Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

KRUPA: grain, kernel, groat; very popular surname over 20,000 users; largest concentration in the Katowice and Warsaw areas.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

BONICKI/BONIECKI: Probably arose as a patronymic nick for the "son of Boniek" (pet form of Bonifacy); also a toponymic for someone from the village of Bońki.

ŚLUSARCZYK: Patronymic from ślusarz (locksmith, precision mechanic).

CHERUB: Named after one type of angel; there are various Catholic-derived surnames in Polish including Kościelny, Świątyński, Nieszporski, Ornatowicz, Serafin, Anioł, Wobis, Sekuła, Pater, Frater, etc. (many from Church Latin).

Genealogy / Polish Aircrew in the UK (Tulinski) [50]

TULKIŃSKI: root-word tulić (to hug, embrace); most likely originated as a toponymic nikcname for someone from Tulin or Tulincy in Ukraine or Tulino in the Pskov area of Russia. Both were part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, erased from the map by the partitioning powers in the late 18th century.

History / Poles should emulate Jews? [153]

Agreed. Every country can profit by adopting the achievements of other nations. Not everything but those things which could improve a nation's self-image and sense of self-worth. Poles would do well to abandon their disinterested envy and display more of the Jewish group solidarity.

Food / What is your favorite Polish Vodka? [653]

Is it true that Żubrówka now makes a clear vodka as does Krupnik?

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

SZWALBOWSKI/SWALBOWSKI: root-word Schwalbe (German for swallow, bird species); in a Polish-speaking environment the son of someone nicknamed Szwalbe could have been called Szwalbowski. Schwalbe itself would have been just another name amongst Polish speakers. German speakers would spell it Schwalbowski.

ŚPIEWAK: This is the Polish spelling of the surname which means singer. It was often used by Polish Jews whose Yiddish name was Singer.

Language / Funny/strange/deviant words in the Polish language [35]

But Graeco-Roman compound commonly used in American for motorcar -- automobile -- means roughly the same as samochód: auto (self) mobile (movable), hence self-moving.

Genealogy / Zorniak, Cymbalko, Wienc, Matejko family history [5]

The downside of this is that no-one in Poland currently uses either the Stęczyca or Stęczycha surnames. That could mean that those spellings are wrong; the spellings are OK but all the name's users have died of or emigrated; or that its users ended up on the eastern side of the Polish-Russian border after WW1 and WW2.

History / Poles should emulate Jews? [153]

There are multiple variables. Luck plays a role as does timing. If something had occurred a year or even a month earlier or later, the entire course of events could have changed.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

PICH: Several hundred Poles sign themselves Pich. It is traceable to different sources including pichacz, a a local term of contempt for villagers inhabiting a certain strip of land in the Olkusz area of southern Poland.

Genealogy / Funny Polish surnames [64]

Also currently used in Poland:
SRAL
SRAJEK
CIPA
CIPKA
FIUT
CYCEK
MOCZYGĘBA
CHUJEBA
DUPKA
PUPA
GNOJEK
SZCZYŃSKI

Food / What is your favorite Polish Vodka? [653]

I'm not much into vodka, but is Belvedere and Chopin really so much nicer than that old standby Wyborowa? Does it go down more smoothly, have a distinctive flavour or what?

Genealogy / Zorniak, Cymbalko, Wienc, Matejko family history [5]

WIENC/WIĘC: pet form of first names Więcław or WIęcesław, a form of Wacław

ŻÓRNIAK:possibly from zur, sometimes misspelt żór (sour ryemeal soup); a żurniak could have been the clay pot in which a ryeflour solution fermented in.

STĘCZYCA:: from verb stękać (to grunt, groan, give off the noise made by a constipated person trying to defecate)

CYMBA£KO: from cymbały (dulcimer); cymbałki (chimes)

CZY-NIAK (?): possibly from czyż (siskin, bird species); a nick for a bird-catcher (?)

MATEJKO: nickname for Mateusz or Maciej

The first names Eufrozynia and Pantelemonus would indicate Ruthenian origin.

For more info please contact me.

Language / Short Polish<->English translations [1049]

[Moved from]: Meaning of Profesor dr "rehabilitowany"?

How does one translate this into proper English: prof. dr hab. Mieczysław Srajda

Not being one much for stuffed-shirt titles I often jokingly say Profesor dr "rehabilitowany" in Polish,
Seriously though, would we just say Professor Mieczysław Srajda in English?

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]


USZINSKY/USHINSKY: Neither is a Polish spelling: the vowel "i" never follows the diagraph "sz", and no Polish surnames ever end in -sky. That is Czech and Slovak as well as the conventional transliteration of Russian and Yiddish.

OSINSKY/OSHINSKI/ASHINSKI: Neither are any of these spelt correctly and are unconnected to Uszyński. Osiński comes from osina (aspen - tree species) and the name of a village. In N. Ameirca it is not inconceivable that someone might have changed Osiński to Osinski to facilitate proper pronunciation.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

KOC: according toi Poznań Univ. onomastician Dr Ewa Szczodruch, koc also means blanket (bed covering) and could have been derived from kocić się (of some animals -- cats, sheep, etc. --to give birth).

USZYŃSKI: probably from uszy (plural of ucho = ear); Uszyński could originated as a comical nick for a big-eared bloke or one who heard everything within earshot..

Genealogy / Does anyone know where the name Ciupa is derived from? [29]

Could be but not necessarily. coincidentally words and names can mean something different in different languages. The Romanian word dupa is but one example. Also, in Polish a posada is a good job but in Spanish it is an inn.

Genealogy / Does anyone know where the name Ciupa is derived from? [29]

Some 2,900 people in Poland use the ciupa surname; the major concentration is in Śląsk (Silesia).

