  What it means

  Literally “sacrificial goat.” The scapegoat — someone who is blamed for the mistakes or sins of others and made to bear the consequences. “A scapegoat.”

  Vocabulary

  • kozioł — billy goat, male goat
  • ofiarny — sacrificial (adjective from ofiara — sacrifice/victim)

  Grammar note

  Nominative masculine noun phrase. 'Ofiarny' agrees with 'kozioł'.

  Cultural context

  From the biblical ritual of Yom Kippur — the goat sent into the wilderness bearing the sins of the community. The concept entered Polish through the Bible.

  Intermediate

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