Work / How do public servants get their position in Poland? [10]


I'd go with that, they are usually mentally disabled, can't do any real work :(

News / Why is Tusk still Polish PM? [67]


This statement only proves that you have very little idea about Polish literature. Giertych removed from schools some books (Gombrowicz's - because he was gay, reduced the amount of Sienkiewicz's writings). Many people could probably agree with cutting on Sienkiewicz, he was a monumentary figure in Polish culture, but his work isn't the best in Polish literature, although most succesful both nationwide and abroad.

But the real comedy was what Giertych introduced instead, as obligatory reading for students, some real garbage, C class books.

Language / Which case for adjectives? [47]

you can find the rules here (divided in several paragraphs):
so.pwn.pl/zasady.php?id=629617 - Dictionary (Słownik Ortograficzny PWN)

It concentrates on surnames, but for first names you can apply similar rules, just look for the ending similar to the one you need or read the rules for first names:

so.pwn.pl/zasady.php?id=629610

The usage of apostrophe is complicated :)
In male names ending with a consonant there's no problem, Stan - Stana - Stanem etc., unless the finale consonant and the preceding "e" are silent (like in a French name: Jacques - Jacques'a - Jacques'iem etc.)

In case of Mike you will alsways need it (except for the Nominative of course).

To make things more complicated, female surnames have different declension (generally only names and surnames ending in -a are declined):
Spotkałem się z Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (or Spotkałem się z Jacky, but Spotkałem się z Jackiem, if you mean a man named Jack).

but
Spotkałem się z Johnem Fitzgeraldem Kennedym (notice also no apostrophe here, because -ym is a natural ending for Polish, but we'd need it in the Genitive case for example, Johna Kennedy'ego)

Spotkałem się z Arystotelesem Onassisem

Female (sur)names ending in -a, also male (sur)names ending in -a
Spotkałem się z Jane Fondą, córką Henry'ego Fondy
Spotkałem się z Henrym Fondą (no apostrophe in Henrym, because like I said before, -ym ending is typical for Polish declension in the Instrumental case, especially in adjectives, białym, czarnym etc.)

Language / IN ANGLODOM -- MISS KOWALSKA OR KOWALSKI? [5]

I guess that if you emigrate, you keep your official passport surname (I have no idea about Polish letters though, Mańkowska or Mankowska), but when you legally gain (at birth) or change (at marriage) your surname, then the rules apply or the country where this legal act takes place.

Btw, it's not only in English speaking countries:
Just take a look at tennis players (with both Polish parents who once emigrated):
Sabine Lisicki born in Germany. (would be Lisicka if born in Poland)
Caroline Wozniacki, born in Denmark. (would be Woźniacka if born in Poland)

On the other hand:
Urszula Radwańska (born in Germany, but parents returned to Poland) - I have no idea if she was registered after her birth as Urszula Radwanski or something else :)

TVs often show Agnieszka Radwańska father's name as Robert Radwanska, because in many countries people simply don't know about Slavic declension and don't realize male - female names differ in pairs.

Language / Plural endings [20]

1 Dollar = 1 dolar
2,3,4 Dollars = 2,3,4 dolary
5 and over Dollards = 5 dolarów

1 Pound = 1 funt
2,3,4 Pounds = 2,3,4 funty
5 and over Pounds = 5 funtów

History / Poland war propaganda poster - can anyone explain this picture? [292]


From Dokumentation der deutsch-polnischen Tagung (in PDF format)
ssl.thesis.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Webseite/pdf/0_DokumentationTagung.pdf

Ort: HG der Viadrina-Universität, Frankfurt an der Oder
6. Professor Dr. Klaus Zieme (page 13):


I'm not a professor, and I always hated history at school, but as far as I understand the German text, it confirms my "common sense theory".

