History / Is Jozef Pilsudski the king of modern Poles? [138]

BB.
Stoss Veit from Nämberch was a headhunted one - young and promising artisan, which made some money and coined name in Kraków and Gniezno.

History / Is Jozef Pilsudski the king of modern Poles? [138]


Most of them just escaped from their ugly, overpopulated and claustrophobic statelets, full of violence to exercise their right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in more friendly immense kingdom of opportunities. Just as in America later...

The other, masters in their arts and skills Germans, Italians, French, were just headhunted by Polish monarchs and magnates.

OK with it?

Language / "Zaraz wracam" - Why not "zaraz wrócę" ? [32]


Yes, in some extent. But, in my feeling, here it's little more about how sure you are about what you say.

Jadę - I've just decided, I've even maybe started to prepare, at least mentally
Pojadę - it could sound like some project to go, but now don't speak about it.

You have some more pairs:
biorę - wezmę
robię - zrobię

But it doesn't work with every verb.

Language / Slovio - the international simplified Slavic language [37]


Yes, indeed. Quite a good bite of the old new brave world. It would be so nice to be the ancestor of the whole mankind. Yes, why not. Why not to assume that Adam was a Pole.

Many Polish noble families tried to present they roots directly in Roman equites. They even were able to point a precise family as ancestors. And it was why many of noblemen learn to speak Latin. Especially Lithuanian nobles liked to link Latium with Lituania, cause it's obviously the same while the name is almost the same.

Language / Old Polish Vs New Polish [29]


I've tried to interpret it as if the Vistula must to rethink its horny behaviour. But OK, it's quite enigmatic line. The master had a bad while (deadline factor or one chalice too far). Pity. It would be so light and funny verse.

History / What are Poland's pagan roots? [62]

The Polish pagan roots are Indoeuropean ones.

There are a few traces of it in documents from X-XIII century left by monks or priests trying to convert folk and expel any superstitions, old wives' tales or pagan rites.

Unfortunately they were too much erudite. They knew Roman and Greek gods, goddesses and daemons. And they used to use their knowledge while describing awful pagan activities. As an effect there is a big mishmash of Slavic, Greek and Roman entities. Many researchers fought to resolve this puzzle. Some of them adding even more confusion by adding some Baltic and Germanic parallels.

There were many potential mythological figures identified: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Slavic_deities but they are from different areas and times.

Language / IS "MURZYN" word RACIST? [686]


Have you made some research about what Polish Blacks think about word Murzyn?
And the same with Poles living in Anglosaxon zone about Polack?

Anyway, no matter what will be the answer.
Most Poles think that Murzyn isn't derogatory
and most Anglosaxon think Polack isn't derogatory (maybe a little ironic).

This is language. You must learn it - not change it from outside.

History / Polish-German alliance. [489]


Thanks. Wow. I haven't realized Ossie-Komuch relations will be the answer.

However, you can add in this category:
- STASI-SB co-operation in bugging and listening in on Solidarity activists in 80s
- supporting, training and arming (you can add here comrades from Ceskoslovensko) Carlos and some more freedom fighters of his sort (capitalist mendacious chauvinists call them terrorists)

But something earlier?

History / Polish-German alliance. [489]


It would be better, anyway, than earlier less pacifist attempts.
However it doesn't seem to match the reality now.
More procreational power would be needed ;-)
...Or you have in mind some support from more 'productive' ethnoses of your Turk-Arabian-Kurdish co-patriots, developing Europeanness to some new yet higher levels of evanescence.


No need for. You are already in. On the captain's bridge of Un-holy Empire. ;)

History / Polish-German alliance. [489]


Beware! You can hit an eagle flying.

And that's it. The more Germans think about themselves as a great monolithic nation, the lesser their possessions become as an effect.

Helmets hit the eagle???

History / Polish-German alliance. [489]

OK. BB has frozen us with all this flying eagles full of sharp beaks and nails.

Let's stop for a minute and think. The origin of the thread was Polish-German alliance.
Let's try to find some examples of it in history. It could be funny.

History / Polish-German alliance. [489]


Unfortunately it is not always true.

In German and English from Latin Bohemia means the greatest region of the Czech Republic, in Czech called Čechy
cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%8Cechy

On the other hand you have a term Česko which means the whole Czech state consisting 3 historical regions: Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia.

Česko in English should be called Czechia, German Tschechien.

Poles have problem with this distinction because Polish equivalent should sound like Czeska (the same as Polska) however Poles don't use this suffix anymore. So they are using Czechy for both Čechy and the whole Česko.

