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Posts by Lyzko  

Joined: 12 Jul 2013 / Male ♂
Warnings: 2 - AO
Last Post: 18 hrs ago
Threads: 45
Posts: 9,343
From: New York, USA
Speaks Polish?: tak
Interests: podrozy, rozrywki, sport

Displayed posts: 9388 / page 278 of 313
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Lyzko   
27 Apr 2016
Language / Polish vs Russian grammatical cases (accusative and instrumental) pronounciation [4]

Of course! By the way, the vestigial Polish form was "vremię" (or possibly "vręmie"), I'm no longer certain. My point was, that knowing Polish will not help as readily with speaking, reading, or writing in Russian as some might assume. Compare briefly below:

Russ. tjas = Pol. godzina
Pol. czas = Russ. vremya
Pol. szukać = Russ. iskat'

etc........

Another curious point is that Polish nasals have been "replaced" by non-nasal, frontal vowels in Russian, for example:

Polish: "Czytam książkę." vs. Russian: "Ja chytayoo knigu." In addition, Russian requires an adverb in such a construction whereas Polish doesn't, except for emphasis cf. "Ja czytam...", as opposed to someone else reading, etc.
Lyzko   
26 Apr 2016
Language / Polish vs Russian grammatical cases (accusative and instrumental) pronounciation [4]

I too learned some Russian, only AFTER I already knew Polish:-)

Russian cases are different enough so that merely because you've studied one of the two languages, by NO means is any sort of guarantee of either mutual intelligibility, much less "fluency" in the other!

Aspectual distinctions are nearly identical to Polish, e.g. Russian verbs of motion 'khodit', 'idit' etc.

Pronounciation however, much less basic, daily vocab?? Forget about it, if you haven't actually sat down and earnestly studied the other language! Russian, as previously observed, is far more palatalized than Polish, and it contains many sounds not found in Polish.

Once more, everyday words for "time", "look for something", etc. are NOT identical between Russian and Polish, not to mention the myriad false friends you're likely to encounter along your journey!!!
Lyzko   
26 Apr 2016
Life / Number of church attendees in Poland [54]

Righto! Not that I have much but deep dislike for House Speaker Ryan, he does on rarest of occasions say things with which I concur and and one of those was that there is a lingering, deep-seated anti-Catholic bias throughout this land, witness university president Gordon Gee several years ago complaining that it "it weren't for those d----d Catholics, ......"

Pretty disgusting for someone in his capacity, don't you think?

Back to Poland, I can't imagine the Lutheran minority having a great deal of say. Even the Jews are more politically representedLOL
Lyzko   
26 Apr 2016
Life / Number of church attendees in Poland [54]

Although I haven't followed specifically the question of church attendance in Poland, I'd imagine (if the New York tri-state's any guide!) that it's up from nearly any other European country, particularly neighboring Germany, where it's been declining for literally decades.

I think that Catholic nations tend to take their religious practices more seriously than Protestant ones. I'm speaking of course, of Europe, as the US is still predominantly Protestant, Methodists and Presbyterians mainly, and Americans outside of New York or L.A. tend to be very serious and regular church attendees in my experience:-)
Lyzko   
24 Apr 2016
UK, Ireland / The best way for a Polish person to learn English? [34]

ENGLISH close caption TV (on a daily basis!!), BBC/ABC/CNN/C-SPAN news broadcasts or podcasts and English (not Polish) subtitles in the beginning of the English phase, when watching a movie!
Lyzko   
23 Apr 2016
Language / "Hardening" of soft-sign endings of certain plural Polish nouns [4]

Hate to answer my own query, but it occurred to me it may have to do with syllable stress; most Polish nouns are accented on the first, rather than on the penultimate or ultimate, syllable in the singular. This, of course, would depend on how many syllables in the word, for example "odpowiedź" has four. For instance "od - POW -iedź" vs."od - pow - IEDZI".

Something like this. Perhaps Poles find it simpler to velarize when forming the plural?
Lyzko   
22 Apr 2016
Language / Why does Polish form of Nicholas (Mikołaj) begin with an M? [12]

Maf may be on the money with those palatalized alveolars!

On a slighly different, if related, topic, Russian palatals 'dver, brat', imet' etc. are far more "palatalized" than anything in Polish. Yet, unless they're faking it (which I doubt), all the Russians, educated Russians at that, whom I know, claim to find Polish a b***ch to pronounce, even though both are highly palatalized.

Ukrainian though may take the medal for "softness" of alveolors:-)
Lyzko   
21 Apr 2016
Language / Why does Polish form of Nicholas (Mikołaj) begin with an M? [12]

Often languages will compensate for pronunciation with variant spellings, merely in order to provide for orthographic expediency!

