Posts by Danky Franky

Danky Franky

22 Mar 2008

Language / Diminutive first names [18]

Polish has informal diminutive names that are used among friends. Is it also true that some Polish diminutive first names are used among intimate friends and with children? If so, is there a way to recognize the diminutives of the second type?

For example, among the following names, are there any of the second type?

Bogdan, Bogdanek, Boguś
Henryk, Heniek, Henio, Heniuś
Stanisław, Stasiek, Stasio, Staś, Stacho
Ewa, Ewunia, Ewcia, Ewusia, Ewka

Danky Franky

27 Mar 2008

Language / Adjective and adverb comparison [19]

May I ask the comparative forms of the following adjectives (like twardy > twardszy)?

mokry
cienki
wolny
błędny

And the comparative and superlative forms of the following adverbs (like trudno > trudniej, najtrudniej)?

bogato
brzydko
ciekawie
gładko
prywatnie
publicznie
pusto
staro
stromo
twardo
wesoło
zdrowo

Many thanks!

Danky Franky

28 Mar 2008

Language / Adjective and adverb comparison [19]

pusto - bardziej pusto, najbardziej pusto (puściej, najpuściej)
staro - starzej, najstarzej
stromo - bardziej stromo, najbardziej stromo (stromiej, najstromiej)

The alternate comparative forms for pusto and stromo that Hiro gives may be analogous to English forms:

My glass is emptier than the others, although it isn't ungrammatical, sounds less correct than My glass is more empty than the others.

But the English equivalent of Michal's suggestion (simply use more and most, forget -er and -est) simply doesn't work:

My glass is smaller than the others is correct, while My glass is more small than the others sounds very wrong.

As others have indicated, such a simplification doesn't always work in Polish either.

Many thanks for the responses.