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Addressing your Polish in-laws or boy/girlfriend's parents? [49]
Good point, Paulina. :)
In fact, as far as I know, the usage of "pan/pani" comes from times of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and gentry. Members of gentry were using "pan/pani" in accordance to savoir-vivre rules that were present here. The peasantry was simply calling everyone by name, instead of the members of the gentry. Later, due to partitions, and later wars, the differences between gentry and peasantry/bourguise were not visible - in uprisings both classes were fighting, had same problems etc. This usage of "pan/pani" had spread and everyone was calling themselves this way, unless they were friends, colleagues, family members etc.
I am also confused with the arrogance of the "Western world" - it irritates me when someone from the west is surprised and shocked that someone in Poland doesn't speak English. Well, English is not an official language, as there is no reason for it to become, so Poles who live in Poland speak Polish (or regionally Kashubian language, or Silesian dialect of Polish language). Furthermore, I watched some videos about foreigners in Poland and they (at least feminine part) surprised, that Polish men are in a way gentle, as they open the door and let women first. It is also a part of our Polish culture, it is normal, and no... there's nothing tricky. In the past there was also "a rule" of kissing women's hand as a greeting, but it is not practised anymore.
