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Posts by Polonius3  

Joined: 11 Apr 2008 / Male ♂
Warnings: 2 - QQ		 Last Post: 9 Apr 2018
Threads: Total: 990 / In This Archive: 289
Posts: Total: 12,349 / In This Archive: 906 		From: US Sterling Heigths, MI
Speaks Polish?: yes
Interests: Polish history, genealogy

Displayed posts: 1195 / page 7 of 40
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Polonius3   
26 Jul 2008
Language / Panowie, panie [4]

Has anyone ever run across the now obsolete Państwo Edwardostwo Kowalscy?
That seems the equiavalent of Mr and Mrs Edward Kowalski -- something that makes every feminist cringe.
Polonius3   
31 Jul 2008
Life / Poznan. The most hated city in Poland? [21]

It seems in some quarters Poznań has the reputation of being a largely burgher-minded place with a stolid, non-nonsense somewhat Germanic "Ordnung muss sein" mentality and a certain mean streak. But for meanness, Kraków stands out. They are often referred to as "centusie" (penny-grabbers). There is even a joke: Who invented wire? Two Cracovians who were clutching a grosz in an iron grip and pulling it towards themselves. Cracovians tend to regard Warsaw as a city of upstart nouveau riches with an inflated view of themselves.
Polonius3   
12 Aug 2008
Genealogy / Brajcki anyone? [7]

Brajcki is a very rare surname (only 3 bearers in Poland), but I cannot see anything offensive or humiliating about it. Someone must have been pulling your leg.
Polonius3   
15 Aug 2008
Genealogy / Drozdek [4]

For complete analysis of Drozdek surname (meaning, derivation, when first recorded, number of users, where they live and coat of arms if any) please contact: research60@gmail
Polonius3   
17 Aug 2008
News / Blood libel fresco in Polish cathedral? [35]

A fresco showing Jews draining the blood of a Christian baby for use in making matza (Jewish ritual bread) used to hang in the cathedral of Sandomierz in SW Poland. Anyone know if it is still on display?

Jews have attacked the painting as anti-Semitic and deny that blood libel (mord rytualny) was ever practised by their co-religionists.
Polonius3   
22 Aug 2008
Genealogy / What Is The Next Step in my genealogical research in Poland? [7]

Trying touching base with a professional family-searching/genealogical firm for guidance and assistance:
-- PolGenResearch office@polgenresearch.com
-- Institute of Genealogy instytut@instytut-genealogii.com
-- Iwona Dakinieiwcz genealogy@pro.oent.pl
Polonius3   
24 Aug 2008
Food / Polish romantic dinner (suggestions)? [30]

-- steak roll-ups in mushrooms sauce with buckwheat groats and braised beetroot, well-chilled bison voda)
(zraza wołowe zawijane w sosie grzybowym, zasza hreczana, buraczki, mrożona żubrówka)

-- roast duck stuffed with apples, potatoes cooked in pan drippings, red-cabbage salad, dry red wine
(kaczka pieczona z jabłkami, kartofle piecozne z kaczką, surówka z modrej kapusty, wytrawne czerwone wino)
Polonius3   
24 Aug 2008
Genealogy / Cielemecka-Do you know anyone of this name? [7]

There are over 300 people in Poland surnamed Cielemęcki, the largest concentration being in the eastern Mazowsze region in and around the town of Siedlce (195). Scattered clusters are encountered in the neighboring Biała Podlaska area (22) to the east of that, around the southern city of Katowice (21) and in Greater Warsaw and environs (15).

13 others spell their name Cielemecki without the squiggle under the "ę", of which 7 live in the Katowice area and 4 in and around the central city of £ódź.
Polonius3   
26 Aug 2008
Genealogy / Wlasna / Cegla a rare name? [5]

Własny is a rare surname used by only 24 people in Poland today. The primary cluster is in western Poland's Wielkopolska region in the Konin (10) and Poznań (7) areas with 5 more in the neighboring £ódź region to the east of it and 2 in or around the Baltic port of Gdańsk.
Polonius3   
27 Aug 2008
Genealogy / "Ulaszyn" [11]

You may be surprised, but Ułaszyn is a name of patronymic origin derived from the Chrisitan name Błażej (Blaise), whose Ukrainian forms is either Włas or Ułas. So it originated simply to identify someone as "Blaise's boy".
Polonius3   
28 Aug 2008
Language / Proper male singular vocative with -ec nouns/translating "merytoryczny" [6]

1. Which form of the vocative singular of masculine nouns ending in -ec is proper: chłopcu, szeregowcu, Niemcu, działkowcu or
chłopcze, szeregowcze, Niemcze, działkowcze and why?

