Language / Inventiveness in Polish word formation [9]

I can't agree more! Inventiveness exists in every language, and I think it is a playful feature. A recent one in English: chillax.
See 'relax'... :)

Language / 'Gateway' slavic language? [54]

LoL. Yeah, we do have Hungarian names for the grammatical terms. For instance, 'genitivus' is "birtokos eset" = "possessive case" etc. Actually, most of the foreign-sounding Latinic terms have co-existing 'localizations'.

But to get back on topic, that's one thing I love Polish for, as it is much the same. They even have a Polish nickname for "mobile": komórka. :)

Language / 'Gateway' slavic language? [54]

Looks like it's a question of definitions, though. I wouldn't call German hyper-agglutinative. Most words are just multi-compounds. In English, they prefer of or ’s constructs and such.

I.e. Schiff - Dampfschiff - Donaudampfschiff + fährt etc. would be "a tour on the Danube by a steamship", instead of "Danubesteamshiptour" as a common English can't really follow words with more than four or five syllables. :)

Okay, let's say Polish is somewhere in-between. You all pointed out that it's pointless to argue beyond a point. :)

To get back on-topic, I like the idea of "explaining" the mysterious cases, especially for English-speaking natives. They only have those Latinic names for cases that are meaningless for an average learner.

Language / 'Gateway' slavic language? [54]


There may be "only" 7 cases in Polish, but multiply them with these:
- masculine persons + masculine non-persons + feminine + neuter in singular
- these same in plural
- different endings in nominative which creates "sub-cases" for each case (for example nominative masc. persons end in either a vowel or a consonant, which affects forming the rest of the cases)

- plus, adjectives have to agree with nouns, which means they also have a plethora of different forms in cases -- even in daily life... :)

Compare:
- one inflection for each case, with no different genders
- one plural form for each case
- adjectives always stay in nominative when paired with nouns
- the only thing you have to learn is vowel-harmony in inflection, but even if you make a mistake with that, you will still be understood

Piece o’cake! ;-))


I think Slavic languages agglutinate, if we take the word formation itself (not just the inflection in grammatical cases). They have a system of "roots" to build on. For instance, how could you explain for an English speaker the relation of world and light? Świat, świecić is a matter of fact in Polish.

Language / 'Gateway' slavic language? [54]



For a new-born, every joke is new... ’Cause szukać is like jebać in Czech/Slovak...! :)

Well, I do see some usefulness of Slovio. I often surprised at how little problems can frustrate my English classmates at Polish lessons. As simple things as accusative case which is pretty much obvious for anyone else whose native language is as agglutinative as Polish. :) For an introduction, Slovio would be much easier to learn. Even if it's not much of a help with the grammar of a real Slavic language you want to study, but at least you could build up the basic vocabulary to rely on / to relate to.

At least, if I'm not mistaken, Slovio aims to be a language that you can put to a use for communication, it's not for philosophical heights. :)

Language / 'Gateway' slavic language? [54]

Having a closer look at Slovio, I think it's a "one-way language". It would be one thing to speak it and get away with this "broken Slavic", but it'd be quite another thing to understand anything a native Polish, Czech or Russian says in reply...

Language / Inventiveness in Polish word formation [9]

But it's like that in every language that bears more agglutinative features than flective ones... English is more of a flective language with not much agglutination these days. (NB. even the word itself is an example: "to glue" -> -> "agglutinate" = to glue together.)

The best laugh is when you assimilate foreign words, thus "languages" like Hunglish or Polglish are born. :) (See "shoppingować" etc.) Most people unconsciously do that when they live abroad...


I suppose that is a non-PC verb these days. :D
"Strangely", we also have a very similar verb po węgiersku that could be translated as cyganować się, meaning that you are acting dirty or insincerely in a deal or situation (i.e. "playing a gipsy game")...

Language / "Mieć doła" - moron speech? [6]

And they also say "mam kaca"...

Language / How do little children know that they should say "mamo" rather than "mama"? [23]


It's hard to get used to it that I can't just walk into a shop in Poland and say "cześć" by default... In Hungary, when I go to a shop and see a salesman/-woman close to my age (in his teens or twenties, or even thirties), we can address each other and have a conversation in the "ty" form. Depends on the situation and the shop, of course, but people (both men and women) up to a thirty-something age are easily offended by the formal address in everyday speech in my country. (I.e. they say "I'm not so old to call me a "pan/pani".) The only exception to this are "obvious" formal places like banks and bureaus.


It is because you can't call your grandparents "pan/pani", as that would be way too formal. But you still don't want to address them in the "ty" form, if you want to show respect. So it's somewhere in-between these two.

Language / Zajebiiiiiście! [30]

"Over-f.ckingness." :) The root is j.bać, to f.ck. In the context, it's quite similar to the English unbe-f.cking-lievable, for instance. :) "F.cking great" etc.

