Ruski a slur like Pollack?

It's a shame what she and her boy went through, I hope she gets the court decision. It isn't just that word but how those simple country people say it, yelling and name calling.

I was just making the lingusitc point that a standard word in one language (Polish) can be pejorative in another (Russian). No justification was intended. In Polish, slighting terms would include the diminutive Żydek, the augmentatives Żydzisko and Żydzior as well as the name-derived Mosiek.

I don't get it.

What is the (polite) polish term for actual russians (as opposed to tatars or bashkirs or chechens or yakuts or...)?

In Russia, the term "rossyjskij", means citizen of Russian Federation. It's a term for all residents who could be of different nationalities. A particular Rossiyanin can be actually russian (ruski), or udmurt, or buryat, or whatever. It's similar to "British" (which can be actually english, or scottish, or ...).

so...? so what that these words exist in russian. "ruski" doesn't exist (as a correct form) in polish. it called "rusycyzm". it was "borrowed" from russian and it was used with tendency to offend sth, sb.

But as I said/wrote before - everything it depends on our intention, purpose. We could use it neutrally, but generally it has pejorative meaning.

It was a comment to PennBoy's post, not yours.


Rosjanie.

pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosjanie


I am aware of that, but there's no such differentiation in Polish, English and probably in other languages also.
If you want to say in Polish "a citizen of Russian Federation" you can say "obywatel rosyjski", "obywatel Rosji", "obywatel Federacji Rosyjskiej".

Although the term "Rosjanie" is also commonly used to refer to the citizens of Russia, regardless of their ethnicity, just as with "Russians" in English.

Which is very confusing, by the way. And pretty anti-russian (all other nationals have "their" term, and actual russians are invisible, it's like they don't exist).

I wonder who started it. I am ethnic Ukrainian, but I live in the states. I get tired of explaining who I am, because everybody considers me Russian by default (since I am from that part of the world). It must be pretty frustrating for the actual russian-russians too, I think.

Anyway, thanks for the explanation!

Yes Rosjanie is the correct respectful way of saying Russians. Many Poles don't like it when some Poles through regional dialect (Bialystok, Podhale, Silesia) say Polaki or Poloki as it sounds eastern and not proper Polish, Polacy.

I can imagine ;)
You know, Poland is quite a homogeneous country so I guess it can be sometimes confusing for a Pole too when a Karel says he's Russian, for example ;)


No, Russians have "their" term too - it's "Rosjanie" ;) It's the proper, official way of describing Russian ethnic group.


Oh, don't worry about that. There are people in the West who think that Warsaw is in Russia :)
My professor who left communist Poland in the 50's or 60's and stayed in the US told us that he was called a "commie" all the time, although he wasn't a communist.

This is simply people's ignorance.


No problem :)

Ruski is a colloquialism used in informal modern Polish.
At least in big cities.
"Ruski film" means Russian movie only.
"Ma ruska dziewczyne" means that his girlfriend is Russian.

I'm going to visit my friends in Latvia.
Are the Latvians ?
Nieee. Ruscy...

I don't see any negative color of the term "ruski" in modern Polish.

PS. As for "ruskie pierogi" = Ukrainian pierogi in archaic Polish.

I'd never call any of my russian friends "rusek" or "ruski". It is a slur. Not a very harsh one imo, but still...

Welll, but for me it doesn't sound nice. I would never say "mój ruski chłopak" - ugh! Rather - "Mój rosyjski chłopak"- it sounds much better.

In some cases it hasn't got such a negative meaning (what i noticed before), but if you tell someone that he/she is "ruski", you may offend that person.

Exactly. "Ma ruska dziewczyne" sounds awful.
I'd say: ma dziewczynę Rosjankę/ma chłopaka Rosjanina. I'd also say "rosyjski film" (or "radziecki" in case of a movie made in the USSR) instead of "ruski film".

"Ruskie pierogi" is fine though.

It is...

Or maybe Britt.. hmm


No it means he got a Russian girlfriend, "his girlfriend is Russian" would be more like "jego dziewczyna jest Ruska/Rosjanka"

My girlfriend is also Russian....and i shall call her a Ruski as often as i like...she knows i love her to bits , and won,t be at all offended...

For russian ear, "Rosjanie" sounds neutral but it will be understood as "Citizens of Russian Federation", nothing more. "Russkie" in Russian is more precise term, meaning ethnic Russians, and, in extended meaning, all nationalities that have some of their roots in Kyivan Rus (Belorussians, Ukrainians).