In Polish, "N" is palatalized as often in similar combinations in other Slavic languages (in fact, considered a charactaristic of Slavic), e.g. "Nie" (nyeeh), "niosić" (nyawssich) etc. "Nikolai" (in Russian) would be NON-palatalized, Polish though, knows only a palatalized "N" in the above combinations, always preceding an "i", as in the above examples:-) "Mikołai" though, is non-palatalized in Polish, and therefore more comfortable for a Polish speaker to pronounce.

Sort of make sense? This is the linguistic explanation.

Whoops, "Mikołaj":-)
Sorry!
Lyzko   
21 Apr 2016
Love / Do women in Poland change their surnames to a feminine form of their husbands' surnames? [40]

Of this I'm also aware, yes, it certainly does:-)

I was watching an old Czech film from the 60's at our local Slavic film festival, "Obchód na korze" (The Shop on Main Street), with Ida Kamińska.

When a younger man enters the store, upon whose location the plot is based, and doesn't readily see the owner, he calls out "Pani Lautmanova, Pani Lautmanova!"
Lyzko   
19 Apr 2016
Language / Polish Language Exchange Thread [133]

kadamus,

After several (as yet unanswered) e-mails, my offer still stands: my Polish for your English:-)
marekzgerson@yahoo
Lyzko   
18 Apr 2016
UK, Ireland / Are there too many East Europeans, Poles in West Europe now? [47]

It was once so, Dolno, but has been ever less true over the past thirty years, what with Clinton's tax subsidies for minorities, the omnipresent black market and the voting blocks of immigrants who attract US bosses, because the strongest aphrodesiac has always been the scent of cheap labor.

As Western Europe's economy dwindles, you'll be seeing fewer and fewer Poles etc.. When it picks up again, they'll reappear....like a bad penny:-)
Lyzko   
18 Apr 2016
Law / EU nationals with a child and in cohabitation - long term Poland registration questions, job offer [13]

Curious, Helegal, whether you have begun to learn Polish. Although I scarcely can say to know much Finnish at all, many say Polish is nearly as complex:-) Then that's only an opinion. Certainly, English will stand you in relatively good stead among the younger, affluent set. Apart from that, unlike the Finns, the Poles lag behind much of Europe in terms of English knowledge.

Finland belongs to the European Monetary Union and as such, falls within the Eurozone. Poland, doesn't, and so this might pose some difficulty, given your particular situation aka status with the European Community (of which Finland is most certainly a member of long standing).

:-)
Lyzko   
18 Apr 2016
UK, Ireland / Are there too many East Europeans, Poles in West Europe now? [47]

You must be a Republican:-) As with the rest of our "members", I have indeed "a life", as much of one (if not more) than those out there constantly on their i(diot)Phones twenty-four seven ad nauseum. I no longer own a cell phone and our house has neither a pc nor even a satelite dish. Our one concession, Luddites that we're NOT, is the radio and the TV (..to which we listen more than sparingly, as there's little to watch of interest, except perhaps the occasional staticLOL).

I do wish you were right about jobs and qualifications, but since Reagan, for the majority of non-minorities, this has hardly been the case:-) For the beneficiary of affirmative action, those in a post for representation purposes mostly, America IS a paradise. For the rest of us who choose to survive on our wits and our skills, a far different story awaits the older worker or "secondary" job seeker!

Do you read the newspaper? I trust you do. But do you understand what you've read? I'm beginning to have my doubts.
Lyzko   
16 Apr 2016
UK, Ireland / Are there too many East Europeans, Poles in West Europe now? [47]

El Polio, a person is free to sicken and die on the streets of our American cities, but how on God's green earth does that make it right???

As soon as capitalist business practices toss morality our the window, owners might as well brace for a backlash from those whom they gleefully disenfranchised, dislocated and whose lives they wantonly destroyed, and believe you me, the results ain't gonna be pretty:-)

Roosevelt's New Deal was created so that at least there be some parity between workers and management, as there is in certain countries, such as Japan (not exactly an unsuccesful economy, despite recent unrelated setbacks)!!

At least in the US, if only to clarify my post yesterday, "foreigners" aka immigrants to this country should be able to work, BUT ONLY IF QUALIFIED, pure and simple!!! If a native-born, tax-paying American is waiting in line for employment, the foreign-born and usually recently arrived job seeker should be put AT THE BACK of the line and preference ought to be given to the former...just as was once the case.

Ever since the late 60's when certain individuals from Third-World nations were allowed to enter the States, later with the rise of Reaganism, and finally (perhaps most lethally) with Bill Clinton granting amnesty to certain foreign nationals coming to America, the American working man has been put at a tremendous disadvantage.