History / Polish-German alliance. [489]


Don't blame anybody. I've tried only to rectify your mem - it wasn't German university. It was Prague University or Bohemian university if you really need some country assignation. Both nations, Germans and Czechs have some title to be proud of the history of this uni and they are, as you can see in the Leipzig Universitaet (where not Czech professors migrated after Hussite coup in 1409) and Carolinum in Munich (after WW2).

History / Polish-German alliance. [489]


The most nonsensical thesis I've heard. But I suppose it's just for fun only.
But still very interesting your percentage calculations. I suppose you took 200 thousand km2 which were saved after the Germans make it possible to annex the eastern part of Poland by Soviets. And you probably divided it by 990 thousand km2 of the greatest extent of the Commonwealth at the beginning of the XVII century. Nice effect. But so what.

The Commonwealth consisted of 2 parts. The more powerful was the Kingdom of Poland. The second part was Grand Duchy of Lithuania where nobility was completely polonized. Even in early XX century the former frontier of Poland (yes!) was well known and shown in terrain by local peasants north-east of Orsha and west of Katyń.

If it wasn't Poland, so Poles are all Martians and Germans maybe from Venus.

By the way, did you try it with Holy Roman Empire in its greatest extent (Italy, Burgundy, the Netherlands) comparing to Bundesrepublik.

History / Polish-German alliance. [489]

Don't get so excited, BB. It wasn't called German University. It was called Universitas Scolarium Studii Pragensis as you can learn from the inscription on the first university seal Sigillum Universitatis Scolarium Studii Pragensis.

It wasn't called German because there were no Germany in XIV century. There were nations speaking Germanic languages called theodisc, theotisc, diutisk (origin of the later adjective deutsch) meaning folk. In XIII century there were produced only 4 000 documents in theodisc (in all dialects and flavours) while 500 000 in Latin. So how do you feel? Did they establish university to study folk language (and which dialects) or to disseminate modern knowledge and skills in Latin.

So definitely it wasn't German university neither in terms of language of lectures, nor national jurisdiction. It was called in such a style after the split was made to produce German and Czech Universities in 1860s. The problem was that insignia was still kept exclusive by German part in spite of protests by Czech part.

History / Polish-German alliance. [489]


You mean an older state organism?
You're kidding, of course.

Language / The meaning of some Polish Diminutives [23]


I can't recall any right now. I've found some partial listing, especially connected with toponymy. However, I'm sure there are some sources. I'll try to find and share it with you. I've found only till now a thesis on Formal description of the derivation in Polish (Formalny opis derywacji w jezyku polskim): members.chello.pl/jrw/doc/jrw_thesis.pdf

But it's difficult to give any suffix one exact lexical meaning. Sure, they have their etymology. But now it looks like they have two main aims in word forming: distinctive and emotional (which often used to interfere). Professionals used to say some suffixes are more productive which mean they are more frequently used.

Here you have some examples complicating one-one lexical interpretations you tried to establish: zjawisko, lotnisko, wysypisko, wywierzysko; łupina, zwierzyna; mitręga; znajda; łatwizna.

News / Polar bear attack - a Polish guy survived [38]


Damn! They were doing a really big job. I was totally taken in. Even the paw traces on the doors. Perfection. No wonder that they managed later to grab so many jobs in England from Englishmen, who hadn't such an opportunity to practice so hard.

News / Polar bear attack - a Polish guy survived [38]

I met bears two times in 80s in Tatra mountains - first seen from large distance while eating berries on the slope, second when he attacked a mountain shelter home Dolina Roztoki in the wake of food. In fact it was Eurasian brown bear (PL: Niedźwiedź brunatny, LA: Ursus arctos arctos) not grizzly, which is a larger subspecies. Third time there were only an alert from national park service about some bear winding in vicinity and attacking sheep.

So don't try to make fun of it. It's very serious ;-)

Language / Old Polish Vs New Polish [29]


Yeah. But yers were vocalized in XII-XIII century or so. You have very scarce written material from this period.

Polish flourished and stabilized in XV-XVI century. Jan Kochanowski (1530-1584) was the greatest Polish poet and the most part (I think >90%) of his works is still comprehensible.

Later trends consisted of simplifying of consonant groups, elimination of accented vowels, uniformization of grammatical forms, adaptation of common European set of neologisms.

There were some downfall in clarity during the late Baroque-Rococo periods when Polish text were heavy interleaved with Latin words and erudite antique allegories. Much smaller drawback can be met in XIX century were some artificial syntax fashions were popular in literature and administrative language.