But, of course any deviation from correct pronunciation can make it sound offensive. Russians sometime use distorted forms in some cases for humor or smth alike, but hardly tolerate this from others. Quod licet Jovi non licet bovi ;)

Please let me express my, and therefore Russian, since I am Russian by citizenship and Russkiy by birth, understanding of difference between words "Rossiyanin" and "Russkiy".

"Rossiyanin" is more or less modern term. The fact is that it embrace all nationalities within Russian dominion and therefore sounds neutral. However it is noun, while "Russkiy" is adjective, and by using it in improper word combinations you may find yourself in funny situation. Even if "Rossiyanin" were transformed into corresponding adjective - "Rossiyskiy", some word combination would still sound funny.

Above mentioned "Russkie pirogi" in form of "Rossiysie pirogi" sound a little bit official and therefore funny. However, for example in case of "Rossiyskiy syr" (Russian cheese) it sounds acceptable.

In the same time word "Russkiy" is not offensive; and I would not accept it as insult from Polish side even if it were made with intention to tease me. But I am sure that sometime the word Rossiyanin will replace "Russkiy", "Tatarin", "Armenin" etc. in Russia making thus Russia less diverse ethnically.

So how should i , an English person refer to Russians...?

Can i describe Russians as Russkiy without offending them...?

I ask , because i am going to make my home in Russia...

In vast majority of cases and if pronounced correctly - it is fine. Unless you say this to hardcore ukrainian nationalist or chechen/daghestanian guy. ;)

Certainly you can! However try to avoid such word constructions as, for example, "Russkaya swin'ya". In this case using "Russkiy" may play a bad joke with you. Though I suppose the same would be if I were tried to address somebody in England as "British hog".

So, use "Russkiy" without apprehension. Even if you will address to non-Russkiy resident of Russia as "Russkiy", he/she will simply correct you saying that he/she is "Tatarin" or "Ukranian" without any intention to threaten you.

Welcome to Russia and remember - we need you!

But the term `Rosjanin` in Polish means the person whose nationality is Russian. I suggest not call non-Russian citizens this way. Some of them won't feel offended but for example Ukrainians really hate not being distinguished from Russians . So it's better to find out whether the person you want to call this way thinks it's pejorative or not before saying it.

And coming back to the question of `Ruski`/`Rusek`. Though it comes from Russian and is the way Russians call themselves it may sound offensive. Of course it depends on how and to whom you say it but usually when someone in Poland talks about Russians calling them `Ruskie` it is pejorative.

Especially if he or she defines everything that comes from Eastern Europe as `ruskie`(`ruska muzyka`, `ruskie sth`.). The word itself is not bad but it just brings to mind an ignoramus(which is a quite common thing in Poland) treating all the Eastern European countries and people as one and the same crap. That's how I feel about that.

I was born in Poland but I'm of Ukrainian and Russian descent and personally I don't like when someone talks about Russians calling them `Ruskies`. I also dislike when someone calls me Ruska. I always say: Russian, if so but I am not just Russian.

The only exception are my two friends who call me `Rusek` but I know they do it with good intentions because for them I am the `most Russian` in the World ;)

yevriej (еврей)

Ruski is considered mostly colloquial when it refers to the USSR, the Russian language, the Russian language as a teaching subject in school. Colloquial is not the same as offensive but this is open to interpretation. No hard rules.

It is the official name when speaking about the linguistic subgroup (Byelorussian, Ukrainian, Russian) or when talking about Ruthenia and some historical/geographical concepts.

It is demeaning/offensive in reference to a Russian person.

Certainly you can, if you say this in Russian.
Of course, Rusky won't sound offensive to many Russians because it just means Russian in Russian. ;)
But it's a slang in English/Polish, and I don't think it's a good idea to talk about other people's ethnicity using slang words, unless they are good friends of yours.

Some may feel offended, some not. Why risk?

I know what you are saying . its the same for me in Poland...

When i am among my friends it does not matter at all if the word Polak is offensive , i call my friends it , and much worse , they know whats in my heart and our friendship can survive any insult...they call me the Angli burak...

When i am among strangers i am more carefull not to offend anyone , but Poles are not stupid , they know the difference between a language mistake and an intended insult...

I am sure that once i get to Russia my Russian girlfriend will educate me in whats ok and whats not before i get my face punched in....