2. How would you translate "merytorczny" (not in general or accroding to some dictionary definitoon) in this concrete sentence:
Zapewniono im pomoc finansową i merytoryczną.
Polonius3   
29 Aug 2008
Language / Proper male singular vocative with -ec nouns/translating "merytoryczny" [6]

Merged: Chłopcu or chłopcze in vocative singular?

Chłopcu or chłopcze in vocative singular?

Which form of the vocative singular of masculine nouns ending in -ec is proper: chłopcu, szeregowcu, Niemcu, działkowcu or
chłopcze, szeregowcze, Niemcze, działkowcze and why?
Polonius3   
29 Aug 2008
Language / Rules about when to use "tegoż" in sentences [4]

The -ż is an emphatic particle which as the name implies streses the word it is tacked onto. For instance co is what but cóż could mean what in tarnation as in:

Cóż on najlepszego powyczyniał.
Gdzie byłeś? (where were you?) is rather vapid, but Gdzieżeś był = where on earth have you been? For added emphasis add on: do jasnej cholery.

Tego narzędzioa is this tool but tegoż narzędzia might mean this very tool, showing how different langauegs use different devices to relay a similar message.
Polonius3   
30 Aug 2008
Language / ANGLO-MANGLING or "Does your DUMB COW SKI"? [6]

Americans of Polish extraction can rightfully envy their east Slavonic neighbours whose names are in general pronoucned correctly in the USA. The reason is simple.

An eastern Хмелницкий simply transcribes his surname into English as Hmyelnitsky and Чарковский becomes Charkovsky.
A Pole named Chmielnicki or Czarkowski would end up having his surname Anglo-mangled into some God-awful Chimmel-Nicky or Zar-Cow-Ski.
Szumiacki ends up sounding like a Japanese restaurant entré: soo-mee-yakee.
And you can imagine a first former named Dombkowski on his first day of school and class mates taunting him with: Does your DUMB COW SKI?

Even Czechs and Slovaks named Novak do not have to go through life being called NO-WHACK the way a Polish Nowak does.
There is really no solution except respelling the name phonetically: Yablonski (Jabłoński) or patiently correcting each and every Anglo-mangler.
People with lots of cheek may counterattack like a lady I once knew named Wróblewski. When someone addressed her as Mrs Rob-a-loose-key, she would shoot straight back: ROB A LOOSE KEY? HELL, I WOULDN't EVEN WANT TO ROB A TIGHT KEY! Often the Anglo-mangler would become flustered and stammer: Ah, er, um, you mean that's not how you pronounce it?

Have anyh of hyou encoutnered such problems.
Polonius3   
30 Aug 2008
Language / 'Could/would' in Polish [12]

Mógłbym is simply the conditional mode = could I (when a male is speaking(.
Byłoby = it would be.
Polonius3   
30 Aug 2008
Genealogy / Balcerzak & Balcerski: Surname variations [3]

Balcerzak may have felt Balcerzak was too common and Balcerski sounded more upscale and high tone (many noble names end in -ski), so he had it changed.

Olkoski is probably a phonetic misspelling by a semi-literate priest or scribe.
Polonius3   
30 Aug 2008
Life / BEST SMALL CAR IN POLAND? [21]

What is the cheapest new small car on the Polish market today and how much does it cost?
I have heard that a small Fiat is best because even mechancis in remote rural areas know how to mend them and have easier access to spares as opposed to some of the newer more exotic marques. Would you agree?
Polonius3   
30 Aug 2008
Genealogy / Wilk coat of arms [16]

For information on the Wilk surname and the coat of arms that goes with it please contact: research60@gmail
Polonius3   
30 Aug 2008
Language / How do people mispronounce your Polish names? [60]

Thread attached on merging:
MISPRONOUCNED POLISH LAST NAMES

Americans of Polish extraction can rightfully envy their east Slavonic neighbours whose names are in general pronounced correctly in the USA. The reason is simple.