Sure, you can "debate" with me about it. We're still a free society. There's the freedom to be smart and the freedom to be dumb, without fear of impunity or punishment:-) For that matter, let's debate on what's the capital of New York! If you were to say, Saratoga, you'd be dead wrong.

There's clearly a right and a wrong answer to what's been going on in this country for far too long and the Reps have the wrong approach, end of debate!

By the lack of response, guess yours truly hit another raw nerve:-)

OUUUCHHH!!! Reality really bitesLOL
Lyzko   
16 Apr 2016
News / Poland -- Europe's only counterweight to Russia [271]

"Guilty as a ruski.."

Interesting idiom. Don't think I've ever heard that one. Is that like "I'm as hungry as a horse."?

Or do you mean, "As a Russian, I'd feel guilty...."?

Just teasing (...sort of):-)
Lyzko   
16 Apr 2016
News / Poland -- Europe's only counterweight to Russia [271]

Genocide, ethnic "cleansing" and the like, is scarcely unique to 2Oth century Europe, guys!

What is or was unique, was the dovetail of methodical execution of same, coupled with a dogged ideo-biological aggression which allowed for no deviation:-)

Hippler's "The Eternal Jew" evidenced no equivalent virulence against the Sinti-Roma, unspeakable as the treatment was of that group under the Nazis.
Lyzko   
16 Apr 2016
News / Poland -- Europe's only counterweight to Russia [271]

For those unfamiliar with "Drang nach Osten", the East of Europe aka Russia, had remained a sort of chimera for Germans throughout the centuries. When Hitler was in a position to realize his "Lebensraum" strategy, he indeed did push East and saw the "untamed" East much the same way as those Manifest Destinians of ours envisioned the American West; this was an untapped resource to be tapped and CONQUERED, by consent, if possible, brutal force, if necessary!
Lyzko   
15 Apr 2016
UK, Ireland / Are there too many East Europeans, Poles in West Europe now? [47]

Yes, I too hunger for some sort of evidence to buttress such assertions:-)

I will confess though that the outward culture of Western Europe, particularly in Scandinavia, The Netherlands and of course, Germany, HAS indeed "changed" noticeably since the advent of non-Western (and non-Christian) settlers, roughly from around the mid-60's through '70's.

Any relatively small and tightly homogeneous society such as Sweden, for example, will easily fall prey to the attraction of those from Third-World countries, who are literally mesmerized by the blandishments which Western Protestant cultures have to offer.

There are simply more of "them" (owing to low or lacking birth control) than there are of "us", that's all it is.
Lyzko   
15 Apr 2016
UK, Ireland / Are there too many East Europeans, Poles in West Europe now? [47]

No one denies that Poles on the whole, are an honest, hard-working lot! That Communism seemed to have encouraged shiftiness and corruption is scarcely a reflection on the rank-and-file worker, is it?

Problem remains that a Pole, a Ukrainian, a Hindu or a Mexican is usually willing to work for less than a German, W.A.S.P American, Swede, Dane or Englishman.

Living as we are in a post-Reagan economic environment, the average, short-sighted boss is rarely if ever going to do what is right and hire the deserving native (unless, of course, pushed to the wall), but instead, employ someone who will be willing to work for far less, thereby permitting the exec. to keep the extra money otherwise used to pay a high salary, and have it used to build that exec's second dream house in Cannes or some such place:-)

The New Deal is dead! Long live the New (RAW!!!) Deal.
Lyzko   
15 Apr 2016
UK, Ireland / Are there too many East Europeans, Poles in West Europe now? [47]

As an easy aka quick source of proverbial "cheap" labour, any UK executive would likely jump at the chance to hire one over an (EQUALLY!!) qualified, native-born Brit:-) They're too expensiveLOL

Let's not kid ourselves. We know things are bad when a school hires an English instructor with such Polish language interference, a not so casual observer might actually wonder who the teacher is vs. the student. Why, you ask in dumbfounded amazement??

'Cuz the Pole underbid the Brit, that's why!!
Lyzko   
13 Apr 2016
UK, Ireland / Are there too many East Europeans, Poles in West Europe now? [47]

Eastern Europeans living and working in Western Europe, particularly the Federal Republic of Germany, is scarcely new or news:-)

Certainly, the migrant challenges facing Germany in particular have tended to color Western views of former Black Market residents waltzing into already established economies such as Germany, France, Scandinavia etc. and practically expecting employment at a Western aka "American" salary!

Surely Poles, Czechs, Russians and Ukrainians can draw from their own multi-talented pool of preprared professionals. The problem arises when the level of training (especially of English-language skills) in some cases is not commensurate with that of the Germany or Sweden. An earnest, young 20-something Moldovan with a degree in medicine from Kishniev University may indeed imagine him or herself amply qualified to seek work as a physician in any number of Western European larger urban areas. The question remains, are they necessarily up to the job.