Another source (also in PDF)
scidok.sulb.uni-saarland.de/volltexte/2003/95/pdf/Polnische_Greuel.pdf

Universität des Saarlandes, Philosophische Fakultät, Fachrichtung 5.4 - Geschichte
Schriftliche Hausarbeit zur Erlangung des Magistergrades der Philosophischen Fakultät der Universität des Saarlandes
Thema: "Polnische Greuel". Der Propagandafeldzug des Dritten Reiches gegen Polen
gestellt von: Prof. Dr. Jörg K. Hoensch
vorgelegt am: 29. März 1994
von: Thomas Kees

I don't expect you to read the whole thing (130 pages), but check the Index and read the most interesting chapters, there's no point in me doing it for you, because I expect you read in German much faster than me :)

You also see a 12 pages long bibliography at the end (Quellen und Literatur), so you may look for other interesting sources.

=============
To Admin of Polish Forums,
Please don't delete this quote in German, as I don't feel competent enough to translate it into English

History / Poland war propaganda poster - can anyone explain this picture? [292]


Why? Because you assume that if a nation A feels X, Y, Z against the nation B, then the nation B must feel exactly the same versus nation A?

It's not that simple, one nation is usually more active (aggressive) in its negative feeling, while the other may be more passive ("peaceful").

In Poland Germany wasn't perceived as the main threat between WWI and WWII, the public enemy was the Soviet empire, probably not many people loved the Germans, but until late 30's Polish national interest was to cooperate with Germany on the political level. When the war started (or when they knew it was inevitable) those things had to change, hence the bigger need for anti-german propaganda.

History / Poland war propaganda poster - can anyone explain this picture? [292]


I tend to agree with this possibility:


After partitions (Bismarck's Kulturkampf and germanization), WWI (and Upper Silesia plebiscite followed by the Silesian Uprisings), German claims to other Poland's lands (Westpreussen, Masuren, Poznań) I would assume there was enough propaganda against Poles, so Hitler didn't really needed to antagonize the Germans with the Poles, because the relations weren't too good. He only needed some small provocations to "justify" the aggression of 1939.

Sometimes, relations between 2 countries can be so tensed without any need for propaganda, just a small spark is enough to set the fire.

Love / Tips for organizing Polish-English wedding in Poland with US guests. [17]


The wedding will be next year, you don't know what happens until that time, especially after the recent decision about leaving the visas for Poles.

Love / Tips for organizing Polish-English wedding in Poland with US guests. [17]


visas for American citizens :)
some may know it, but some may be surprised if Poland introduces them.

History / Poland war propaganda poster - can anyone explain this picture? [292]


Well, after the collaboration with Soviet Union to dismantle Poland in 1939, the German government needed to explain somehow that you were no longer "friends" with Stalin and you need to attack the SU too.

Strong anti-jewish propaganda was needed to explain the total annihilation politics carried by Hitler, because, despite strong anti-jewish sentiments pre-war, I think most German citizens could find the final solution a little to extreme, don't you think?

Chasing the Jews from social life, closing them in ghettoes, taking over their capital and industry, it was probably acceptable after several years of Hitler at power, but "kill'em all" including babies needed some additional "explanation".

Language / HOW DID BAKTERIA BECOME FEMININE? [23]


The stupid thing is that "normal" language users (and especially foreign learners of Polish) can't analyse each word with the case-by-case method. It won't do any good, because there are too many words in Polish (or any language).

It's just a job for professional linguists who don't have more interestings things to do (/joke).
Other stupid thing is that the original poster could have some research on ethymology by himself instead of asking us at the PFs.

BTW, it's not bacterium, the word (at least according to PWN Encyclopedia) comes from Greek:
bakterie [gr. bakterion ‘laseczka’]
And according to Wiki:
Bacteria were first observed by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek in 1676, using a single-lens microscope of his own design.[10] He called them "animalcules" and published his observations in a series of letters to the Royal Society. The name bacterium was introduced much later, by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg in 1838, and is derived from the Greek word - , bacterion -a , meaning "small staff"

This word didn't follow the normal evolution of Latin words borrowed by the Polish language, like gymnasium (also from Greek "gymnásion"), because it was implemented artificially at a certain point of time.


I don't agree with that, I rather assume that:
1/ the word bacterium was first known to scientists, who were aware of the Latin forms (because the Latin was much needed for a scientist even a hundred years ago).