Language / Short Polish<->English translations [1049]

Merged:Centrum Opiekuńczo-Wychowawcze and Ośrodek Szkoleniowo-Edukacyjny

The wychowanie/wychowawcze business is a pain to translate into English. Also, how about this: Nie tylko centra oświatowo-wychowawcze ale także ośrodki szkoleniowo-edukacyjne uczestniczą w...bla-bla, ple-ple...

Some of those things sound like bureau-gibberish from the commie years in Poland, but they still function so there has to be a nice way to translate them. Esp. centra & ośrodki!

History / Terrible past for the Jews in Poland? [930]

Once upon a time, a powerful Emperor of the Rising Sun advertised for a new Chief Samurai. After a year, only three applied for the job: a Japanese, a Chinese and a Jewish Samurai. "Demonstrate your skills!" commanded the Emperor.

The Japanese samurai stepped forward, opened a tiny box and released a fly. He drew his samurai sword and *Swish!* the fly fell to the floor, neatly divided in two!

"What a feat!" said the Emperor. "Number Two Samurai, show me what you do."
The Chinese samurai smiled confidently, stepped forward and opened a tiny box, releasing a fly. He drew his samurai sword and *Swish! *Swish!* The fly fell to the floor neatly quartered.

"That is skill!" nodded the Emperor. "How are you going to top that, Number three Samurai?"
The Jewish samurai, Yoku Cohen, stepped forward, opened a tiny box releasing one fly, drew his samurai sword and *Swoosh!* flourished his sword mightily, but the fly was still buzzing around!

In disappointment, the Emperor said, "What kind of skill is that? The fly isn't even dead."
"Dead," replied Cohen in contempt. "Dead is easy. Now circumcision, that takes real skill."

Work / Proofreading - What is the going rate in Warsaw? [40]

Did you mean per hour or per page?

Work / Proofreading - What is the going rate in Warsaw? [40]

What is the charge per page for translations? 70 and 90 zł for proofreading seems a very high fee.

History / Poles should emulate Jews? [153]

In terms of taking advantage of the givens a nation is endowed with. A nation of 15 million worldwide (Jews) cannot compare with some 50 million Polish people (including the diaspora) in terms of population or land area, but they can be compared in terms of Nobel Prizes, registered patents, PhDs, the number of millionaires, successful scientists, musicians and cultural personalities, ability to influence the economies, media, cultures and societies of other countries to mention but a few areas of comparison.

Language / Children's Songs in Polish [66]

Folks songs and lullabyes have numerous versions -- probably those singing them forgot some of the lyrics and had to imrpovise.
I heard this one as:

Kosi, kosi łapki
Pojedziem do babki
Babka mleczka dała
I pocałowała.

History / Terrible past for the Jews in Poland? [930]

Scots definitely, Poles no. Considering their land mass and population compared to, let's say to England, Poles have greatly underperformed. This is an impartial dispassionate assessment devoid of patriotic sentiment and wishful thinking. I wish it were not the case. I deeply regret that very little is being done to change the situation and the Polish elite and society at large continue to be largely imitative and re-creative rather than inventive and creative. But I believe such an overall evaluation to be painfully true. Of course, one can point to geography and other extenuating circumstances, but we are talking in terms of net results not looking for excuses and alibis.

History / Terrible past for the Jews in Poland? [930]

Whatever Jews have done or failed to do, the net result has been most positive in terms of their "survive and thrive" strategy. The proof of that is their disproportionately large scale of achievements and influence in so many different fields world-wide. If someone disagrees, then let them explain what Jewry should have done in order to achieve even greater success than what they now enjoy..

History / Poles should emulate Jews? [153]

But both can be impartially dissected and analysed without any reference to morality. and only in terms of the effectiveness with which they pursued and achieved the goals they had set.

Genealogy / The last name is Krzywoszyja. Help? Am I Polish? [30]

CHORWAT/HORWAT: This is the Polish word for Croatian and is one of many nationality-rooted surnames. Others include Niemiec, Liwtin, Prus, Czech, Węgrzyn, Żydek, Szwed, Szot et al.

The correct spelling is Chorwat, but Poles have always had problems with the letters ch or h in many names and words. Horwath looks to be an anglicised spelling.

KRZYWOSZYJA: Yes, it means crooked neck. It exists in Poland as a surname but is on the rare side.

For more information please contact me.

Food / What Polish foods and brands do you miss when you go to other countries? [216]

Dawny yeast-free rye bread from Askroba, Donner beer, Sahara coffee, kabanosy, Polish-produced Russian-style mustard, chałka, zsiadłe mleko, Ptasie Mleczko, Delicje biscuits, and fruit-flavoured kisiel (say: KEY-shell). Some of these are available in Polish shops in major metropolitan areas but not throughout the US mainstream.

History / Poles should emulate Jews? [153]

The thread title is the moderator's doing or maybe the e-system has been programmed, configured, digitised or shmigitised into auto-merging similar-sounding threads.The current thread was conceived as purely an anylatical comparison, so the disorientating title merger was completely beyond the author's control. If the moderator cannot be prevailed upon to restore the proposed title of the current thread, then posters are advised to repeat three times before posting: THIS IS ABOUT ANALYSIS, NOT EMULATION!

True, but even in a Brazilian favela or an American black ghetto a few stand out. The norm is to drop out of school, get involved in gangs, guns and drugs, being and out of jail, etc. But every so often someone will break out of that mould. Sometimes crossing the path of a inspiring teacher, coach, youth counsellor, clergyman, etc. together with personal ambition to achieve a better life. That can be viewed as a microcosm of a country or nation. Some nations fare better than others, because they have received a better set of givens but also because they display more drive, determination and and ambition. The point is making the most of available opportunities.