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  What it means

  “When holy Agnes comes, the wagtail will pierce the ice with its tail.” A variant of the Agnieszka proverb using ‘przebić’ (to pierce) rather than ‘rozbić’ (to break up), but with the same meaning: the wagtail’s return around 21 January signals the end of winter ice.

  Vocabulary

  • święta — holy, saint (feminine adjective)
  • przebić — to pierce, to break through
  • lód — ice
  • ogon — tail
  • pliszka — wagtail (bird)

  Grammar note

  'Przebije' is the perfective future of 'przebić'. 'Ogonem' is the instrumental case.

  Cultural context

  A close variant of the 'Agnieszka' proverb. The wagtail (pliszka) was a beloved symbol of spring's arrival in Polish folk culture.

  Intermediate

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