There is also an explanation by prof. Krawczuk for the term KURWA: In the middleage Cracow hookers served close to the city walls (MUR obronny) an they were called MURWA. After a 500 years and a small change we have: KURWA=hooker. Word MUR have a German origin so we are going back to Germany.
Once again Krawczuk missed the point. If it was from Mur/Mauer, why is it so popular in all Slavonic languages, even in these having no contact with German.
According to Linde (1808) is quite the opposite: murwa is to soften the word (or to replace a taboo word kurwa). He cited funny proverbs: Ożenił się kołodziey, pojął murwę sam złodziey. (A wheelwright married one, took a whore while himself a thief.) Póty murwa miłuie, póki w mieszku czuie. (Whore loves till she sniffs out money).
I think Polish people overall don't swear as much as other nations (e.g.. Americans). I mean - when Poles swear, they are really angry or something while American use the f*ck word on any occasion.. :}. There are exceptions of course - come to Poland and take a walk in the evening by a liquor store or forest preserve
Interesting, I was about to say the opposite... In my view New Yorkers and Californians curse a lot but overall I think Poles curse much more than the average American...
Yeah, you def. sound like someone from Kalifooornia... LOL
I occasionally pop in an infix.These don't normally exist in English - where you add something into the middle of a word. The target word has to be long enough to justify having this extra portion added. It is normally a fairly innocent word that just needs a little spicing up for the occasion.
In my view New Yorkers and Californians curse a lot but overall I think Poles curse much more than the average American...
Interesting observation. However may I ask if you did eliminate class differences. I risk hypothesis that most of your Polish test sample was from proletariat while NYers and CAns from your sample were from mixed class with middle class prevalence.
My hypothesis is Poles are less cursing people than American when comparing adequate social classes but I have no idea how to prove it ;-)
Your hypothesis is (in my view ;) flawed and I have no idea how to prove it either.. LOL
Seriously though, I fly for a living and get to meet many people but I seldom stop to inquire about their class status. From my observations cursing in the US is definitely an East coast & West coat phenomenon. Note, people curse everywhere but New Yorkers and Californians put it to extreme. Maybe they're just pissed because they have the highest taxes in the nation? I don't know...
However, whenever I hear the Polish language whether in the US or Europe or Asia (MANY Poles in Shanghai, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur) I always try to stop by to say hello and attempt to practice - I mean butcher - my Polish. More often than not before I reach the table, corner, etc. I hear 'kurva' this and 'kurva' that, 'cholera', 'wpierdole', 'huj', etc, etc. I don't know what their "class status" is but surprisingly often I'll hear female voices cursing too.
In fact, a few times I was totally perplexed as I see this seemingly classy lady, dressed to kill who appears to be an attorney, a business woman, etc. yet the words out of her mouth are as sharp and foul as a sailor's lingo.
Note, my observation is extremely unscientific and maybe I simply have very bad luck and always (or often) seem to run into potty-mouthed Poles? Not criticizing either way, just pure observation and a reply to "Maciej" who earlier said:
"...I think Polish people overall don't swear as much as other nations (e.g.. Americans). I mean - when Poles swear, they are really angry or something while American use the f*ck word on any occasion.. :}. There are exceptions of course - come to Poland and take a walk in the evening by a liquor store or forest preserve..."
I wonder how rude is it in Polish? From a Russian perspective I should say that "huj"in Russian is much "heavier" than f-words in English. That always bears a negative meaning and represents a person who says it the negative way.
It's a gutter speech word, even posh people swear sometimes and they would never use this word.. it makes people who use it seem dumb and uneducated...
I found that cholera completely threw me off every time the fiance used the term, I tend to say skurwysn in general conversation and when I first heard someone who wasn't my grandparent speaking Polish and using the term I wondered why the heck they were talking about a disease.
Cholera is often strengthened and sounds like Cholera jasna! or even Psiakrew! Cholera jasna!. It was a very common old exclamation of anger, irritation, disappointment, shock.
It originated from a bad wish to inlocutor: Niech cię [jasna|cięzka] cholera weźmie! what was meant to mean:Let cholera kills you!. Very nice wish, isn't it?
Now it is considered not strong enough and is replaced by heavier words.
I know absolutely no Polish, but I have a friend who's grandpa used to always say "Sok-ra-men-ski Hoo-ba-sa-ki" Know Idea how it is spelled, but he said it was Polish, and always used it as a curse....and for a good proclamation he would say "Gloriaski"