Much greater changes were made in dialectology: Polish regional dialects are nearly extinct now. As an effect quite big lexical resources and word forms are not used anymore. Moreover many words for tools or activities, which together make up material culture are dead as well.

Language / Old Polish Vs New Polish [29]


Isn't it a German or Yiddish: Wie geht's? [vee-gates] meaning How is it going? or How are you?

Language / NAMES POLES GIVE THEIR DOGS [76]

What about Huba?

Language / IS "MURZYN" word RACIST? [686]


Olaf do not exaggerate. I have found, of course your murzać. It's enough to google it.
But contrary to you, I'm not convinced. Yes, there is a few links, but all they look like they are going from one source (you maybe know the theory of mems' diffusion). Unfortunately in most cases, when authors link Murzyn with murzać, they're doing it to underline how derogatory is this word for example guys from the portal: afryka.org.

I'd prefer to believe to what well known authorities in linguistics have to say.
Aleksander Brückner, the greatest Polish etymologist wrote: common -in (as in Rusin) singularis added to German Mohr from Latin maurus, 'black'. and asked if murzyć isn't from murzyn.

Samuel Bogumił Linde, the author of first modern Polish dictionary in 1809 wrote:
MURZYN - in Czech mouřenin, èernoch, Slovak mauřenin, Serbian mor, Russian - муринЪ [murin].. from Latin maurus, der Mohr - Nigryczykowie abo murzyny, nazwisko które daiemy narodom czarnym; powszechnie tak nazywamy ludzi czarnych, z kraiów południowych pochodzących (English translation: Nigerians or murzyny, name given by us to black nations;we usually call in such way black people from southern countries) and he presented additional meaning = German ein Mohrenkopf i.e. a horse with black head.

Encyklopedia PWN, Polish main Encyclopaedia: from Latin Mauri (Moors).
encyklopedia.pwn.pl/haslo.php?id=3944532

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]


In fact Romanian has 3 cases:
- Latin accusative which works also as nominative,
- Latin dative working also as genitive,
- Slavic vocative.

Romanian is probably the most mixed language and is very interesting for the researchers.
First etymological dictionary of Romanian from 1870s by A. Cihac listed:
- 2350 words with Slavic origin,
- 1150 Latin/Romance,
- 950 Turkish,
- 650 Greek,
- 600 Hungarian,
- 50 Albanian.

In XIX century it was written in Cyrillic script (the only Romance language I suppose). However there were many language engineering afterwards to make the language cleaner and closer to Latin and Romance counterparts - especially French.

Even the name of the language was lifted up. In XIX century it was called rumîneasca what sounded very Slavic (in Russian it was rumynskiy, Polish rumuński). To make it sound more Roman a special letter (â) was introduced and now you have limba română. Many words were reconstructed or invented basing on Latin stems.


Baltic and Slavonic languages have 7 cases, Sanskrit and Indian languages have 8 direct cases and some oblique ones made with postpositions, Lezgian - 54 cases, Tsez - 64, Hungarian - 29 or so.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4501]

Broszkiewicz looks like having an origin in broszka a proper noun for brooch or it is a toponymic from
pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broszk%C3%B3w
Broszków, Broszkowo, Broszkowa.
Ending -ewicz is composed of 2 parts: -iew which is alternate form of -ow (which - as you may know - is a classical form of creating derivative words from nouns in Polish).

and -icz which formally is considered as patronymic (from Eastern part of Poland).
West Polish equivalent could sound like Broszkowski.

There is 770 persons with this name in Poland.

There were also 2 writers of this name:
pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerzy_Broszkiewicz]Jerzy Broszkiewicz
pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_Broszkiewicz]Stanisław Broszkiewicz


Kashubian and Polish are very similar but in this case it is evidently Polish.
Kashubian words for laska cane or walking stick are:
palëca, krëcziew, palëga, karkulëca, dębówka, kramólc, krokulc, palcôter.
Quite different, isn't it?

Laska looks like a moniker for a tall and slender guy. By the way laska was a name for old measure of length. It equaled 15 ells ie. circa 8,9 meters.

News / Poland: In Top First 15 Countries in the WORLD by the number of CRIMES [286]


Yup! You must have good sources, some Deep Throat.

But I haven't. I only read newspapers (online of course), watch TV news and look around. And you know, there is silence. The only clamour is from politicians barking on each other.

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]


What about DŻDŻYSTA DŻDŻOWNICA (drizzly earthworm).

