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  What it means

  Literally “whoever has a priest in the family, poverty won’t prick them.” Means having the right connections — especially in the Church — protects you from hardship. A cynical observation about the power of social networks.

  Vocabulary

  • ksiądz — priest
  • ród — family, kin, lineage
  • bieda — poverty, misery
  • dobodzić — to prick, to sting (archaic)

  Grammar note

  'W rodzie' uses the locative of 'ród' after 'w'. 'Temu' is dative — 'to that person'. 'Nie dobodzie' is negated future of archaic 'dobodzić'.

  Cultural context

  Reflects the historical power of the Catholic Church in Polish society — having a priest in the family meant connections, protection, and social capital.

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