Polans (Polanie) is the name of the tribe that used to live in what is roughly today's Wielkopolska (Great Poland). The name Poles or Polish referred (and refers) to all inhabitants of Poland which included the tribe of Wiślanie (Little Poland), Mazowszanie (Mazovia), Ślązacy (Silesia), Pomorzanie (Pomerania), althoug the latter belonged to the non-Polish, but Slavic tribes of Pomeranians that inhabited lands along the Baltic coast from the river Elbe to the river Vistula (of which the Kashubians with their own language are the only Slavic, non-Germanized descendants) and many other, minor Polish tribes.
Nah, you're not the only ones who are called different than the name of your country...
Did you ever meet somebody from the Netherlands that was called a Netherlander? No? Thought so. We are from the Netherlands, but we're called Dutch. Now there's something different, isn't there? And you know why we are called like that? Because the Americans thought we were speaking German and German in German (nice:) ) is called Deutsch. Of course the Americans couldn't pronounce that, so it rapidly became Dutch. So, you think you can complain or wonder. Wonder how it must be to be a citizen of your own country, but abroad being named as citizen of your neighbouring country!
In Dutch, a person from Poland is called a "Pool" and two or more ppl from Poland are called "Polen", the Dutch name for Poland is also "Polen". And you guys call our country and the ppl who are from it after two provinces in the West of the Netherlands: North Holland and South Holland. Tsk!
And you guys call our country and the ppl who are from it after two provinces in the West of the Netherlands: North Holland and South Holland.
isn't where Amsterdaam, den Haag and Rotterdam are? you should now know why
btw in the past Niderlandy was much more common name - it is still used as a historical term - the reason (why it is not used for the name of the country) is not the whole of historical Netherlands is within the borders of the present Netherlands
btw the English (and Germans as far as I can tell) also often call the Netherlands Holland
while Nizozemsko (translation of the Netherlands) is the name of your country in Czech language, the Czechs still often call your compatriots Holandiane (you can here it watching football games)
I know, it's the most well known part of the country, so I understand why. But me being from Gelderland, doesn't like to hear that he's actually from Holland. But that's just a little Dutch thing :)
Most ppl around the world call my country Holland and most have a word in their language for it. Because it doesn't look good for politicians on visit to use a kind of slang name for the country they are visiting on high levels.
I had in fact noticed you do that and presumed you were just making a mistake. Before reading this thread I had never heard about Polans and I suspect most English speakers (at least those who aren't on this forum) will wonder what you mean by a "Polan".
Polans (Polanie) is the name of the tribe that used to live in what is roughly today's Wielkopolska (Great Poland).
There is an interesting article on Polans: "Polan nigdy nie było" ("Polans never existed", Wprost, 36/2009). According to its author there has never been such a tribe and the name was given to the people under the Bolesław I Chrobry's rulership by some foreign travellers/scholars. Unfortunately, I don't remember the whole story but the article suggests a different point of view on the early history of Poland - that Poland was a "collection" of many Slavic tribes and even less homogenous than we thought.
Poland was a "collection" of many Slavic tribes and even less homogenous than we thought.
don't believe that actually - there were Polanie around Kyiv (Kijów) as well - Slavic tribes would often split with parts wandering away quite far - see Chroats, Serbs, Volinians=Volhynians, Golęszyce/Golędzice some of these tribes had other than Slavic origin as probably the Serbs, Croats and Golęszyce
interesting fact is that description of Welsh people came from germanic/nordic languages and means deaf just like invaiding germanic/nordic tribes called Slavic people in Kiev area ( west Ukraine ) - walachs or like we ( Poles) call Germans - Niemce - means deaf.
If we called you Polans, you would ask "why are we called Polans"? Holland rhymes with Poland, why aren't they called "Holes" or "Holish"? And so on....
Swiss ? switch hmm... Romanians-Roman? what about Romans, how you call them Swedish - sweets nice :) Portuguese - Geezers hahahhaahhahahahahahahahahaha
A native or inhabitant of Poland, a Pole. 1502 in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eng. Hist. 1st Ser. I. 50 The Hungaries, Boyams, and the Polans. 1581 J. BELL tr. W. Haddon & J. Foxe Against Jerome Osorius III. f. 373, French men also, Germaynes, Dalnes, Switzers, Bohemyans, Polans, Rettes, Scottes & all other nations. 1604 T. WRIGHT Passions of Minde (new ed.) I. x. 44, I might discourse over..Italians, Polans, Germanes. 1665 B. GERBIER Subsidium Peregrinantibus ix. 117 The Polans well accustomed to Pump those forraigne Inquisitors, by setting close mouthed..Masters of Ceremonies on them. 1864 New Englander (New Haven, Connecticut) Apr. 276 Originally they were known as Polans, Masovians, Lenczycans, Kurjavians, [etc.]… A thousand years ago..they appeared in history under the name of the leading tribe, as Polans or Poles. 1873-6 Amer. Cycl. 644/1 The Polans..formed the most conspicuous group, and eventually gave their name to the whole nation.
So, you think you can complain or wonder. Wonder how it must be to be a citizen of your own country, but abroad being named as citizen of your neighbouring country!
In french we call you "Hollandais". I just discovered that we shouldn't by reading the wikipedia link ! :) So "Hollande" is only a part of the Netherland (that we call "Pays-bas")? According to wikipedia, we should call you Néerlandais (that's rather close).
We call Poles "Polonais" and Poland "Pologne". I find ironic that calling a Pole "Polak" in french is an insult as in english... Someone know why that happened ?
If we called you Polans, you would ask "why are we called Polans"? Holland rhymes with Poland, why aren't they called "Holes" or "Holish"? And so on...
your speaking a lot of sense, i always like your posts Krysia, marry me :) lol
