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

Fairly common: 1137.

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

Dzialecki: from the verb działać: "to do", "to make", "to create." Currently, no Dzialecki or Dzialecka live in Poland. 34 Polish males are called Działecki and 41 Polish females are called Działecka. 47 of them live in Pabianice.

News / How do Poles feel about the outcome of Germany's elections? [90]

Gluck was a vocal supporter of Solidarity and is much respected in Poland. This video from Przystanek Woodstock music festival in 2012 shows his popularity:

owsiaknet.pl/video/69234995

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

Palka: from the root pal: from pal (stake, pale), palec (finger), palić (burn), pałać (desire) or palik (little stake, pale). 3381 people in Poland named Palka.

If similar Pałka: first recorded in 1433, from the same root word as Palka or pałka which means "truncheon", "baton". 11394 people in Poland named Pałka, mostly from Lesser Poland.


Secio: not Polish, sounds Italian.

Pamula: Polish, only 2 people in Poland use this name, no meaning in this spelling.
If spelled Pamuła: "prune soup" or "servant" in old Polish. 1955 Pamułas live in Poland, mostly in and around Kraków.

Hujar: Polish, from hojdać, hujtać in old Polish meaning "to swing", "sway", "rock (to sleep)." 14 people in Poland named Hujar.

News / How do Poles feel about the outcome of Germany's elections? [90]

I think there is a strong consensus in Germany that good German-Polish political and economic relations are in the best interest of Germany, and so for Poland it doesn't matter which German party is in power. Good Polish-German relations can only be spoiled by PiS coming to power in Poland.

Study / My experience in Poland (Poznan) as a student who recently moved from Syria [117]


The second part I agree with, but not with the proximity to Scandinavia argument:

- In the 1990, the Estonian banks introduced online services that were ahead of anything in the West, including Scandinavia.

- Estonia became the first nation to hold legally binding general elections over the Internet with their pilot project for the municipal elections in 2005. The Estonian parliamentary election, 2007, also used internet voting, another world first.

- In 2003, Skype, a voice-over-ip service and software application, was developed technically by Estonians Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu and Jaan Tallinn, who were also behind the Kazaa peer-to-peer file-sharing software.

- In 2007, Estonia made international headlines by becoming the first country in history to successfully
defend itself against a large-scale cyber attack (from Russia). A positive outcome of this event was that
Estonia's capital, Tallinn, became the home of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in 2008. Etc.

I think it shows that it was Scandinavia following Estonia rather than the other way around. More here:

ericsson.com/res/thecompany/docs/publications/business-review/2012/issue2/life_in_e-stonia.pdf

Study / My experience in Poland (Poznan) as a student who recently moved from Syria [117]

Estonia doesn't need any Scandinavian know-how. This small country is a world leader in IT and Internet security.

News / How do Poles feel about the outcome of Germany's elections? [90]

It's already the case. One fourth of Polish exports go to Germany, making Germany Poland's biggest export market. Poland, though only Germany's tenth market, is still bigger than Russia, and growing fast.

Food / Mushroom picking (and eating:) in Poland [36]

Nice. Did you really find chanterelles at this time of year? It's a summer shroom - typically from the end of June to the end of July.

Chanterelles with scrambled eggs and prosciutto on a toast:

youtube.com/watch?v=OPq2lvxd8io

News / How do Poles feel about the outcome of Germany's elections? [90]

Merkel is the most popular foreign politician in Poland. 75% of Poles trust her. It doesn't hurt her image that she's of Polish descent and has distant relatives in Poland.

Life / Golden Wedding in Poland, the protocol for giving gift for a wedding? [58]

There is no need for a wedding gift if you are not present at the wedding. The purpose of a wedding gift (money) is to help cover the cost of the wedding. Since you weren't there, they didn't spend any money on you.

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

Bucia: from but, buta, bucić się (pysznić się) meaning pride, arrogance, to boast (about). Currently, only 31 Bucias live in Poland: 5 in Gdańsk, 4 in Kraków. 2 Bucias live in Germany.

Święch: first recorded in 1375, from Slavic first names Świętobor, Świętosław. Currently, 2293 Święchs live in Poland, mostly in Lesser Poland (203 in Myślenice, 157 in Brzesko, 138 in Kraków).

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

Sure. Here's a typical Kaczmarczyk from Kraków:

youtube.com/watch?v=T5ARXAamSMY

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

Dryja: first recorded in 1434, from German personal names Drei, Dreier, those from dri, today drei, meaning "three"; old Polish dryja meant the face of a die with three pips; a coat of arms is called Dryja. Currently, 1718 people in Poland are called Dryja. Most live in Radom, Radomsko and Rzeszów. Many similar names: Dryj, Dryjacki, Dryjak, Dryjański, Dryjar, Dryjas, etc.

