Language / Too many English words in the Polish language! [709]


Apparently Klingon is the second largest artificial language after Esperanto.


Apparently there are a small number of native Esperanto speakers, who have been brought up with it as a primary language. george Soros is one.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Esperanto_speakers

Life / Ghost Bikes in Poland [11]

Cool idea!

Life / Poland's Idiotic Road Marking [9]

Agreed BIG TIME. My major bugbear is the amount of times people have driven down from Olsztyn to Warsaw airport and got lost. There are no signs anywhere for over 200km, no signs as you come into the city, no signs in the city... until you are about 2 km from it.

My colleague said, "Follow the signs for Katowice" I said I didn't want katowice airport. "No, follow the signs for katowice and eventually you'll see the pilots memorial (probably for those who got lost trying to find the airport by car!), turn left and go straight on!"

Gdansk, is fairly well signposted for a good distance beforehand.

With regards to the markings in the video, it reminds me of when they removed a roundabout in Olsztyn and replaced it with traffic lights. Just one problem, they didn't put filter lights in for those turning left... so as soon as the lights change the poor sods are stuck in the middle of the junction with2 lines of traffic haring towards them with horns blaring!

Mind you, I think Olsztyn is the playground for cretins masquerading as road designers... and don't even start me about the alfa shopping centre!

News / Poland's supreme administrative court rules against RHD cars [57]

So, if it is a collector's item you need to get it 'changed'?

I don't see that LHD matter to many Polish drivers, cos they overtake in the face of on-coming traffic when they CAN see it in their LHD. In fact, I think all Audis should be RHD because they drive on the left most of the time anyway!

Life / Lack of Spacial Acuity in Poland [69]

So do I, but they still often wave me across (great, I've just p1ssed off the rest of the drivers behind me) or stare at me like a stunned cow, probably thinking I'm a mugger waiting for them to cross so i can run them over and steal their wallet.

Needless to say, it's also a great time for the Audis to overtake me...

Genealogy / Szczepany, Poland [6]


There are at least 2. One is about 30km from Bialystok and the other, I think, is near Czestochowa

Genealogy / Szczepany, Poland [6]

This page also has some links.

progenealogists.com/poland/archives.htm

You can find it on the google map, but put "szczepany podlasie"

Law / Polish Cop Took My Car Registration :S [143]


I thought it was but wasn't sure if it had dual spelling.

Actually, the "canadian" language thing was a joke. Sorry if you didn't get it. I'll write to my family in Canada and tell them the joke fell flat.


Well it wasn't me who posted that list but let's see... now there's a point... many of these countries have more than one official language (like Gambia). Brunei's offical language is actually Standard Malay, Fijian is actually a language

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fijian_language
whereas a number of these places also have regional creoles (like Antigua). Cameroon has it's own pidgin and mix of French, English and pidgin

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camfranglais
in fact English AND French are the official languages and there are around 250 other languages in the country (probably why they use French and English as offical languages). The offical language of India is actually Hindi, which is just one of a variety of Indian languages (English is allowed by the constitution as a secondary official language). Ethiopia: Ahmaric. Barbadian could be used to describe the Bajan creole language, which is also a recognised language in Barbados

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajan

So actually not all of them have English as a sole official language.

However, none of these countries seem to have Polish as an official language but does that mean that Polish Police officers should speak Standard Malay, French, Hindi, Ahmaric, Pidgin/Creole etc?

I still haven't worked out what Australians speak.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]


laurence Rees makes this point in his book about Auschwitz, saying Treblinka and Sobibor were the major death camps until later in the war when Auschwitz was expanded and developed, in particular for Hungarian Jews. The killing rate advanced considerably after that. Anne Frank herself was evacuated from Auschwitz to Bergen-Belsen.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]

Ah, more hatred on show here...

telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/7078401/Poland-revives-its-Jewish-past.html

Life / Lack of Spacial Acuity in Poland [69]


In Poland it is probably the case. the problem is a driver is never sure if they have seen the car. I think it is a little different if they look and appear to see the car. It's probably precisely because Polish drivers DON'T stop at zebras which makes the pedestrian do it.

In my experience, stopping for pedestrians is dangerous, because even if they do cross (often they just stop and stare at you or wave you on) other drivers just tear across the crossing, looking at you to see what's wrong with you for stopping.

Law / Polish Cop Took My Car Registration :S [143]


I was being ironic, Harry. My point being, in Warsaw they can't even signpost their own city using Polish signs.