Language / How does Polish sound to you? How to make Polish sound more pleasurable? [100]

OsiedleRuda


Ha-ha... Perhaps that's the reason it's a pleasure to watch the Czech classic "Dědictví aneb kurvahošigutntag" in original dubbing, even when you can't understand half of it.

The "control" of Bohuš at the restaurant is simply hilarious even by the sound:

Language / Your Funniest / Strangest / Sadest Moments with the Polish Language [63]


I think it was "Ruha és cipő" (Clothes and shoe), I know it is a 'classic' for Poles.

But it was not less jaw-dropping for me to see this sign in Poland: "baszta". It is "bastion" in Polish, but it means "fucked it" in Hungarian...

Much the same classic as the Italian "curva" (curve, turn). :))

Language / How does Polish sound to you? How to make Polish sound more pleasurable? [100]


Vat ár yu tolking öbáut? :-D

(Actually, when my sister came to England, the English bus-driver asked her if she was German! :)

Language / 'Gateway' slavic language? [54]

I think Russian is more difficult than Polish - even its Cyrillic ortography is much like the English ortography: the spelling is confusing.

Not that I'm perfect in either of 'em... I started to study Polish and my remembrance of the mandatory Russian at school helped a bit - but when I look back at Russian (listening to songs, watching films etc.) it is shocking how confusing it is. Pronounciation and spelling is nearly a piece of cake in Polish, once you know the alphabet. While in Russian, it won't help to read Cyrillic when they always change the intonation and the emphasis in mysterious ways. They also have more softened+hardened pairs of vowels and consonants than Polish.

Just my two pence, though, as a non-Slavic speaker. :)

Language / Osram - Misnomer that means, "to poop" in Polish? [17]

There is a street of posh boutiques in Paris, but its name is 'Fauche'. In Hungarian 'fos' = 'sraczka' in Polish.

Language / How does Polish sound to you? How to make Polish sound more pleasurable? [100]


It sounds like Russian, but you can always tell the difference: Russians sound like a windbag or respirator, as if they had to force their breath in and out when speaking. :) ('Abrupt', to quote Sean.)

Polish, Czech, Slovak, Serb - they sound softer. Russian, Latvian, Ukrainian - they sound harsher.

News / Exploitation of Poles working abroad [30]

In my experience, exploitations happen when someone goes to a foreign country as an 'unskilled worker' without the knowledge of the local language. Most of the time it's plain human stupidity. When they arrive, they learn it the hard way that it's not the Promised Land.

Have to add, though, that most of us from East-Europe were financially desperate to go and take on such an enterprise. But I still wouldn't have dared to come to work in the UK with no English at all!

Language / Kids languages for mixed couples ? [26]

I can only add, too, that both parents should use their native languages with the kid.

Even if there is a "third language", the kid will pick it up. I mean, if a couple use the English between each other as they don't speak each other's language, it is always best to use the two native languages when talking to the kid, so they can learn the difference. Then kids can pick up the English at the nursery and later at school without the foreign accent of the parents.

Spending holidays and socializing in the parents' native environment will help a lot, though.

Language / I can't roll my r's damn it! [12]

"I'm from Bristol and I roll my R's... That's not the same as my arse!"

But seriously, it is not a problem if you just use your English 'R' for a start. In my Polish class, there's no problem for the English with that. It's a matter of fact that you have an accent speaking Polish. Your inability of saying kuuurrrrva! properly won't bother any native, I suppose... :)

Language / HOW DOES RUSSIAN CZECH, URKAINIAN SOUND TO POLISH SPEAKERS? [18]

Ukrainian is somewhere in-between Polish and Russian (sounds the f'ken same as Russian, if you ask me). Native Poles say that Czech and Slovak conserved lots of old words, so they sound archaic.


When I first heard "coś do picia", I was in stitches. Czech and Slovak pièa (same in Hungarian, picsa) = cipa in Polish. :)


Dutch = a drunken German sailor, with a pipe in his mouth, is trying to speak English. ;o)

History / Poland and Hungary in September 1939 [79]

To add my two groszy: throughout history, different territories of different countries changed rule not only by military conquest but also peacefully through royal succession + marriages between dynasties. (Btw, the Habsburg dynasty ruled lots of the European land through marriages.) Poland, Czechia and Hungary also "shared" a few kings. :)

News / Poland - a foreigner and a native Pole - different point of view...? [24]


Sorry, but... Sod that! I live in Brum, not even close to the shittiest, hmm, third-world parts, and the tenant downstairs can't even take care of his own flat. And I'm not being racist here, the bloke is full-bred English. Lack of education and a proper family background, and the lack of common sense, I'd say. That's what most people are famous of in big cities -- probably anywhere in the world.

When I was in Cracow, the huge number of homeless bums was a shock. They are a problem in Budapest as well... (Hmm, for everyone but the head-mayor.)

