Life / Why Radosław, not Czesław? [34]


No, it's too hoity-toity. BTW, it's an old pagan Anglo-Saxon name meaning "Counsel / Wisdom of the Elves" so the Roman Catholic approved thingy simply doesn't stick.


Really? I thought it would be the rather naughty associations of the diminutive, "Wacek" (Willy or Dick would be the English equivalent in terms of meaning) ;-)


Why do you keep dragging the RC into everything? Are you a militant Pagan? ;-)

Life / Why Radosław, not Czesław? [34]


I said "some". Lech is old, but I really doubt that Lechosław or Lesław are. Bogdan is old, not that sure about Bohdan. The list goes on.

Funny that none of them were called Bożydar, Kościsław, Lechosław or Dobromir. Maybe because these names have "romantic fake" written all over them?

Life / Why Radosław, not Czesław? [34]

I couldn't say - but I would be rather suspicious of Lechosław, Bohdan, maybe Miłosz (for example). It's difficult to track and trace such names because they are often created on the basis of older, similar sounding ones.

Life / Why Radosław, not Czesław? [34]


Not true, there are actually more "pagan" or "Old Slavic" given names around now then there used to be. I used quote marks because a lot of these names are actually no more than 100 - 150 years old, made up in a Slavic Revival sort of moment during the partitions. Just think of Lech, Leszek, Lechosław, Bożydar, Bogumił, Przemko, Przemysław, Bogdan, Bohdan, Dobromił, Miłosz... and that's just the men...

Life / Why Radosław, not Czesław? [34]

Some names just start sounding old-fashioned and/or slightly funny. That's all there is to it really. Józef, Czesław, Zenon all belong to this club along with the likes of Genowefa or Jadwiga. They all sound pre-WW2 and have a hint of mothballs about them. Who knows, in a few years our perception may change again and there'll be tiny Jadzias and Zeneks all over the place.

Life / Abrupt Poles explained ! [51]


Well I never. I didn't know I was speaking in prose! ;-)
Hadn't heard that particular term before...

Life / Abrupt Poles explained ! [51]


Not as long as one or the other say things like "this is rude" / "this sounds silly".
It's much better to simply learn / accept a foreign language as it is, warts and all ;-)

Life / Abrupt Poles explained ! [51]


they sound very English, that's for sure... ;-)

Life / Abrupt Poles explained ! [51]


And that's exactly why you don't compare languages in this way. It's like comparing apples and oranges. It doesn't help you learn a language and it only leads to frustration.

Life / Abrupt Poles explained ! [51]



What part of "universal" do you not understand?

Life / Abrupt Poles explained ! [51]


I though we were talking about intonation here? Or are you trying to imply that Polish speakers sound rude and therefore actually ARE rude?


Exactly.

Life / Abrupt Poles explained ! [51]


You mean native speakers of Polish are not teaching their children proper Polish?


Which means that you and your children do not speak Polish like true native speakers... You must have transferred your non-native intonation to your children...

Do you really understand the concept of foreign languages? You cannot make Polish sound any way you want it to (probably as much as possible like English, from what I have seen so far). To the contrary, you should get rid of any preconceptions about how language works and learn from the native speakers. They are ones who know a thing or two about their language.

Life / Abrupt Poles explained ! [51]


I still don't get you. The people speaking can be rude, the language cannot. The line between rude and neutral may run differently than in English as well.


Native speakers get it wrong?

Examples please.

Life / Abrupt Poles explained ! [51]


No, there is not. A language cannot be "rude" or "nice". It's how you use it. The Polish "abrupt" manner is made polite by other factors, such as appropriate intonation, vocabulary, or grammatical structures.

Po polsku / Czy ktoś pamięta ORMO? [22]

nie, nie znamy, może dlatego, że nie mieszkamy w USA

Love / Observations and experiences so far about Polish women [93]


I honestly can't think of any - there are sure to be some, but I wouldn't be the best source of information here. Nevertheless, to nudge you in the right direction, the greatest and most obvious class division would be between rural vs urban dwellers, not so much between the working class and the white collars / "inteligencja" or whatever you wish to call them.

Love / Observations and experiences so far about Polish women [93]


Poland is not a completely classless society. The strata might be just two or three, but the divisions cut deep. I think you can work out the conclusions here.