2/ in German: die Bakterie (feminine), pl. Bakterien
I guess it was rather German language publications that were the main source of the knowledge about bacteria for Polish scientists, and they adapted the germanized feminie version, which sounds more natural to the Polish ear (because all those Latin words ending in -um/-ium aren't exactly easy in declension as the ending is untypical for the Polish language).

History / Poland war propaganda poster - can anyone explain this picture? [292]

Germany's anti-polish posters addressed to whom? What "target audience" do you mean?

History / Poland war propaganda poster - can anyone explain this picture? [292]

(about the first poster in this thread)



And here is the supposed author of both versions: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theo_Matejko

Genealogy / How to change my Americanized last name to my real (Polish) last name? [23]

Just choose Kowalski, typically Polish, but also known in USA, or Bukowski :)

Food / MIÓD PITNY = MEAD / dwojniak - trojniak [13]


I never heard (or tasted) anything like that, but I live in central Poland, so it may exist in some other regions.

Anyway, the most interesting alcoholic beverages were those used during the 80's:
- denaturat (denatured alcohol) with skulls and crossbones on the label, some people used to filter it through bread and drink.
- woda brzozowa (an extract of birch and acorus leaves on rectified spirit) used in theory against dandruff, but also a substitute, cheap alcohol for heavy drinkers.

Life / Polish Protestants [22]

I know only that Jerzy Buzek (prime minister 1997-2001) is a Lutheran.
Adam Małysz (Olympic medalist in ski jumping, 4 times World Champion, 4 times winner of the World Cup, 4 times winner of the voting for the best polish athlete, a cult figure in Poland) is Lutheran too.

Józef Piłsudski, "father" of the Polish State (that re-gained the independence in 1918) was born Catholic, but change his religion (in 1899) to marry a Protestant woman.

Mikołaj Rej (or Rey) (1505-1569) - Renaissance poet and writer, "father" of the Polish literature, one of the very first that chose to write in Polish instead of Latin, "co-founder" of Polish literary language (famous for his words "A niechaj narodowie wżdy postronni znają, iż Polacy nie gęsi, iż swój język mają.", translated in Wikipedia as "Let it by all and sundry foreign nations be known that Poles speak not Anserine but a tongue of their own.").

And now searching in Wiki, I found out that one of the most important military figures in Polish Army during the WWII, Gen. Władysław Anders was born Lutheran, but later converted to Catholicism.

Other interesting results from Wikipedia:
Krystyna Janda, one of A. Wajda's favorite actresses (leading role in Man of Iron).
Jerzy Pilch, a popular contemporary writer.

Feedback / more discussion button takes me to the home page [21]


I wasn't asking for a way around, I use this link as well, we were just reporting a dead link, which seems to be still dead despite of what the Admin claims in his earlier post

• 
  Dead Link
  

Feedback / more discussion button takes me to the home page [21]


Same problem here (using Opera 9.24, no settings changed in the last weeks).
When I hover with the mouse over "More discussions..." link at the bottom of the page it shows action=latestList&discDays=30&page=1

When I click it, however, tha main page opens (and shows "polishforums.com/" in the address bar)

UK, Ireland / Extradition to Poland [11]


enkidu, urwałeś się z choinki?
We also have "przestępstwa pospolite" and "przestępstwa o niskiej szkodliwości społecznej".
Stealing someone's used coat isn't punished (if punished at all) the same way as stealing a car.

History / Question related to Jews during Saturday night in II Rzeczypospolita [12]


What do you mean by "had a right"? The religious, moral or political sense of the word "right"?

Language / HOW DID BAKTERIA BECOME FEMININE? [23]

virus [wirus] become masculine (also zarazek is masculine), so we needed some balance in the name of political correctness and equal rights.

Life / Polish movies - what they are like? [34]


It depends on when she left Poland.
If she knows only Poland till 1939 or 1945, she won't recognize it in most movies made later (that were dealing with the post-war communist Poland), because everything changed after the war, the borders, the society (from multiethnical to 97% Polish), the politics, everyday life.

