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Family members in Polish


Sonorous 3 | 8
1 Oct 2013 #1
Cześć guys, I need you Polish peoples' help.

I'm currently learning all the family members in Polish, I've learned matka, ojciec, dziadkowie, etc.
but I'm having a problem with 'aunt' and 'uncle'.
Basically, in the resources I'm learning from, I've been told different things.

Uncle is apparently 'wuj' or 'wujek' - which one of these is more commonly used? Is there any difference between the two?

Another problem I'm having is the mother's brother/father's brother thing - apparently 'wujek' is your mother's brother, and 'stryjek' is your father's brother.

Again, with 'Aunt', apparently 'ciotka' is either your father's or your mother's sister, which is fine. But my book says that 'stryjenka' is your father's brother's wife, and 'wujenka' is your mother's brother's wife.

Can anyone help to clear this up?
Zazulka 3 | 129
2 Oct 2013 #2
Uncle is apparently 'wuj' or 'wujek' - which one of these is more commonly used? Is there any difference between the two?

same as between father and dad - ojciec i tata. Wujek definitely more common and wuj is more formal

ciotka and ciocia = same difference as between wuj and wujek

You can address stryjenka and wujenka as ciocia - very common and acceptable
Harry
2 Oct 2013 #3
I'm currently learning all the family members in Polish

Remember not to call anybody 'busia'!

[runs and hides]
cinek 2 | 347
4 Oct 2013 #4
But my book says that 'stryjenka' is your father's brother's wife, and 'wujenka' is your mother's brother's wife.

Formally yes. But almost nobody uses those names any more. They both are just 'ciocie' (- pl., 'ciocia' - sing.).

Cinek
jon357 74 | 22,087
12 Mar 2015 #5
Indeed. I'd heard a few of these titles before and avoided using them because

'ciocie' (- pl., 'ciocia' - sing.).

are easier to remember but had no idea there were so many. I found this on facebook in a Polish language group for professional translators and some of the people there seemed surprised too:



pawian 222 | 24,060
23 Jul 2020 #6
I found this on facebook in a Polish language group for professional translators

Wow, amazing vocabulary. I know some of it from books set in old times. But half of it isn`t used anymore. E..g instead of sneszka, we say synowa - son`s wife.
Ziemowit 14 | 4,278
23 Jul 2020 #7
amazing vocabulary

I know people (of north-eastern Mazovia) who still know who świekra is. I don't and have never heard or used it in my family. My grandma (south-eastern Mazovia) used: wujna (wujenka), stryj (stryjek), stryjna (stryjenka). I have never used such forms.

Synowiec was used in Pan Tadeusz:
Szabel nam nie zabraknie, szlachta na koń wsiędzie,
Ja z synowcem na czele, i? - jakoś to będzie!


Some of those names just make me smile.
pawian 222 | 24,060
23 Jul 2020 #8
Ja z synowcem na czele, i? - jakoś to będzie!

Typical Polish attitude to Risings. haha


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