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Posts by Polonius3  

Joined: 11 Apr 2008 / Male ♂
Warnings: 1 - Q		 Last Post: 9 Apr 2018
Threads: Total: 980 / In This Archive: 289
Posts: Total: 12275 / In This Archive: 906 		From: US Sterling Heigths, MI
Speaks Polish?: yes
Interests: Polish history, genealogy

Displayed posts: 1195 / page 18 of 40
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Polonius3   
30 Mar 2009
Genealogy / Crofskey - Kurowski [2]

Kurowski is shared by more than 15,000 in Poland, the main stronghold being the Mazowsze region. Dunno how many are in other countries, but according to a widely held rule of thumb, about one-fourth of all Poles live abroad. That could mean that roughly some 4,000 additional Kurowskis reside in N.American and around the globe. The name is of toponmyic origin derived from such places as Kurów or Kurowo (Cockton, Roosterville, etc.). The noble Kurowskis stamped their documents with one of 6 different coats of arms inlcuding Lubicz, Nałęcz and Wążyk.
Polonius3   
29 Mar 2009
Genealogy / OBSCENE/FUNNY POLISH SURNAMES [5]

No Głowaboli in Poland, but there are nearly 200 people called Moczygęba (topers, tipplers, whistle-wetters).
Polonius3   
29 Mar 2009
Genealogy / POLISH OCCUPATIONAL SURNAMES [2]

Occupations have been a soruce of a great many Polish surnames. Some of the more common ones include Bednarz (cooper), Kowal (smith), Stelmach (cartwright), Piekarz (baker), Tokarz (lathe-operator), Kościelny (sexton), Woźnica ( wagon-driver, coachman), Piwowar (brewer), Kołodziej (wheelwright), Stolarz (cabinet-maker), Pilarz, Tracz (sawyer), Cieśla (carpenter), Kucharz (cook), Rybak (fisherman), Krawiec (taylor), Tkacz (weaver), Flisak (raftsman), etc.

Each oif them gave rise to a numebr of spin-offs such as Bednarski, Bednarowicz, Bednarczyk, Bednarkiewicz, Stelmachowski, Stelmachowicz, Stelmasiak, Stelmaszczyk, etc.
For a complete analysis of your Polish surname please visit: research60@gmail
Polonius3   
29 Mar 2009
Genealogy / LIST OF POLISH FIRST NAMES [10]

Occasionally someone on PF asks for first-name suggestions for a baby. This list may prove helpful:

polandpoland.com/common_polish_names.html
Polonius3   
29 Mar 2009
Life / Coffee Grinder in Poznan and Warsaw [9]

Traditional hand-cranked coffee mills should be available at many household-goods shops in Poland. BTW using a little msucle power saves a few watts of elecrticity, hence less coal is burnt and the atmosphere benefits. As does the one getting a bit more exercise than just pressing a button! All benefits, no drawbacks!
Polonius3   
28 Mar 2009
Genealogy / Looking For My Lost Friends (Perez) From Chicago, IL? [6]

Unfortunately I cannot help you find your friends, but FYI Perez is a patronymically originated Hispanic surname (meaning Pedro's son) which is the equivalent of English Peterson, Polish Pietrzyk, Russian Petrov, French Dupierre and Italian di Petro.
Polonius3   
27 Mar 2009
News / Poland growth rate [34]

Too little indigenous creativity and innovation and too much mindless Anglo-aping!
Polonius3   
26 Mar 2009
Genealogy / Wilk coat of arms [16]

Indeed. There were three separate noble lines amongst the Family £oś (which incidentally means elk), each entitled to use the £uk, Zagłoba or Dąbrowa c-o-a.
Polonius3   
25 Mar 2009
Genealogy / Wilk coat of arms [16]

This is not the Polish Klos c-o-a. This is what it really looks like:

genealog.home.pl/gd/szablony/rodzina.php?lang=en&id=11025

It looks rather cluttered as it combines Korwin (raven) with Odrowąż (arrow-impaled moustache), Poraj (rosettes) and Leliwa (crescent & star) on a blue shield.
The allegdly Klos c-o-a depicting a lion seems to be the concoction of a commercial heraldry outfit which comes up with pseudo-heraldic devices for every enquirer so as not to lose a customer.
Polonius3   
25 Mar 2009
Genealogy / KOWALSKI -- BLACKSMITH'S SON OR BLOKE FROM SMITHVILLE [5]

Kupka - from kupka meaning heap or pile (also excrement); possibly toponymic from Kup, Kupowo, Kupienin; kup- root also derived from kupić (to buy), kupiec (merchant).

Szczotka - brush (from grooming not painting); toponymic from Szcztokowice (Brushsonville).

