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DO YOU LIKE ENGLISH "KALKI" (CARBON COPIES) IN POLISH?


Polonius3 994 | 12,367  
15 Nov 2008 /  #1
Besides the obvious Englishborrowigns such as "wow", "yes, yes, yes" and "sorki", not to mention all the computer/Internet terminology, less obvious to non-linguists are what are called in Polish lingusitics "kalki" -- copycat translations of English terms and notions. Lovers of Polish complain that these cluttrer and undermine the language more than direct borrowings becasue they perfidiously go largely unnoticed. The advertising world is esp. notoroius for such direct translations, including "dwa w jednym", "trzy w jednym" - totally normal to Anglophones but alien to the Polish language system.

Another is "od" meaning a company: Mégane od Renault, gorzkla czekolada z orzechami od Wedla. Od in Polish is normally used when referring to people "prezent od cioci". But constantly repeatesd, these phrases worm their way into the language.

Know of any other examples? What is your atttiude (if any) towards them.
Wroclaw 44 | 5,379  
15 Nov 2008 /  #2
What is your atttiude (if any) towards them.

I don't mind 'borrowings' so long as people know that they are just that.

There are groups in the UK (chiefly the BBC) who are trying to record and document original language and dialect. Simply because it is being eroded by the movement of people and influence of other cultures.

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