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]


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 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]


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]

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]


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]


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]


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?

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 / 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 / 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.

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 / "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.

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?

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.

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

You're right, SzwedwPolsce, of course ;)

However we're discussing here some elusive distinctions between Zaraz wracam and Zaraz wrócę in this thread. So there is a space for some more subtle and sophisticated lucubrations.

Language / Etymology of pan /pani [18]

According to Aleksander Brueckner, polish etymologist, pan has its origin in old word żupan meaning a tribute gathering officer or administrator of some territory called żupania. The word was known in Czech, Croat and Hungarian (ispan). Later the word was shortened and simplified to pan.

In Kingdom of Poland pan was used as a short name for a kasztelan (castellan) ie. caretaker of one of main royal castles. This title was in most cases lower in precedence to the voivodes (with the exception of the Lord Castellan of Cracow who had precedence before voivode of Cracow). For example castellan of Cracow was called Pan Krakowski. In colloquialese pan was lately used to address any powerful person.

'Pan' is a root word for verb 'panować' - to rule, 'państwo' - estate, realm, state.

But due to both inflation of dignities and growing politeness now you should use it as common style to address any stranger by: pan, pani, państwo.

The same as in Spanish Usted (going back from Vuestra Merced = Your Mercy). By the way, the old style - now obsolete - to address stranger from noble class was Wasza Miłość (Your Mercy) shortened to Waszmość, or together with pan: Waszmość Pan > Waćpan > Acan.

And żupa is allegedly of Avarian (Avarian) origin as Slavic people were so peaceful and so classless that there had to be some warrior element adding some power distribution tools.

As most historians think Slavonic tribes invided Central and Southern Europe under Avarian command in VI-VIII centuries. Having in mind Avars ruled or have some influence on Slavs through 2-3 centuries, Avarian żupa could infiltrate Slavonic languages.

Language / Etymology of pan /pani [18]


Papagarth has thought about gospod, gospodzin, I suppose.

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

I'd prefer patronymic after the Creator ie. Adam Bożewicz

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


That depends how to count. If you'd like to be precise you'll end with 5 genders in Polish examples in Accusative:

1. Masculine animate personal (nowego ucznia | nowych uczniów)
2. Masculine animate impersonal (nowego psa | nowe psy)
3, Masculine inanimate (nowy kapelusz | nowe kapelusze)
4. Feminine (nową uczennicę, nową książkę | nowe uczennice, nowe książki)
5. Neuter (nowe dziecko, nowe krzesło | nowe dzieci, nowe krzesła)

Sometimes you can even meet additional 2 for plural:
6. Masculine personal (plural for gender 1)
7. Not Masculine personal (plurals for genders 2-5)

Language / Polish and Hungarian, how similar? [53]


The only one trail which can lead us to the statement that Hungarian is intelligible for common Poles is that before the end of the WW1 Slovaks where citizens of the Kingdom of Hungary for more than 900 years. There were even no province of the name Slovakia and the area was called Felső-Magyarország (Upper Hungary) or Felvidék (Upland).

It is proven that people from the other side of the frontier on Karpaty Mountains were addressed as Węgrzy, Węgrowie, Węgrzyni (Hungarians) in local Polish dialect of southern borderland people. But they spoke Slovak dialects which are very similar to Polish dialects and are bilaterally intelligible. And yes there were also many Jews in different state of assimilation or enrooting in emerging national sociaties: German Jews, Hungarian Jews, Yiddish Jews, Slovakian Jews and Hebrew Jews (zionists).

On the other hand - if I dare to add you some background or ideas - in this really multicultural regions of former Imperial-Royal Austro-Hungarian Monarchy knowing languages was one of the most important skill useful not only in career planning but in every-day use with shop-owner Yiddish speaker, bureaucrat - German, wagon-craftsman Slovak, nobleman - Hungarian or Polish and wife - Ukrainian.

A good example were:
1. my great-great-grandfather Austrian officer who knew "deutsch, ungarisch, wallachisch u. polnisch" (German, Hungarian, Romanian & Polish).
2. my grandfather small shop owner who knew Polish, Ukrainian, some Yiddish/German, some Russian.

Life / Feeling ashamed of my Polish heritage. [237]


Sebastian you have 3 choices:

A. Change your Nameski to English or any other equivalent in more 'happy' languages (you can even find an advice here - many linguists and family name researchers available and eager to help). By the way you're lucky enough in this case with your first name so international and Bachese.

B. Rethink your complexes
1. You insist that whole Poland is total hillbilly real hole! Yeah, Poland is still poorer than many other countries (I think this is why your family emigrated).

2. Yes, in Poland there are many morons - like in most countries.
3. Yes, in Poland there are reported many thefts - but I lost only an old mobile 3 years ago (maybe dropped by me) in 30 years period in Poland - but found all my credit cards and money stolen in Madrid in the very first day of my 4 days journey, almost ripped off in Rome, almost beaten in London - all in the very first days. Thieves have no nation.

4. Yes, there is a total bullsh*t with Polish democracy - like unfortunately in most modern democratic countries - there is no discussion out there, only partisan clashes and lobby smearing. The only thing Poland outperforms in this discipline The Golden Guiding Light of Western Liberal Democracy is irresponsibility of administration clerks - however it's slightly and very slowly improving.