Lopacki: no such name in Poland, likely £opacki, first recorded in1592, from łopata or "shovel", "spade" or toponimic from one of many villages called £opata. Currently, 275 males in Poland are called £opacki and 328 females (£opacka). Most live in Warsaw.

Kajdasz: from kajda or "a wooden case for a whetstone" used by haymakers. Currently, 228 people in Poland are called Kajdasz. Most live in or around Poznań. More popular is Kajdas: 789 - most live west of Kraków, especially in Wadowice.

Rachwal: first recorded in the 13th c., from first name Rafał, which came from Latin and Hebrew repha' el meaning "God cures". Only 3 people in Poland are called Rachwal. More popular is Rachwał: 3820.

Zielaskowski: toponimic from one of many villages called Żelazki ("Ironville"). Currently, 145 males in Poland are called Zielaskowski and 159 females are called Zielaskowska. Most live in and around Toruń.

Zbytowski: possibly toponimic, from zbytek meaning "a planty", "abundance", "luxury." Only 1 Zbytowski and 2 Zbytowskas live in Poland: all in Warsaw. Proper pronunciation here: ivona.com/pl/

Kaczmarczyk: first recorded in 1588, from karczma or "inn", "tavern"; means "son of innkeeper." A very popular name in Poland: 26295 users, especially in Kraków: 1428.

Language / The OPPOSITE of Polish diminutives [5]

Diminutives are plentiful in Polish, but the opposites - augmentatives - are rare. Some examples:

nos=nose
nosek, noseczek=little nose
nochal=big nose

barki=shoulders
bareczki=small shoulders
bary=big shoulders

garnek=pot
garnuszek=little pot
gar=big pot

wódka=vodka
wódeczka=endearment of vodka
wóda=pejoratively about vodka

Genealogy / Skorupodski / Golwick - Were my Polish ancestors Jewish? [9]


:
1. Vasili is a Russian name. It's unlikely that someone living south of Kraków would have a Russian first name as this area was a part of Austria-Hungary for over 120 years.

2. Currently, no-one in Poland uses the name Skorupodski. The name could be invented or misspelled. 3. Mary Skorupodski: First name is English. Why would anyone living near Kraków have an English first name? Polish equivalent of Mary is Maria, a typical Christian name. Jews would rarely use it.

So far the story doesn't make much sense to me.

It's difficult to judge one's religion by clothing they wear, unless one wears, say, an ultra-orthodox jewish garb. In Fiddler on the Roof, Jews wore typical clothing of the time plus undergarment called Tzitzit, the strings found at the side of Orthodox men.

If they were Jews living in Austria-Hungary they would most likely have a German second name. That's because Polish Jews did not use second names until the second half of the 19th century. They were forced by the Austrians to buy German-sounding names from the list provided to them by the imperial authorities and use them.

All in all, bearing in mind that the story looks fictional to me, they were unlikely to be Polish Jews.

UK, Ireland / wife wants to have baby in poland not ireland [52]

Mortality rate, neonatal (per 1,000 live births):

Iralend: 2
UK: 3
Poland: 4
US: 4

(Neonatal mortality rate is the number of neonatals dying before reaching 28 days of age, per 1,000 live births in a given year. Neonatal mortality rate is a better indicator of hospital care than infant mortality rate which counts deaths in the first year of life.)

Your newborn would be 2 times safer in an Irish hospital and home than in a Polish or US hospital and home. But because all these countries have very low neonatal mortality rates (Ireland: 0.2%; Poland: 0.4%) the chance of neonatal's death in Poland is only 0.2% higher than in Ireland. Statistically, it seems insignificant.

data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.DYN.NMRT

Law / Unable to get a work permit for Poland (not EU-citizen) [40]


Common story in New York restaurants too. They hire an expensive chef, learn new dishes, new ideas, from him, and after a couple weeks they fire him. New hires are eager to share everything they know to impress the employer.

Travel / Poles the worst-dressed tourists in the world? [25]

Sandals and socks was a Roman thing. It was high fashion for Roman soldiers in Britain to wear brightly coloured socks.

Law / Unable to get a work permit for Poland (not EU-citizen) [40]

They hired you and for whatever reason decided to let you go. They blamed the state bureaucracy to make you feel better about them and yourself: it was not the company fault, not your fault, but the state fault. Most likely the company needed to use you (your skill) for a short period of time or they didn't find your work good enough or needed any longer. Blame the company.

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

CHEKHOVSKIY: Likely Russified Polish name Czechowski - meaning someone from Czechowo or Czechów in Poland.

