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Posts by Polonius3  

Joined: 11 Apr 2008 / Male ♂
Warnings: 1 - Q		 Last Post: 9 Apr 2018
Threads: Total: 980 / In This Archive: 576
Posts: Total: 12275 / In This Archive: 6848 		From: US Sterling Heigths, MI
Speaks Polish?: yes
Interests: Polish history, genealogy

Displayed posts: 7424 / page 235 of 248
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Polonius3   
18 May 2010
Genealogy / Travel and migration in late 19th - early 20th centuries [9]

Here are two genealogical outfit that may be able to help you re-create your ancestors' stories. Supply them with as many facts as you have and see what they say:

genealogy@pro.onet .pl
office@pol gen research com
Good luck!
Polonius3   
17 May 2010
Genealogy / SEARCHING FOR SACHAREWICZ RELATIVES IN POLAND [30]

SACHAREWICZ: comes from Jewish biblical name Issachar, often rendered in easern Slavdom as Сахар (Polish transliteration: Sachar). The -wicz is a patronymic ending so Sacharewicz = Zachary's son.
Polonius3   
17 May 2010
History / Casimir the Great (Kazimierz Wielki) started anti-Semitism? [101]

Unintentionally, as with many things in history, Kazimierz Wielki (the only Polish monarch to be called 'the great') planted the seeds of anti-Semitism by granting Jews (whose financial acumen he valued highly) extensive privileges. He and his successors effectively gave Jews the right to live a life of their own, regulated only by their own Judaic laws and not bound by general Polish law. They even had their own separate judiciary. (I don't know whether this is true or not, but I have heard or read that the last Jew boiled in oil (one of the penalties the Jewish court could impose) was as late as the mid-19th century.) This self-imposed apartheid, the shtetls and of course the high financial position of the Jewish (there was also the very large ‘biedota żydowska’) incited envy on the part of the indigenous population. So although Casimir had Jewish advisers and a Jewish lover and was by no means anti-Semitic himself, he probably contributed to what would eventually come to be known as anti-Semitism.
Polonius3   
16 May 2010
Food / Powidła - Poland's versatile plum butter [19]

Powidła contains no butter despite the English translation. It is nothing but Italian plums (called węgierki or Hungarian plums by Poles) cooked down very slowly (and stirred frequently) into a thick paste. If very ripe plums are used, no sugar need be added. In fact, nothing is added, no pectin or seasonings, and pasteurisation in water bath is not needed. Powidła in twist-off jars keeps at room temp. for years.

Besides obvious uses -- on bread and rolls, in naleśniki (crepes), in cakes and on puddings and ice-cream, it is used in Polish savoury cookery, esp. in pork, duck and goose dishes as well as bigos. The best brand I have found is Lowicz. Has anybody ever tried it?
Polonius3   
14 May 2010
Genealogy / Jalowiecki coat of arms and title inheritance? [21]

JA£OWIECKI: root-word jałowiec (juniper - the main flavor ingredient of gin). Someone migth have acquried this nickname because he lived in place overgrown with juniper or hailed from some village called Jałowiec. The £odzia coat of arms accompanies the surname.
Polonius3   
13 May 2010
Genealogy / BIENIEK OR GASKA / Lagowska, Koper, Prusak [11]

Yes, except in extreme eastern Poland where the £ is pronoucned like the Russian hard L, the most common pronunciation today is the English W sound. So £agowski would come out sounding like: wa-GUSS-kee.
Polonius3   
13 May 2010
Genealogy / BIENIEK OR GASKA / Lagowska, Koper, Prusak [11]

£agoski is not used in Poland, so apparently the w didn't make the trans-Atlantic crossing. That was common because driopping the w made the name closer to the oiriginal pronunciaton: la-Guss-kee rather than la-GOW(rhyming with cow)-ski.
Polonius3   
11 May 2010
Genealogy / BIENIEK OR GASKA / Lagowska, Koper, Prusak [11]

Do you know if it was £agowski, £ągowski, Lągowski or Lagowski? Each was derived from a different source. The most common is £agowski.
Polonius3   
8 May 2010
Genealogy / Felix Charneski [12]

The only Polish spelling is Czarnecki or the variant form Czarniecki.
Polonius3   
4 May 2010
Genealogy / Kasierski - tracing grandfather's line [10]

KASIERSKI: possibly a dialectic (Belarussian-influenced?) pronunciation of Kosierski which could have been derived from the plant kosierka (Pedalium -- highly unlikely, because it grows only in India!) or the locality of Kosierady. Over 100 people in Poland sign themselves Kosierski but there isn’t a single Kasierski. (But there are 5 people surnamed Kasierski in the Dortmund area of Germany.)

Or perhaps it was derived from a mispronounced version of kosior, a long-handled tool from removing ashes from stove. Kosiorski might have been an occupational nickname given to the ashman.
Polonius3   
2 May 2010
News / Poland -- good place for child-rearing [8]

Religious upbringing and stronger family tradition are often positive factors in the child-rearing process. In the US, some parents who aren't very relgious or aren't even Catholic send kids to Catholic schools because there is such a thing as discipline, dress codes and ethical formation. And such kids bring fewer guns and drugs to school than their public school (Brits read: state school!) counterparts.
Polonius3   
2 May 2010
News / Poland -- good place for child-rearing [8]

Mea culpa for the typo. I think Gates, whose computerdom I roundly curse several times a day, has retaliated by infeting my computer with his typo imps... But seriously,

many stats are compiled on the basis of self-declaration. Those surveyed often say what they think is expected of them or what puts them in a better light. It's like people who say 'Nowadays everybody lies and steals'. But they may become flustered if asked: 'You too?'