5. Corruption - yes it's called a tax on bad legislation - look at Greece, Portugal, Italy, Spain, France - ClearStream, Germany - NordStream, Belgium - helicopters, England - MP costs refunding, Canada - add something you know.

6. Folks complaining - yes very often, but it only appears, when you have nothing real to talk to or as a kind of mannerism. I know guys with such an annoying habit. Simple "bad to you" or "it's your problem" acts like a refreshing shower.

7. Awful roads - the most serious - but it will never change (I'm only here a pessimist). There were very old saying in 17th century: Polish bridges, German jokes, Swiss frankness and French integrity - all the same.

C. Go and drink some Polish beer of your choice and don't think so much. One of your problem is you're spending too much time comparing. In fact nations are incomparable. I'm proud to be a Pole (while my family is of Austrian origin and polonized in the middle of present day Ukraine), so I would probably be if I were of Jewish or English descent or even Italian (Madonna mia, che cosa parlo).

Life / Feeling ashamed of my Polish heritage. [237]


Responsibility - yes, but only when someone is responsible.
Excuse - fact, Poles especially in middle age or older are accustomed to make excuses, but once again - it's really easy to stop, just freeze an excuse maker with "bad to you". It's only a folk custom-speaking not a real thing.


I suppose you have never seen Frenchmen in real action: all these greves, management by meetings, sulks and bloats, and money-for-everything attitude. Ou la la. Merde actually. But of course it's only a stereotype. However what we are still talking about here - STEREOTYPES & PREJUDICES.

Life / Feeling ashamed of my Polish heritage. [237]


What a funny statistics. What are your sources. Don't spread factoids. Give numbers. I've heard just the opposite.

Life / Feeling ashamed of my Polish heritage. [237]


The really big mess is coming from USA. Totally corrupt crediting process politically fueled to increase homeownership especially in minority societies:
1. irresponsibly easy money by Federasts,
2. easy solvency check thanks to Lawmakers,
3. corrupt (not greedy - everbody's greedy - but corrupt) traders,
4. irresponsible investment banks - putting all these derivatives securitized on derivatives on loans with no price settled,
5. incompetent and irresponsible credit rating agencies - it's funny they still exist after all their ratings proved so glamorously adequate,
6. corrupt credit brokers with their 'yeah, you'll have 3months payment vacancies here, and next we'll move your loan to another bank and you'll have another 3months vacancy, and then again and maybe buy new SUV as an addendum',

7. corrupt home brokers,
8. corrupt appraisers with their 'you have so precious collateral' (2-room wooden hut),
9. illiterate & indebted or cunning borrowers with their excuses.

They destroyed global credibility and even now making money on the debris like Goldman Sachs.

Life / Feeling ashamed of my Polish heritage. [237]


Figures please or stop bamboozling.


Yes I know this kind of knowledge: 'I know a guy who has an uncle in Poland who has bought a house in Poland, and who has so tiny salary, so he'll pay it off in 100 years. This guys are so irresponsible'

In my meaning stereotypes have no negative connotations they are just sociological facts which make life easier but not wiser, anyway.

Life / Feeling ashamed of my Polish heritage. [237]


So you're bulletproofed for arguments. Always ad personam. It's so unAmerican. ;-)


Don't bother. You can easily manage to catch it, if you only want.


But... It's very dark here, as you may know.

But the only foreclosure notice boards I've seen before houses for 10 years were in CNN reports from LA, SF and Nevada and lately in Spain during holidays.


Is it a job placement proposal? ;-)

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


They missed the point. The pronunciation is the some now.
But in medieval Polish it was quite another thing:
może sounded the same, but morze had its origin in Old Slavic mor'e with soft R (the same as you can hear in Russian even now).

As some authors say the difference started to disappear from XIV to XVII centuries.
Transformation of the word was as follows:
mor'e > morże > morze.

Old midway pronuciation of RŻ was heard in peripheral archaic dialects for example in South-Eastern Borderland, precisely in Podolia - east of Lwów, near Tarnopol.

I have heard it from my grandfather in a word GORŻKI = GORZKI (bitter).

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


You've said the Jaraszkiewiczs were from Posadowo. And they are stiil there as you may see on the map here: moikrewni.pl/mapa/kompletny/jaraszkiewicz.html.

The name could be a toponymic from a village name Jaraszki or Jaryszki
maps.google.pl/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=pl&q=Jaryszki,+62-023,+Pozna%C5%84ski,+Wielkopolskie&sll=52.495323,16.651154&sspn=0.300156,0.878906&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=FRWLHgMdW6cDAQ&split=0&hq=&hnear=Jaryszki&ll=52.409121,16.87088&spn=0.402113,0.883026& z=10&iwloc=A

And the village is probably patronymic from given name Jaras, which is augmentative from Jarosław, very popular Polish first name.

Life / Feeling ashamed of my Polish heritage. [237]


As you didn't want to check your deep observations about Polish irresponsible indebtedness against some statistic sources, so it was me to do it.

It wasn't so easy as I thought. But I succeeded, partly however.
According to data from 2 banks:
Poles spend 12% of their income for handling their debts, while Britons 25-30%.

It looks like 2 times less in Poland. However it could mean even lesser debt since Polish interest rates are a bit higher.