"Poles" or "Polish people" - which is better to use?

Poles or Polish people but I would prefere Polish people.

That's exactly from where it originated :-)

Chinese is also Sino

It isn't Holland, it is Netherlands - Dutch people..
Holland is a 'provincie' of the Netherlands.

History textbooks now tend use the term "Pole" more often than "Polish person," but still indeed use them interchangeably. If that counts for anything.

I say that it depends on the person. Like in my case I've been grown up affectionately called a Pole, so I'm fine with it but someone else may have grown up with it as an insult. It's safe to use Polish people just in case.

As for Pollack/Pollock, I find it pretty insulting mainly because I've received that insult a lot.

When I referred polish people to 'Poles', I was rapidly corrected 'you mean Polish people!' by a Polish woman. I didn't mean anything by this, and hope it doesn't offend anyone here... :-(

Why? It's actually more accurate - Poles are ethnically Poles, whereas Polish people are not necessarily ethnic Poles.

Definitely Polish people because poles sound like ur calling them a pole that holds up something!!!lol

back in the days, i mean medieval age, Polish' Hussars with their long lances, charged up on battlefields, trempled their honorless invaders and then... the story begun...

I took a Polish poll and the the results were poles apart.

Pole is not only demeaning but it is baseless.
English formulation of countries adjective is, wherever possible the noun have a letter or letters added at the end of the noun or dropped/deleted

as it is for example, Iceland by adding 'er' at the end of the noun Icelander.
Or Germany by dropping the end letter 'y' the adjective is German. That makes Poland should be by adding er POLANDER or by dropping/deleting end letter POLAN

And designate the demeaning/offensive Pole to the trash bin of history

I like Polan better then Pole too, but there was already a west Slavic tribe known as Polan's
Well there is either Polak or Pole, your choice

I choose Polish

And they are, in Crown's English!

Rajah SenGupta. Addendum. At least that is how Gilbert and Sullivan would opine!

I have checked all 198 countries adjectives on the map in my den, and it is so obvious that POLE is not only offensive but is baseless.

The English method of formulating countries nouns adjectives is wherever possible, noun is shortened or lengthen.
In the 198 Countries nouns 98 are lengthen, as for example Afghanistan adj. Afghan. Iceland adj. Icelandic or Icelander.
Using same method it should be Poland adj. Polander.
Six Countries adj. are formulated by dropping end letter/letters. They are Germany German, Sweden Swede, Swaziland Swazi, Turkey Turk, Thailand Thai, and Afghanistan Afghan.

Following this method Poland have two non demeaning/offensive Adjectives, POLAN POLANDER and the third that is already in use POLISH
In my opinion POLE should be designated to trash bib of history

zygmunt, that analysis doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

For instance, someone from Scotland can be referred to as as a Scot, whereas someone from England cannot be referred to as an 'Eng', nor someone from Ireland as an 'Ire', but someone from Finland CAN be called a Finn (with no negative connotations). English is not so dogmatic about rules as some other languages, and sometimes the 'correct' term is just what sounds better (or is easier to say).

Pole is in common usage as a neutral (even slightly familiar) term for someone from Poland, in the same way that Scot is not derogatory, and neither is Brit (for which you can also use British) to refer to someone from Britain.

I always thought 'Polack' was used as a demeaning term? I've only ever heard it used as an insult in American films/tv, and never in real life in England. I don't think English people know the term hardly at all (it's quite similar to Pollock, which we know as a kind of fish).

Call them 'Plumber' and everybody's happy... :)

very nice, then you wounder why the mods put your posts in the bin...

What sense does a thread make when people seriously claim that "Pole" is derogatory? There is no other choice than answering such BS with sarcasm.


I'm surprised they didn't ... :)

There was once a funny story about the Polish plumber who went to France and became a model.

I think you've got it backwards. If I remember correctly, on that poster is a professional model hired specifically for that 'Polish plumber campaign' in France...

Pole is an object, personally I find it demeaning/offensive.
Countries nouns, adjectives wherever possible are formulated by dropping the end letter or letters from the noun.Example, Germany German.
Why not Poland Polan.
Also wherever possible adding letter or letters to the noun. Example Iceland, Icelander. Why not Poland Polander.
So Poland have two basic non demeaning Adjectives , so why they are not used.

A pole is an object. A Pole is a Polish person. It's a basic English rule denoting nationalities, and is in no way demeaning. Interestingly enough, the only word in English which changes its pronunciation when it changes from a small to a capital letter is polish. Polish is pronounced differently. . You did know that, didn't you?

A Pole is a person from Poland ( i.e. having Polish birth certificate/government ID ), see the difference between Polish person and/or English person, and or Chinese ? ... A person from Britain is a Brit. There. I ask you to never call any people English, nor Japanese nor American. By means that you will I hope in your life one day understand that's actually, Offending. I doubt 80% of people even reading this understand How Come. Well please meditate on it for 3 days and maybe you'll get it.

Polack ( it's best if you're from Poland when you want to use this one, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polack), Pole is IMHO way better than Polish person, English person and/or etc.etc.etc.

There. £100+ worth of knowledge and my time, Ill send you account number if you like.. Of course I look forward for a thank you.

A pole is something you fly a flag from I prefer the term Polelock it distinguishes are people from something that sticks up out of the ground

OK here is a joke -

There's a man walking down the road carrying a long stick OK? Another bloke passes him and says 'oh are you a pole vaulter?'

First man says, "no I am German, but how did you know my name?"

A pole is something you fly a flag from, yes.

Polish People, for sure.

Pole sounds like "Paul" and that ain't my name. :)