Cilebes: not Polish. Not known meaning in Polish. Not currently used in Poland.

Language / Polish war cries/battle sayings [21]

According to Wikipedia, during the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth each noble clan had its own official battle cry. Often fighting as a single unit, szlachta clans used battle cries to forge attacks, stay unified and identify eachother during battle as members of individual noble clans were often not related and did not know each other personally. However, the army as a whole had its own unique battle cry, devised by the commander or the king, if present at the battle. During the battle of Grunwald king Jagiełło's battle cries were "Kraków" and "Wilno" - the capitals of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Dutchy of Lithuania.

Food / Using Polish cooking books in an English version? [16]


The book has only two customer reviews on Amazon.com, both negative:

amazon.com/Polish-Cooking-Traditional-Marzenna-Kasprzycka/dp/1928900615/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377976709&sr=1- 1&keywords=kasprzycka

Unfortunately, the faults of this book apply to most Polish cookbooks. Try Anne Applebaum's new cookbook:

amazon.com/Polish-Country-House-Kitchen-Ultimate/dp/1452110557/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377976266&sr=1-4&keyword s=anne+applebaum

Excellent.

USA, Canada / Poles in America: How do you pronounce your Polish surname? [128]


Probably. Ścióg is pronounced slightly differently than Sciog in Polish because "ś" has a different sound from "s" and "ó" is not "o". But this is basically the same name with two alternative spellings - Ścióg being more modern form. I just found out that there are 60 Ściógs in Poland, as opposed to 1 Sciog. And so it's more likely that your name was originally spelled (and pronounced) Ścióg.

News / More cars in Poland than America? [29]


Same in Poland and everywhere else in Europe. So it doesn't affect the statistics by much.


Exactly. The cars used for commercial purposes aren't considered into the passeger car total in the U.S., Europe, Poland, and everywhere else. That's why in the category of passenger cars Poland is ahead of the U.S., but in the category of total car ownership (including commercial vehicles) the U.S. is ahead o Poland. Americans have more cars, but Poles have more passenger cars. Ownership of passenger cars in the U.S. is declining, while in Poland is growing.


It may not be unusual where you live. But it's something unheard of in New York City where 54% of housholds do not own a single car. In Manhattan 77%.


Sorry, but you must be joking. Have you ever been to Europe? Compared to EU American public transportation is dismal:

economist.com/node/18620944

New York City has relatively good public transportation - true. But subway sucks compared to most metros in Europe. It's old, noisy, expensive, breaks down constantly, and kills people (55 deaths last year).

News / More cars in Poland than America? [29]


No. Pick up trucks and SUV's can be either commercial or passenger vehicles depending on their use. If a sedan belongs to a business and is registered for commercial use, then it becomes a commercial car.

Definition of passenger cars by the World Bank:

"Passenger cars refer to road motor vehicles, other than two-wheelers, intended for the carriage of passengers and designed to seat no more than nine people (including the driver)."

You have less passenger cars per 1,000 people than Poles. Face it. But you could perhaps change this - if you convince the Amish to trade their horses and buggies for cars ;-)

USA, Canada / Poles in America: How do you pronounce your Polish surname? [128]


Type your name and click "play" here: ivona.com/pl/

But before you do that you can choose from among 5 different pronunciations next to where it says "Polski, Jacek": choose instead "Polski, Agnieszka" as it the best.

Only one person named Sciog lives in Poland today: in Tarnów. There are many similar names, such as Ciog and Ciok. Over 2,000 Cioks live in Poland.

Sciog (or a similar name) was first recorded in Poland in the 15th century. It comes from the verb "ciokać" in old Polish or "cmokać" in modern Polish, which means to smack one's lips.


That's perfect pronunciation of your name. Interestingly, "h" and "ch" in modern Polish have exactly the same sound. In old Polish they were pronounced differently.

News / More cars in Poland than America? [29]


Yes, because we like to stay rustic:

(put 'horse+carriage+poland' to google)

There are more mules in the U.S. than in Poland:

nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/mule_trips.htm

;-)

News / More cars in Poland than America? [29]

Poland has more passenger cars per 1,000 people than America:

Poland: 451 (2012)
US: 423 (2012)

Also, passenger car ownership in Poland is growing while in the US it has been declining for many years.

The World Bank data: data.worldbank.org/indicator/IS.VEH.PCAR.P3

Americans have more cars per 1,000 people than Poles if commercial vehicles - such as trucks and taxicabs, registered to companies - are included.

In conclusion, Poland is a rising power, while the US is a decling power - with regard to passenger cars ;-))

Genealogy / Polish blood only makes up 1% of your "Polishness" [77]

There is no such thing as Polish blood or Polish genes.