History / Poland and Hungary in September 1939 [79]


They were there hiding in peace. :) We shouldn't start an argument on things like that. Nationality did not stir such a fuss up until about the 18th century. "One nation within one border" is a completely stupid, modern, made-up rule. Despite the atrocities ("homo homini lupus est", of course), Central-Europe was still a great example of different peoples living together without losing their identity (unlike the mind-altering, "melting-pot" way of the US...), till the "Great War" finally destroyed it.


I wouldn't say that. Of course, it wasn't always a pleasant situation, but the Habsburgs were the ones who took back our lost territories. Hungarians don't admit it even these days, but without the help of the Habsburg dynasty, the Carpathian Basin would've become a balkanic wasteland.

Language / Formal "you" and Informal "you" : which is which? [46]


Not as unique as it seems, European languages tend to do that. But it was a surprise for me to learn that Poles can also use 2nd/P (second person plural) - I thought only Russian use that for informal address these days.

And as far as I know the English "you" had been 2nd/P long ago! The 2nd/S form was "thou". For me, the level of simplification is still perplexing, having just one word ("you") for at least four uses: 2nd/S informal, 2nd/P informal, 2nd/S formal, 2nd/P formal... And when there's a need to overcome this mess and a cry for a plural form of "you": you two, you all - but round'ere they just use "you lot" or "yous" most of the time. :)

News / The Polish-Hungarian friendship is as well as poisoned [45]

joepilsudski:
My pleasure. After Perez told the world that they're "buying up Poland, Hungary and Manhattan", there should not be anything wrong with saying we won't let them...


It's ok, and it's even scientifically confirmed in a part. For instance, genetically the Japanese are closely related to Hungarians, which also confirms an Asian origin of the ancient European population.

But it's a joke when people reverse these findings. For instance, there are looneys in Hungary who try to set up an all-inclusive proto-Magyar theory (in linguistics, in history, in geography), which is the same looney thing as an all-inclusive proto-Slavic or a proto-Germanic or a proto-Romanian theory. As a matter of fact, these chauvinistic theories are always all-exlusive to one another, they are just trying to prove a superiority in vain.

News / The Polish-Hungarian friendship is as well as poisoned [45]

Someone has deleted my post above for no reason -- but was silly enough to leave the replies of Crow and Babinich... They are quoting me, but my post that they are referring to has disappeared. At least you'd do your job properly.

@Crow:
I would even agree except that we can't say that Scythians (and Sarmatians) were Slavic. Scythians were from Asia, some of them fled to Europe but most of them were vassals of the Hun Empire.

And the Serbian "empire" (kingdom) fell under Ottoman rule ("were eaten by the Ottomans", to use your wording) and could not recover until the late 18th century.


To put it plainly: so we should have let the angelic Soviets come in freely to rape and slaughter our land and the rest of Europe.

Well enough.

Dear joepilsudski,

You should have quoted the whole story, as this was just a reply of hers on a mailing list.

The foreign-language journalists "failed" to translate the whole story for some strange reason. The same very strange reason that they were so eager in their English euphemism when they had to translate the ominous foul-mouthed speech of Gyurcsány back in 2006. Now, they are vulgar in their translations world-wide when it comes to someone who they do not like.

As it was the originator himself who signed his defecating email as "One of Our Kind in Your Kind = a Proud Hungarian Jew" ("Egy Magukfajta Magunkfajta = Buszke MAGYAR ZSIDO"). In a witted form, she just re-used his own wording in her reply!

And the unbiased translation of her reply is:

I would be very pleased if those ones who call themselves "proud Hungarian jews" played with their own cut willies in their spare time instead of abusing me.

Your kind got into the habit of breaking a wind to get our kind to stand to the attention and adjust to you. Would you please understand: this is OVER!!!! We have raised our heads and will not any longer tolerate the terror from your kind. We will take back our homeland!

Note 1: willy - originally in Hungarian: farkinca ("little tail", ogonek)
Note 2: to break a wind - originally in Hungarian: szellenteni

History / Gdansk and it's history with Poland [116]

They did not "kick them out". That was not the style of the barbaric Communism. Most of them had fled before the "liberating army of the friendly Soviet Union" arrived, but thousands of people stayed at home. The Soviets tortured and massacred them, while ransacking and destroying most of the city.

News / Polish nursery rhyme book says Germans smell and gipsies sell their children... [28]

Maybe it's not a good idea to print them, but all ethnical groups have rhymes, sayings, anecdotes and jokes about the other. 'Nuff said.

News / The Polish-Hungarian friendship is as well as poisoned [45]


Na, persze... No, właśnie... I was hoping to find someone to confirm or not to confirm the article on that site, anyway.



There's no such thing as a neo-Nazi party in Hungary. Hungarian politics are in the extreme the other way round. It's the same extreme that gives life to biased news articles of this kind.


I would call it post-judice or hard experience. Take Italy for an example.

News / The Polish-Hungarian friendship is as well as poisoned [45]

The govermentally funded Polish Radio published that "article" in their Hebrew language section. Therefore it can be regarded as the official statement of the Polish Government.