Genealogy / Kozlowski / Krzysik in the Korczyna / Krosno or Wapiersk / Lidzbark [18]


Yes, indeed, Kozłowski could have Jewish origin in some cases - all depends, when they left former Poland.

As you may know, Jews in Polish Commonwealth of Both Nations (ie. Union of Kingdom of Poland & Great Duchy of Lithuania 1569-1791) used to speak a German dialect called Yiddish. Jews had by royal privileges far reaching autonomy in laws and ways of live. They hadn't even last names - they used to call each other by first name and reference to father's name. For example: Mosze ben Jakov (Moses son of Jacob).

After the partitions of Poland (1772, 1793, 1795) all the territory fell under the new police order of Prussia, Austria and Russia. Comparing to Polish liberty they were police states. They even wanted (what violence) to list all people, and in order to do that they all had to have last names.

Christians used to have last names. But Jews had none. So then it produced many ad hoc creations made by occupational administrations clerks. Sometimes it ended with quite well sounding last names like Kohen, Schohet (from profession name) or Lemberger, Tarnopoler,

jewishgen.org/JRI-PL/psa/plock_surn.htm
Kozlower (from locality name).
(By the way the clerks were underpaid and found the way to get some extra money. They invented many derogatory or funny names like Pommeranzengelb (Orangeyellow) to force bribes from guys who wanted to escape such an abasement. But many Jews were very poor so their descendants still must grapple with conseqeunces.

But returning to your case. Some guy form the township of KOZ£ÓW, could be presented with the last name of KOZLOWER, KOSLOWER or KOZLOVER.

However, having in mind that all these territories were still under Polish cultural influence, many Jews chose to be a Pole and be a part of local elite. So they changed names to KOZ£OWSKI.


Yes. Firstly you must determine when they emigrated and from which part of EE. You can start with Ancestry.com. They have many immigrant listings form XIX and XX centuries.

Saczek could be SĄCZEK or SACZEK.
SACZEK is a diminutive from SAK = big travel bag (pannier, purse) or purse seine for fishing.
SĄCZEK is for filter, drain but more probably it's from a nasty moniker for a guy who sips or trickle (Polish verb SĄCZYĆ), maybe he was drinking very slowly or even doing all very slowly.

News / Poland: In Top First 15 Countries in the WORLD by the number of CRIMES [286]

It is really safer now in Poland.
Before 2005 there were many violent crimes here.

There were big problem with Russian and Polish (Wołomin, Pruszków etc.) mafia. It was connected with:
- liberal policy in law enforcement performed by excommunists and left-wingers,
- many secret service officers dismissed and without well paid job,
- Russian soldiers without pay but with good knowledge of Poland, where they garrisoned,
- and maybe some infiltration by Russian secret service.

There were some machine gun fighting and car bombings. Even Chief Police Officer was killed by mob. I remember one car bombing and one police pursuit with gun firing on my housing district. I've heard about forced tributes from business, mostly restaurants.

But now it's quite different. Main criminal group were smashed.

However it's true that Police tends not to register small criminal acts notified by victims. They don't want to worsen traceability statistics. The pay depends on it.

There is still many problems: police staff is underpaid, prosecutors politically dependent, the courts procedurally archaic, many judges with lack of moral qualifications and practically unpunishable and last but not least awful laws.

I was never robbed or beaten in Poland, and last year while in Madrid I lost all credit cards and ID, in London almost beaten and in Rome almost deceived. Nice string. In Madrid I have visited my daughter in a student house - all parents visiting her colleagues had some petty theft incident.

But on the other hand I did feel very safe there even by night. And the same in Poland.

Language / Polish Swear Words [1242]


You're probably right. The root of Lietuva is probably of Baltic origin.
Wikipedia proposes "Since the word Lietuva has a suffix (-uva), the original word should have no suffix. A likely candidate is Lietā." However the ending could Slavonic as well. If not it was well assimilated and used together with Moskwa, Tatarwa.

In old Polish also MOSKWA was used as a collectivum:
Moskwa się pocza dziwować skąd się wziął, jednakże rozumieli, że go do tego czasu było utajono. [from the period of Dymitriada (wars with Muscovy 1604-1610]

archive.org/stream/archivfrslavisc00pastgoog/archivfrslavisc00pastgoog_djvu.txt

And TATARWA: ..niedola nas ściga, najechała wraża tatarwa. A kozak śpi.. (Bolesław Londyński, Bajki Słowiańskie); see also: Stanisław Vincenz, Prawda Starowieku.