To start with "sex", or as Poles spell it "seks" is not a word of Polish origin, although sex itself very well might be (just joking). A better question is what kindo f dire connotations the word "seks" has in Polish. (We can rather safely assume that it is the (American) English, which brought the word "sex" into Polish, as well as into most other languages.)
Words like "seks bomba", a sex bomb, "seksapil", for sex appeal (both with the Polish spelling), that almost do not require translation, or "seksowny" meaning sexy, are commonly used in Polish, and, in the last half century of so, have become an integrated part of every Poles everyday vocabulary. "Having sex" can easily be translated into Polish as "uprawiać seks", which rather well copies and conveys the original meaning of the word. The expression has all but replaced other previously used euphemisms for this type of sinful, and by the religious zealots frowned upon, but nonetheless, widely practiced, activity.
In a Catholic country like Poland where the great majority of population are practicising Catholics, you would expect the word "seks" to have some negative connotations. After all, according to Pope himself, the highest authority on the subject, as well, as the rest of the Catholic clergy, whose views are apparently supported by the Bible, "seks" is only to be practiced as a means of procreation, not for fun.
Not so, say the Poles, possibly wondering how the clergy would know what it is all about - especially, if they are celibate, as intended and proscribed by the Holy Papa.
Nothing wrong with religion, but nothing wrong with "seks" either, say the majority of the Poles, and, in some clever way, manage to combine the chaste view of the Church with the sinful practices of an average Pole.
Just check the number of kids born out of wedlock in Poland and you'll be surprised. Compare the number of abortions in the Catholic Poland with any other non-Catholic country and you will see that the Poles hold their ground. (Although, Mr. Walesa, the first president of Poland after the communist era, had prohibited the abortions, they are, unfortunately, still as common as ever.)
And what about the oldest profession in the world? Would the Catholic ladies of Poland be afraid of the sin, as well as of the hell waiting for them? A pleasurable profession, that also pays and is relatively easy to master, will always find its fair share of practitioners.
There is besides a long and proud tradition of Polish courtesans and cocottes. One of them managed even to sneak into Napoleon Bonaparte's bed, another had the famous French writer, Balzac, beg for her favors. Obviously "seks", although, the word had yet to be invented, has been on the mind of the Polish ladies (and gentlemen) for a long, long time.
And how about the situation today? Write the Polish version of the word in any search engine on the Internet and be prepared to see thousands of sinful, some even disgusting, "seks" pages of Polish origin, committed to this fascinating, and, for some, very lucrative subject.
As it seems, the idea of sin propagated by the Polish Church does not deter any Pole from exploiting the subject. There is also a veritable army of Polish girls looking to marry a foreigner, in other words, prepared to offer themselves as "seks" partners to the interested, as well as financially sound, gentlemen from abroad.
For a strange reason, there is much less interest in the corresponding "seks" services that can be rendered by the Polish men, but this is a universal phenomenon. The men create the demand; the ladies supply the wares, not the opposite.
Not only the word itself but "seks" as an activity is definitely not frowned upon by an average Pole. Be it as it may with the official view of the Catholic Church, "seks", both as a word and as a practice, is here to stay.
To answer the question we started with. Is "sex" a dirty word in Polish? It very well might be, depending on whom you ask. The clergy, for one, will certainly agree. But for the vast majority of Poles, "seks" is a word like any other, possibly just a little bit sexier.
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Article by Steve
Words like "seks bomba", a sex bomb, "seksapil", for sex appeal (both with the Polish spelling), that almost do not require translation, or "seksowny" meaning sexy, are commonly used in Polish, and, in the last half century of so, have become an integrated part of every Poles everyday vocabulary. "Having sex" can easily be translated into Polish as "uprawiać seks", which rather well copies and conveys the original meaning of the word. The expression has all but replaced other previously used euphemisms for this type of sinful, and by the religious zealots frowned upon, but nonetheless, widely practiced, activity.
In a Catholic country like Poland where the great majority of population are practicising Catholics, you would expect the word "seks" to have some negative connotations. After all, according to Pope himself, the highest authority on the subject, as well, as the rest of the Catholic clergy, whose views are apparently supported by the Bible, "seks" is only to be practiced as a means of procreation, not for fun.
Not so, say the Poles, possibly wondering how the clergy would know what it is all about - especially, if they are celibate, as intended and proscribed by the Holy Papa.
Nothing wrong with religion, but nothing wrong with "seks" either, say the majority of the Poles, and, in some clever way, manage to combine the chaste view of the Church with the sinful practices of an average Pole.
Just check the number of kids born out of wedlock in Poland and you'll be surprised. Compare the number of abortions in the Catholic Poland with any other non-Catholic country and you will see that the Poles hold their ground. (Although, Mr. Walesa, the first president of Poland after the communist era, had prohibited the abortions, they are, unfortunately, still as common as ever.)
And what about the oldest profession in the world? Would the Catholic ladies of Poland be afraid of the sin, as well as of the hell waiting for them? A pleasurable profession, that also pays and is relatively easy to master, will always find its fair share of practitioners.
There is besides a long and proud tradition of Polish courtesans and cocottes. One of them managed even to sneak into Napoleon Bonaparte's bed, another had the famous French writer, Balzac, beg for her favors. Obviously "seks", although, the word had yet to be invented, has been on the mind of the Polish ladies (and gentlemen) for a long, long time.
And how about the situation today? Write the Polish version of the word in any search engine on the Internet and be prepared to see thousands of sinful, some even disgusting, "seks" pages of Polish origin, committed to this fascinating, and, for some, very lucrative subject.
As it seems, the idea of sin propagated by the Polish Church does not deter any Pole from exploiting the subject. There is also a veritable army of Polish girls looking to marry a foreigner, in other words, prepared to offer themselves as "seks" partners to the interested, as well as financially sound, gentlemen from abroad.
For a strange reason, there is much less interest in the corresponding "seks" services that can be rendered by the Polish men, but this is a universal phenomenon. The men create the demand; the ladies supply the wares, not the opposite.
Not only the word itself but "seks" as an activity is definitely not frowned upon by an average Pole. Be it as it may with the official view of the Catholic Church, "seks", both as a word and as a practice, is here to stay.
To answer the question we started with. Is "sex" a dirty word in Polish? It very well might be, depending on whom you ask. The clergy, for one, will certainly agree. But for the vast majority of Poles, "seks" is a word like any other, possibly just a little bit sexier.
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Article by Steve