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  What it means

  Literally “who is this person / who goes there.” An archaic-sounding phrase used to ask who someone is — often with a suspicious or challenging tone. “Who are you exactly,” “who might you be.”

  Vocabulary

  • kto — who
  • zacz — archaic: of what kind, who exactly (from 'za co')

  Grammar note

  'Zacz' is an archaic contracted form of 'za co' — 'for what / of what sort'. Now a fixed phrase used as a rhetorical challenge.

  Cultural context

  Has an old-fashioned, slightly theatrical flavour — often used humorously or when someone wants to sound dramatic.

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