Strzutka - could be attempt at respellign Szczotka; no-one uses this name in today's Poland.
Polonius3   
25 Mar 2009
Genealogy / Surnames = Guzek, Biraga, Orski, Misko [5]

Guzek - diminutive of guz (bump, lump, tumour)
Biraga - ???? -aga ending is usually a pejorative augmentative: eg łomaga (clumsy oaf); bir syllable is obscure
Orski - probably from orać (to plough), oracz = ploughman
Misko - hypocoristic (endearign dimintuive) of Michał or toponymic nikcname from Misie, Miszewko, Mistów
Polonius3   
25 Mar 2009
Genealogy / Waksmundzki, Garbacz, Krol & Parzygnat [10]

Sorry for typo -- should read Wachsmund (wax mouth); Waschmund would mean wash-face).

Paryż is Paris, but parzygnat is obviously Polish from parzyć (to cook, steam, scald) and gnat (bone).
Polonius3   
25 Mar 2009
Genealogy / Waksmundzki, Garbacz, Krol & Parzygnat [10]

Waksmundzki -- toponmyic from the village of Waschmund (literally: wax mouth), set up by German colonists near Nowy Targ
Garbacz - occupational, version of garbarz (hide-tanner)
Król - king (local honcho) or toponymic from many places incl. Króle, Królewice, Królowa, Królewska, Królowy Most,e tc.

Parzygnat - bone-steamer or bone-burner, occupational reflecting some bone-processing procedure
Polonius3   
25 Mar 2009
Genealogy / shuma or szuma surname [10]

It could be a name used in different Slavonic cultures... In Polish the older word szuma was once used alternatively with szum to mean the monotonous, rustling sound of leaves in a forest. Somene might have acquired this nickname for topopnymic reasons by virtue of hailing from some such locality as Szumin, Szumieś, Szumiąca, Szumanie or Szumiłowo, roughly translatable as Rustleton, Rustleville, Rustlewood, etc.
Polonius3   
22 Mar 2009
USA, Canada / Polish around Cleveland Ohio?? [9]

The Pol-Am Congress is usaully a good outfit to contact, as they can usually point one in the right direction:
POLISH AMERICAN CONGRESS
— OHIO DIVISION —
6966 BROADWAY AVENUE • CLEVELAND, OHIO 44105
PHONE: 1 (216) 883-3131
Polonius3   
22 Mar 2009
Language / mój vs. swój [9]

Swój do swego po swoje -- was a slogan used in prewar Poland to urge support for Polish-owned business, similar to the "Buy British' campaign.
Polonius3   
22 Mar 2009
Language / Polish etymology [8]

We can see that obywatel was one of the words borowed from Czech, because an indigenous Polish wor would have had the -ciel ending: obywaciel, as in nauczyciel and przyjaciel.
Polonius3   
21 Mar 2009
Genealogy / KOWALSKI -- BLACKSMITH'S SON OR BLOKE FROM SMITHVILLE [5]

The majority of Polish last names ending in -ski originated as toponymic nicknames, although many could have also started out as occupational or patronymic nicknames. A case in point is Kowalski - either someone associated with the village forge (kuźnia) such as the blacksmith himself or his son or helper. But it can also have come from such places as Kowale (Smiths, Smithville, Smithbury).

With names ending in -owski or -ewski, nearly all of them are of toponymic origin and used to indicate someone hailing from a given hamlet, estate, village or town; Kowalewski from Kowalewo, Makowski from Maków.

The point is that if your surname is Makowski, that means that its original bearer probably had nothing to do with poppies, but simply happened to live in Maków, Makowo or Makowszczyzna (Poppyville, Poppytown). Just as in the English-speaking world it is highly unlikley that someone from Bakerville actually works as a baker.
Polonius3   
20 Mar 2009
Genealogy / KULVINSKI/KULVINCKI/KULWINSKAS [7]

Kulvinskas is the Lithuanised version of the Polish surname Kulwiński or obscure origin. Possibly a mispronunciation and resutlant misspelling of Korwiński, a toponymic nickname derived from the localities of Korwin or Korwinów. Korwin is also a crest-name in Polish heraldry.
Polonius3   
20 Mar 2009
USA, Canada / Hamtramck, Michigan, USA [41]

Anyone know all the words to a bouncy polka called "There's a city called Hamtramck"? I can recall only some of them.
Polonius3   
19 Mar 2009
USA, Canada / POLISH FOOD IN CINCINNATI, OHIO AREA? [9]

But Cincinnati is quite some distance from Chicago, is the anteroom of America's southland, is largely German in ethncui make-up and not many Polish Americans live there. Still, that does not mean that there might not be a little Polish shop tucked away there somewehere.
Polonius3   
18 Mar 2009
Genealogy / Anybody Know what Knewegvizet could be? [7]

I have found that many Americans are at a complete loss to correctly decipher the fancy 19th-century Old World script found in the hand-written documents of the day. If it is technicaly feasible to post a facsimile of the actual entry you have found on this forum (you know -- all that hi-tech scanning-shmanning stuff!), I'm sure someone will be able to unravel the mystery.