But summa summarum, do you believe Poland is a good or bad place to raise kids?
Polonius3   
2 May 2010
News / Poland -- good place for child-rearing [8]

According to a UNICEF report on child well-being in developed countries, Poland is the second best of the 25 OECD countries surveyed in terms of behaviours and risks (healthy lifestyle, lack of violence), and third best for educational well-being. The report also found that Poland has the lowest pecentage of overweight young people (7.1%) and the lowest percentage of teenagers under 15 who had had sexual intercourse (15.1%).

eupedia.com/poland/trivia.shtml
Polonius3   
29 Apr 2010
Genealogy / Help with family tree! Zubko, Skubisz, Torun, Tyka [7]

ZUBKO: Ruthenian for little tooth; descriptive or topo from Zubki
SKUBISZ: root-word skubać (to pluck, pick at, pinch); maybe topo from Skubianka
TORUŃ: from the North Poland city by that name or a plant (mugwort, motherwort)?
TYKA: bean or hop pole; figuratively -a tall gangly person; or topo from Tykówka or Tykocin
Polonius3   
28 Apr 2010
Genealogy / Last Name Jaszczur [14]

JAZSCZUR: salamander; 700-some Poles using it in Poland today, the most in the Tarnów area.
Polonius3   
25 Apr 2010
Travel / Mushroom picking in spring in Poland? [35]

I've heard the piestrzenica is półtrująca (semi-poisonous) but is quite edible and nice if prepared properly. Dunno if that means pouring off the first water and then re-boiling or what?
Polonius3   
25 Apr 2010
Love / Church of England - Catholic Marriage in Poland. [23]

Are there any Anglcian clergy in Poland? I don't believe the Church of England (Anglican Church) is registered in Poland, but for the beenfit of the Commonwealth diplomatic corps and expat Brits I would assume there must be a priest or two. Just curious!
Polonius3   
25 Apr 2010
USA, Canada / A few things Polish people can do in Florida... [10]

American Institute of Polish Culture
(call ph.# 1-864-2349 for further info)
Polish American Club of Hollywood
(call ph.# 962-4623 for further info)
Polish American Club of Ft.Lauderdale, "Polonia"
(all activities- clubhouse)
(call ph.# (954) 792-0608 or (954) 726-2473 for further info)
Polish American Club of Miami
(all activities - clubhouse)
(call ph.# 1-305-635-2240 for further info)
American Polish Club of Lake Worth
(all activities - clubhouse)
(call ph.# 1-561-967-1116 for further info)
Touch of Europe Café& Deli
940 W. Hallandale Beach Blvd, Hallandale, FL 33009
Polish-American Congress of Florida
Prof. Zdzisław P. Wesołowski, President
PO Bpx 291465, Davie, FL 33329, ph.# (954) 423-1611
professor1792@aol.com
Polonius3   
24 Apr 2010
Food / Karmonada anyone? [11]

But would karmonada be a schaboszczak or roast pork loin schab served as the main course? In Hamtramck, the oldtimers used that term for pork tenderloin baked, sliced and eaten as a cold meat.
Polonius3   
24 Apr 2010
Food / Best Farmer's Market in Warsaw area? [14]

Is it true that the Polish farmers' markets such as Hala Mirowska and Hala Marymoncka buy most of their Belgian and Dutch produce, Egyptian potatoes, etc. at the same wholesale import firms that supply Tesco, Leclerc, Biedronka and others? Does it still pay for Polish farmers to bring their produce to market?
Polonius3   
24 Apr 2010
Genealogy / Krupski name [36]

Krupski is one of those rare Slavic names that is pronounced almost identically in different languages. Even the Anglos are not really able to Anglo-mangle it too much and will probably say KROOP-ski, although KRUP-ski (KRUP (rhyming with cup cannot be ruled out. Different spellings are mainly the result of transliteration from the Cyrllic. In Russian the name is Крупский (exact Polish transliteration: Krupskij), but normally written as Krupski. The Russian -ий -iy) ending has been transcribed into other languages as either –iy (Krupskiy) or more commonly –y (Krupsky).

Krupowski is most likely a different name. Krupski would probably be or toponymic origin from Krupa or Krupy, whilst Krupowski from Krupowa or similar.
Polonius3   
23 Apr 2010
Life / Any place like a "Goodwill" in Warsaw? [10]

In Warsaw I have occasionally come across Polish Red Cross containers on street corners where reusable discards can be desposited.
Polonius3   
21 Apr 2010
Life / Why do Silesians call people from Warsaw "Gorole"? [15]

The Polish oldtimers in Hamtramck, MI used to call Negroes "Warszawiacy", maybe so they wouldn't know they were being talked about. Many blacks living there kknew some Polish and knew what "czarne" meant. In Caro, MI (some 170 km the north of there) one old Polish immigrant used the term kaszuby for all non-Polish people including Americans jabbering away in English. All traditonal communities are wary of outsiders and sometines find unusual ways of labelling htem.
Polonius3   
21 Apr 2010
USA, Canada / Do Poles feel America is going down the drain? [149]

My point was that Poles have always idealised America -- the promised land. The large Polonia of Chicago and other cities sent moeny and relief packages to their Old Coutnry cousins and invited them to visit. With the decline of the dollar's value and the advantages of working in the British Isles (closer and no immigration officials on their heels), I was wondering whether and to what extent that has changed. Only Poles cold answer that question properly on the basis of their own feelings and observatiosn of others around them. BTW, has the Irish view of America changed? Boston used to be the Second Dublin.