I found a collection of 4 pre-war comedies: 4 DVD box on merlin.pl

it costs only about 25$ (and probably 10-15$ for a shipping to Israel), but that's all that I could find in Polish online shops, and those films probably have only Polish audio version, without alternate audio/subtitles, I'm not sure if your grandmother understands Polish?

There are of course more post-war movies that deal with the pre-war themes, often based on literary works from that period.
If you want to know more, I'll to do some search later, but the problem of the language will remain the same, most of DVDs don't have foreign audio/subtitles, so it's better to look for foreign editions, released in USA or somewhere else, especially for the foreign audience.

I know there were several films made in the Yiddish language (which was more popular than Hebrew among Polish Jews), some of the movies are available, but hard to find, maybe Amazon.com will have them:

Yidl mitn fidl (1936)
Freylikhe kabtsonim (1937)
Tkies khaf (1937)
Der Purimshpiler (1937)
Der Dibuk (1937)
A Brivele der mamen (1938)
Mamele (1938)

And watching the singing and laughing world (most of those Yiddish movies are comedies and musicals) that few years later ceased to exist may be very painful for someone who lived through that period. I know many Poles who survived war or concentration camps didn't want to talk for many years about those experiences, because it hurt too much.

Language / PROPER ADDRESSES: Sz.P., W.P., P.??? [2]

I'd go with
Sz.P.
name + surname, below, not in the same line.


(or similar, stands for Wielmożny/-a/-i Pan/Pani/Państwo)
it's rather antiquated, social conditions changed, so we don't use the expression Wielmożny Pan anymore, unless in an ironic or joking context.


I'm not sure, but 7 m.8 is more precise, because 7/8 may sometimes be misleading (when a large real estate has a double number, meaning it occupies what previously was Dworcowa 7 and Dworcowa 8, although in that case it would be better to write Dworcowa 7-8)

also m.8 (mieszkanie 8) stands for an "app.", when you write to an office or a company you rather use p.8 (pokój 8) for

a "room".


that's a big no-no, you don't want to sound as some pre-war chauvinist male pig, do you?

Work / Living on the certain income in Poland [30]


I think you need more detailed information from your potential employer about the structure of your salary (I'm sure they know the Polish laws well enough to provide you such detailed info). Because if you have to pay both pension and health insurance from this money the remaining 3500 PLN won't be much for 2 persons. What about the other person? Will she/he have the medical insurance as well, you can't take risks and pay full hospital costs for her/him in case of emergency.

Normally Polish laws allow to divide the income with your wife (or your child that is minor, under 18 years old). So you would be paying a little less tax, but if the person isn't your family, I'm not sure how it works. And I don't know if this rule applies to foreigners in all cases.


maybe, just maybe, it would be the salary after National Insurance?, then the tax would be about 800 PLN.

Study / University in Poland is too easy [68]


Don't be mean, Mauro meant he would have a master degree in tourism from a Polish university, where the courses are in English, and besides he'd learn Polish.

And he's been accepted by the Wrocław university, so this either means the level of English at these courses (master in tourism in Wrocław) is low or Mauro's command of English isn't that bad as you think.

Language / Correct Way to Write Polish Address on Envelope [14]

Off topic (since joseph kustra [Guest] digged up a thread almost 2 years old):


it makes sense only when you don't know the ZIP code, otherwise is quite redundant.

It's not off-topic if the replies are still relevant...

Life / List of Polish movies on DVD with English subtitles [30]

Since you started this thread, here's a list of my haphazard collection of Polish movies on DVDs, with the indication which of them have English (and sometimes other) language version (subtitles).

Language / Standard Polish voice mail message is...? [5]

in the 80's, when many (if not most) long distance calls were made through an operator, because our telephony was so antiquated you couldn't connect directly with another town, even a near one, the operator was always saying "mówi się" ("to speak" in impersonal form, something like "one speaks/they speak").

Work / Work Visa and minor offense in Poland [5]

In Poland (just like in the USA and probably many other countries) there's an expungement of your offences from the criminal records after a certain period.

So if you were Polish this theft would be long gone from your data, but I guess they're more strict with foreigners. I have no idea about the immigration rules and laws.