Don't forget, there are also documents in Chinese, Urdu, Bengali etc


Ah, the trick with the French is to either speak French well or very badly. all the French want is a sign that you respect their being French and not automatically assuming they can/should parle en Anglais. If you attempt and speak really bad French they will often suggest English, partly out of gratitude that you tried, but also because your French is hrting their ears.

Life / Lack of Spacial Acuity in Poland [69]

My worry is that this all happens concerning vehicles as well. There seems to be a total lack of awareness of reversing vehicles in car-parks etc, even when the weather is icy and there's no guarantee a driver can stop IF they see the person who insists on walking behind a moving vehicle.

Then there are those drivers who seem to see the huge space behind your car but fail to realise they can't drive through the 5cm gap until you have moved your car. Mind you, they will try and can't seem to understand that waiting 20 seconds for you to complete your manouver is quicker than the 5 minutes it takes everyone to scream, shout and reverse when they box you in.


I think it's a zen thing. "If I walk looking straight ahead and believing that there are no vehicles on the road, then there are none!"

Of course, it would help if the pedestrian crossings/zebras weren't so ridiculously close to junctions.

Law / Polish Cop Took My Car Registration :S [143]


Oh come on, be realistic... it's not like they can even put up signs in Polish sometimes. I mean, I drive from Olsztyn to warsaw for about 3.5 hours to go to the airport. The only sign for the airport is about 1km from the place.

Another time I tried to find the national Library... no signs, just guessed the big building over there looked like a library.

Law / Polish Cop Took My Car Registration :S [143]

Of course, let's look at this another way... probably if it was a polish citizen in canada who couldn't speak canadian, the cops would've tazered him.

Law / Polish Cop Took My Car Registration :S [143]


What I find frustrating is the lack of English in tourist areas (museums etc) and transport systems. A few years ago, in Krakow, I was stopped by a ticket inspector on the tram. I handed him my ticket and he pointed out I needed another for my rucksack... I asked how i was supposed to know. he said it was signed. yes, but the sign was in Polish. A bit inconsiderate when it was a main tourist route.

Likewise, the toilets in warsaw station have/had instructions in several languages except English

Food / OKOCIM PORTER BETTER THAN GUINNESS STOUT? [43]


Oooh! You'll understand why it's called 'stout'. I'm rather port(er)ly myself after having lived in belfast.


But bottled Guiness is very different from the draught. more like the porter.

Does anyone cook with porter?

Law / Polish Cop Took My Car Registration :S [143]


I think there is also the problem that (until recently) many Brits simply didn't meet (non-English speaking) foreigners in their part of Britain. I grew up in Shropshire and learned French and German... I never met a French person there for the first 20 years of my life. Likewise, when I was in the army in Germany, protecting the world from the communists, very few of my fellow squaddies spoke German to any degree. We weren't even given classes.

Harry

Is that sunny Shropshire with the road signs? I believe there is a flourishing little Polish community around Whitchurch, hence a Polish shop. However, the reason for the signs probably has a lot to do with a number of bus and transport companies hiring Polish drivers who can't speak English. A friend of mine who works for the Merseyside Police told me a tale about 3 Polish bus drivers who brought the city centre to a standstill when they all drove up a blocked road. It was part of their normal bus-route but on that occasion was closed for repairs. they couldn't read the diversion notices and simply followed their normal route. Being unable to turn around, the police had to stop the traffic to allow the three buses to reverse out again. So signs in Polish are probably not a bad idea.

Food / OKOCIM PORTER BETTER THAN GUINNESS STOUT? [43]

I don't know why people are so surprised about people comparing Porter to Stout. In Ireland Guiness is still often referred to as "Porter". Actually, Porter is sweeter than Stout but are close relations.

The name Porter allegedly comes from the black beer drunk by the porters of Covent garden Market in London. During the 18/19th Century there was a fair amount of trade in Stout and Porter from Britain to the Baltic regions. The English company Courage (used to?) produce(d) a "Russian Imperial Stout" which was stronger than ordinary Stout. traditionally, Baltic Porters exported from Britain/Ireland were allowed to ferment and mature during the voyage and were therefore a lot stronger at the other end.

As to the original poster... Yes, I'm a Porter fan.

Language / Too many English words in the Polish language! [709]


Apparently it wasn't as widespread as I'd thought but there are two official dictionaries; one of Finnish words and one of loanwords. that said, they do make some new words based on Finnish.