News / Curb shack-up privileges - black MP John Goodson appealing to the labour minister [21]


Apart from everything else, I don't think you quite understand what exactly it is that Mr Godson is talking about. The only thing he did actually say was that if you're pretending to be single, and claiming benefits as such, but you're actually living with a partner, your benefits should be taken away.

"Apeluje o ukrócenie przywilejów konkubentów, formalnie żyjących jako single - podaje Onet. "

In other words, he has not said anything at all about "shacking up" and "people living like livestock". Don't let that deter you though :->

Language / prywatki & przyjęcia...difference? [10]


And so it can't be the equivalent of prywatka, which means "private party" (i.e. at someone's place) :-)

Language / prywatki & przyjęcia...difference? [10]


No, they say "domówka" ;-)

Work / Strange Polish school inspection regime [3]

By inspection do you mean a wizytacja or hospitacja? Two different kettles of fish they are.

UK, Ireland / Do the poles like British culture [127]


I thought we had moved away from "British culture" when we started discussing the martial law in Poland? Also, I don't think there truly is a homogeneous British culture. British is an umbrella term for a bunch of different things, and I only know a bit about the English part of them ;-)

UK, Ireland / Do the poles like British culture [127]


I for one have consistently spoken of England and the English.

UK, Ireland / Do the poles like British culture [127]


I think you got a teeny-weeny bit carried away just there ;-)

UK, Ireland / Do the poles like British culture [127]


A war between different factions of the aristocracy more than a revolution. Yeah, it created a hiccup of sorts but within several years the king had been reinstated etc.


The name is misleading. Wiki: "The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, was the overthrow of King James II of England (James VII of Scotland and James II of Ireland) by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau (William of Orange). William's successful invasion of England with a Dutch fleet and army led to his ascending of the English throne as William III of England jointly with his wife Mary II of England."

Rich people squabbling with other rich people over the throne of England.


Sounded promising until I read the following: Wiki: "The 1926 general strike in the United Kingdom was a general strike that lasted nine days, from 4 May 1926 to 13 May 1926. It was called by the general council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in an unsuccessful attempt to force the British government to act to prevent wage reduction and worsening conditions for 800,000 locked-out coal miners. Some 1.7 million workers went out, especially in transport and heavy industry. The government was prepared and enlisted middle class volunteers to maintain essential services. There was little violence and the TUC gave up in defeat. In the long run, there was little impact on trade-union activity or industrial relations."


I had mentioned the Peasants' Revolt earlier. I agree, this is what I am talking about when I say "revolution". But c'mon. Nothing since 1381?

UK, Ireland / Do the poles like British culture [127]


I am all for educating myself. Please name one English revolution that resulted in a change of dynasty or government, or at least seriously threatened the status quo. Something akin to the French Revolution or even the peasant uprising of Jakub Szela.

UK, Ireland / Do the poles like British culture [127]


I'm talking about history here. Approx. 1500 years of it.


I'm totally OK with that. I just don't like it when these same "non-suicidal" people then proceed to tell other nations how they should have behaved in this or that situation.

UK, Ireland / Do the poles like British culture [127]


Those didn't last long, the poor devils. But I agree, I overgeneralised a tad; there was also some kind of peasant uprising in the early Middle Ages. Nevertheless, if you compare the history of England with the history of practically any continental nation, you see that the English people were always very phlegmatic in their approach to the injustices of government and economics... And even if they do riot, it never amounts to much (look at last year's London riots - most of the people involved were only interested in looting the shops). To clarify, when I say it never amounts to much, I mean that I do not see major political changes taking place as a result.

UK, Ireland / Do the poles like British culture [127]


Did you live through this? Have you experienced it? I did, and I have. No, "real" Poles (or imaginary ones, for that matter) did not want the Russians to come, and they definitely did not want war. Where did you come up with this extraordinary idea?


Remind me of the last time there was civil war in England. Like 300 years ago or more? And even that civil war was not really an uprising of the oppressed masses. How many uprisings of any kind in England? Did the English poor and downtrodden ever revolt? The answer is a resounding NO.

UK, Ireland / Do the poles like British culture [127]


"Recent" is the key word here. People look back on events which have become part of history and may realise that larger forces were at play then. This doesn't mean that they in any way welcomed the martial law when it was actually imposed.