Six questions about Polish Vocative Case

Hello.

I have six questions about the vocative case, and I wonder if someone could help me. I don't speak Polish, but I am fascinated by it as a language and I'm enrolled in a class to start learning it in September.

1. I've read that both the nominative and vocative cases are used to address people directly. I would assume, then, that the nominative diminutive form of a name (like Krzyś) is also used to address someone directly – is this correct?

2. In what situations would someone be addressed by the vocative case, and in what situations would someone be addressed by the nominative case?

3. Is the vocative diminutive form of a name more affectionate than the ordinary vocative case? Would a close relative be more likely to use Krzysiu than Krzysztofie, for example?

4. What is the most affectionate way of all to address someone in Polish? Is the vocative case more affectionate than the nominative case?

5. What happens in the case of non-Polish names used in Poland (like, for example, Jewish names -- like Ester)? Are there rules governing the forming of vocative cases for non-Polish names, or would those names never have a vocative case? Would someone called Ester just always be addressed as Ester?

6. Finally, would you be kind enough to tell me the vocative case of the name Jakub, and the vocative case of the diminutive, Kubuś?

I'd be so grateful to anyone who can help me. Thank you very much for reading this.

Maria

Polish vocative is essentially the same as the Latin, and is less of a "diminutive" than it is a special "case" ending used solely when calling to someone (either polite or familiar!), thus its name "vocative" from Latin meaning "to call".

I see my professor on the street and I want to greet him by using the vocative. Remember, Polish has SEVEN active declensions, of which the vocative is usually referred to as the seventh case. In the Nominative, or first case, "Sir" or "Mr. is "Pan" and "professor" is "profesor": Dzień dobry/Dobry wieczór, Panie Profesorze! (Hello,Good evening, professor!). Later, I want to give my friend Kasia a call, I ring her and when I hear her voice (using the vocative), I say "Cześć, Kasiu....!"

Sort of see how it works?

Not a lot of languages nowadays retain, or ever even had, a vocative case.

Jakub - Kubuś/Kubek

Bogdan - Boguś

Grzegorz -

Teresa - Resa/Resiu

Eliza - Elizo

Barbara - Basia/Basiu

Roman - Romek/Romku

Małgorzata - Gosia/Gochu

etc..

So, throughout your entire telephone conversation with Kasia, would you always call her Kasiu when you spoke to her directly? Is "Kasia" only used when you're talking about her?

Kubuś/Kuba "kubek" is a cup/mug.


No.
Bogusław-Boguś
Bogdan-Bodek


Grześ.


No.
Tereska/Terenia


Romek/Romcio.


Gosia/Gośka/Małgosia.

Correct.


I'd say the nominative case is more casual.


Yes.


I guess you could say that.


Non-Polish names have a vocative case too.
You could either say "Ester!" or "Estero!". The diminutive form for Estera is "Esterka", so it would be "Esterko!".


Jakubie
Kubusiu


No, one can use both "Kasia" and "Kasiu".

Wow, thank you so, so, so much, Paulina. That's so helpful.


So, one final thing, just to qualify...if you were Kasia's lover (lol, hypothetically, I mean), and you were in bed together, would you be more likely to call her Kasiu, or Kasia?

You're welcome :)


I guess "Kasiu" would be nicer, more tender.

And I have to correct myself - Ester in Polish is "Estera":
pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estera_%28posta%C4%87_biblijna%29

So in Polish you would address her as "Estera", not "Ester".

Thank you so much, Paulina! You're amazing! You've helped me so much!

Would you mind if I ask you two more things? The first is about this Kasia/Kasiu thing -- would a parent be more likely to use Kasiu, as well, if they were saying good night to their daughter, or whatever?

The second is (and this is really just out of curiosity), I've read that before the Second World War, the vocative case tended to be used more often, but post-war, the nominative case has become increasingly widespread...do you know if this is true?

Thanks again for your help. I really can't thank you enough!

No problem, I'm happy to help (whenever I'm able to) :)


Yes, probably, I think so. But I guess a parent would be more likely to either say only "Dobranoc" (Good night) or "Dobranoc, córciu/córcia" (diminutive for "daughter") or use some term of endearment (usually if the kid is young) like "kochanie" (darling, sweety), "skarbeczku" (the vocative case of diminutive form of "treasure"), "słoneczko" (diminutive for sun), etc. etc. etc.

I would say it also depends on the parents and their relationship with their children - if parents are more "cool" and "easygoing" they can say "Dobranoc, Kasia" or "Dobranoc, Kaśka" and it will sound OK.

Btw, diminutive forms of "Katarzyna" don't end with "Kasia" - the sweetest is probably "Kasieńka" and more funny but still sweet is "Kasiulka", "Kasiulek", "Kasiuleczek" lol


I honestly don't know, but I guess it could be. It is usually believed that the pre-war people in Poland were more cultured, well-mannered.

In more formal situations we still use the vocative case: "Panie doktorze" (Mr. doctor), "Panie profesorze" (Mr. professor), "Panie dyrektorze" (Mr. director) or at work, for example: "Pani Kasiu" (no matter if Kasia is a director of a company or a cleaning lady) or when you're addressing your neighbours, for example.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! You've helped me so much. You've been so clear and thorough. You've answered everything I've wanted to know! Thank you!!

DIminutive vocatives in Polish can indeed go on and on, as you've just observed.

Małgorzata > Małgosia > Gosia > Gocha > Gochu!.......

......

it's an augmentative (zgrubienie) not a diminutive, Lyzko; regards ;)

Ah, bardzo interesujące, milawiu! Zgrubienie zapomniałem:-)

Guess I've got to bone up a bit on the augmentative, eh?
dzięki!

Was watching a Polish film on Netflicks without subtitles late last night with my wife (think it may have been "Popiół i Diamanty"!) and one of the characters says to another "Dzień dobry, Panie Witoldzie! Jak się pan ma?" Here a hopefully instructive example of Vocative + given name used in the FORMAL, rather than familiar. This Witold chap seems to have been a party aquaintance, though clearly not a friend and so he and the other person were keeping a polite distance, so it appeared.