Some modern terms have been synthesised rather than borrowed, for example:

According to wiki (so it must be true):

puhelin "telephone" (literally: "chatter" + instrument suffix "-in" to make "an instrument for chattering")
tietokone "computer" (literally: "knowledge machine")
levyke "diskette" (from levy "disc" + a diminutive -ke)
sähköposti "email" (literally: "electrical mail")
linja-auto "bus" (literally: route-car)
Neologisms are actively generated by the Language Planning Office and the media. They are widely adopted. One would actually give an old-fashioned or rustic impression using forms such as telefooni or kompuutteri when the neologism is widely adopted.

Before the mods delete this, it is meant as an example of how Polish could do the same if it wanted to.

Law / Polish Cop Took My Car Registration :S [143]


But just exactly how many languages do the Canadian police have translators for?


It's easy to say the police should speak English but then that also means they should speak Russian, German, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Bialorussian, Vietnamese and the multitude of languages on offer in Poland, some of which are probably more common than L1 English.

Considering the immigration office in my city does not seem to have anyone who speaks English, I'm not surprised the police don't have great skills


Should have been in Glasgow 10 years ago. The police had a huge crackdown on speeding and traffic violations. On one stretch of road it was possible to lose your licence by speeding for a couple of hundred metres, because there were 3 sets of cameras (3x convictions = 12 points). The police all but openly admitted it was more about making money for police coffers than a concern for road safety.]


Funnily enough, the last time I tried to register at a temp agency in UK I was told that Home Office regulations in UK now state a UK driving licence (EU plastic one) is not considered valid id!!!!

Just passport or birth certificate (you know, that piece of paper with your photo on... not!)


It doesn't mean they are any good at it! British kids learn French or German or Spanish at school, but the population in general is still notoriously crap at actually speaking foreign languages.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]


I doubt very much it was Russia, who had pogroms and enforced military service for Jewish male youth.

Another example of Polish hatred to jews: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Righteous_among_the_Nations#Misconception


There is still a sizeable Yiddish speaking population in Bialorussia, apparently. The University in Vilnius used to run (may still do) a course in Yiddish and invite people from there.


There is still a sizeable Jewish population in Turkey. I was recently teaching in UK on a summer camp and several of the children were Jewish. My professor at university was also a Turkish Jew.

As for Germany, it is a modern, sophisticated country and perhaps many of those Israelis who visit, or Jews who live there, choose to do so because after all the Jewish contribution to German/European society, they aren't going to let the scumbags win by giving up their right to a European history and identity. Fair play to them, too.

I believe the Jewish Theatre in Warsaw regularly shows performances (including "Fiddler on the Roof") in Yiddish. Several Jewish.Klezmer groups still use it in song.

Language / Too many English words in the Polish language! [709]


Ah, I'd hear they did a bit of linguistic ethnic cleansing after independence, but maybe it dealt mainly with new words. Turkey, I believe, got rid of many Arabian words but kind of defeated the object by replacing them with French ones.

Language / Too many English words in the Polish language! [709]

I think Finnish might (I know it used to).

Life / Do expats living in Poland speak Polish? [233]

and then they assume you are so fluent that they can rattle on at 1000 miles an hour. (Maybe you are, but I'm not).

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]


I'll believe that on general, but the amount of posts I've read on other sites suggest one or two don't. According to some it is as if Poland invited Hitler in on purpose and then sat back and enjoyed it.

Glad you're an intelligent chap, Yehudi. Are you based in Poland?

Life / Beggers namely Kurwa boys in Poland [70]


The alchoholics in Glasgow used to do that. Apparently they'd twigged folk would give them money 'for honesty'.

In Belfast I once had a Romanian Gypsy pester me for money. I told her i didn't have any and she kept on. Eventually I waved a plastic card and my cheque book at her, "See? No money!"

"I'll take a cheque," she said.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]

I wonder if threads like this actually help decrease the alleged hatred or reinforce it. Likewise, how does it affect alleged Jewish hatred of Poles?

Language / Too many English words in the Polish language! [709]


10 years ago there was a shop in Warsaw called that, although by using the Polish sound system, it was called "Baby Bum". It would probably be under police investigation if it had such a title in UK.

Language / Too many English words in the Polish language! [709]

Interesting. Thanks.
Still, Polish is all Greek to me anyway!