An eastern Хмелницкий simply transcribes his surname into English as Hmyelnitsky and Чарковский becomes Charkovsky.
A Pole named Chmielnicki or Czarkowski would end up having his surname Anglo-mangled into some God-awful Chimmel-Nicky or Zar-Cow-Ski.
Szumiacki ends up sounding like a Japanese restaurant entré: soo-mee-ya-kee.
And you can imagine a first former named Dombkowski on his first day of school and class mates taunting him with: Does your DUMB COW SKI?

Even Czechs and Slovaks named Novak do not have to go through life being called NO-WHACK the way a Polish Nowak does.
There is really no solution except respelling the name phonetically: Yablonski (Jabłoński) or patiently correcting each and every Anglo-mangler.
People with lots of cheek may counterattack like a lady I once knew named Wróblewski. When someone addressed her as Mrs Rob-a-loose-key, she would shoot straight back: ROB A LOOSE KEY? HELL, I WOULDN't EVEN WANT TO ROB A TIGHT KEY! Often the Anglo-mangler would become flustered and stammer: Ah, er, um, you mean that's not how you pronounce it?

Have any of you encountered such problems? Haqve have you deaklt with them?
Polonius3   
30 Aug 2008
Life / BEST SMALL CAR IN POLAND? [21]

The couple who plan to tour Poland from the USA are in the sub-30,000-zloty class (they can't afford more) so the only cars I know of that fit the bill are the

Kia Picanto (29,000)
Chevrolet Spark (28,940)
and Fiat 600 van (28000).
Know of any other brand-new models in the price class?
All the Hondas, Toyotas, VWs, etc. mentioned here are in the above-35,000 and closer to 40,000-zł price slot.
Polonius3   
31 Aug 2008
Love / POLISH GIRLS SUPERIOR TO POLISH MALES? [5]

One sometimes hears that Polish girls are generally more attractive as girlfriends, live-in lovers, fiancées, wives or whatever than Polish blokes are as boyfriends, etc. Do you agree? If so, why is this the case?

In a similar vein, Polish gals are said to be superior to British Isles lasses in the above capacities. Is that true? If so, what qualities of Polish womanhood make the difference?
Polonius3   
31 Aug 2008
News / DID JEWISH COMICS ENTRENCH THE POLACK JOKE? [NEW]

As a land of immigrants (JFK's description), ethnic humour has beeen around in the US since time immemorial. There were jokes about kikes, coons, hillbillies (ENGLISH), dagos, spics, greasers, krauts, scanadihoovians, micks, polacks, bohunks, hunkies, cannucks, etc., etc. They usually came and went in phases such as the knock-knock or moron jokes, all except the POLACK JOKE, which has displayed unusual durability. Why didn't the public tire of them after a year or two? Some say this had to do with the Polish communist government's 1968 anti-Semitic purge which sent thousands of Jews leaving the country or losing their fat-cat jobs. Unable to get back at Warsaw, Jews in the American entertainment industry turned their venom on the msot conveneint ersatz victims -- Polish Americans. Mostly these were anti-blue-collar jokes often involving the allegedly Polish three Bs: beer, bowlinng and bingo, which had nothing to do with Poland.

One went: How can you tell the bride and groom at a Polish (American) wedding? They're the only ones wearing clean bowling shirts.
These joeks were spewed year and year by Rowan adn Martin, Carol Bruentt and other TV shows, stand-up comics and other entertainers, thereby artificially perpetuating them long beyond the normal longevity of your average here-today gone-tomorrow ethnic humour.
Polonius3   
31 Aug 2008
History / Aggressive Germans pushed out pre-Poles [35]

Forerunners of today's Slavonic Poles stretched all the way to the River £aba
Elbe), but those largely pacific, non-bellicose tribes of farmers, hunters and gatherers were brutally rolled back by the aggressive, greedy and blood-thristy Krauts. The Polabians, whose name means their land stretched to the Elbe (po £abę), are proof of that. The same goes for the Pomeranians whose name means they lived along the sea (po morze). The German Pommern is merely a translation from the early Slavonic. The names of many localities in Germany east of the Elbe including Zittau (Żitawa) clearly reveal their proto-Polish non-Germanic roots.