Because she knows you. She knows you mean no harm by it.
Well, more like she lives in Poland and never heard it used in a derogatory manner. She just know's that it's used in reference to a person from Poland. I do see your point though. Racial slurs IMO are just a bit more harsh.
I don't really like the word Brit, however it is spoken. If I'm spoken to in English, I'd prefer to hear 'Englishman'. If I'm speaking English, I tend to say Polish man, Polish woman or Polish people. Maybe Poles.
Yeah now there's a whole other debate opened up right there, RELIGION is the source of most of the wars in history, either linked to, religious beliefs or other elements of religion.
I don't need to list some examples because i'm sure you are all aware of what i mean. Imagine, NO RELIGION, less wars, however its true that if we not waring over Religion it will be about something else.
Just stop for a second and see how ridiculous this all is, we have been waring for centuries over a few fairy tails written by a few people who were bored and as good at telling stories as Terry Prattchet and Steven King.
I could right on and on about Religion and the negative affects on human life and culture but really there would be to much to write :)
As has been pointed out several times, Polak is a Polish man, but it is not enough to say "a person hailing from Poland" because that exludes Polki, who are of course the women hailing from Poland. But that's not at issue here, I know.
I agree with the comparison ArturSzastak made with not using the N word to a black person unless you're black. It's unfortunate that a word should be reserved as appropriate to only certain people, but that is the way it is.
I also don't think it's the same thing for a Ukrainian or Russian or any other Slav to use the term Polak because they are coming from a shared linguistic background, and it is safe to assume that their intentions are neutral. English speakers cannot claim this.
I am Polka, not Polak. The only time anyone ever calls me Polak it is not out of curiousity about my heritage, but in order to reference the "Polack joke" mentality. I find it offensive coming from someone who doesn't know what it means and isn't using it correctly.
It's perfectly fine to mix languages, most multilinguals do so, but if you don't know Polish, this should not be the one Polish word you insert into conversation.
Bottom line, if there's any controversy about a word, I would avoid it just in case. No one will get offended because you DON'T use the word Polak, but since some people might, I'd stay away from it. Unless, of course, you're speaking in Polish.
Amongst black people, it is still a derogatory term used by those who see themselves as more respectable. Those who do not wish to be seen as (that kind of) respectable give it that same meaning, but don't mind calling themselves N-.
In Ukraine they talk about Poliaci and they pronounce like Paliaci,which seemed to me derrogatory.When they say ukrainki they stop at ai like ukraaiinki,which lasts double than simply paliaci.
In Ukraine they talk about Poliaci and they pronounce like Paliaci,which seemed to me derrogatory.
Ukrainans are weak people as they never had a country of their own. Poles, Lithuanians and Russians dominated over them for a 800 years untill Ukraine was created in 1991. And let us not confuse Kiev Rus which was established by the Varangians or Vikings as being Ukrainian because it wasn't.
Ukrainians claim Kiev Rus,original russians were in fact ukrainians.
Kievan Rus was founded by a Varangian (Viking) warrior named Rurik , who first established the empire in Novgorod and then added Kiev.
[[i]b]These particular Varangians were called Rus, just as some are called Swedes, and others Normans and Angles, and still others Goths for they were thus named. The Chuds, the Slavs, the Krivichs and the Ves then said to the Rus, "Our land is great and rich, but there is no order in it. Come reign as princes, rule over us". Three brothers, with their kinfolk, volunteered. They took with them all the Rus and came[/b].
Viking founded Kiev Rus is a predecessor state to Belarus, Ukraine and Russia.[/i]
I don't think that's derogatory and neither does my polish bf. I'm a Canadian and ppl call us canucks, i don't know any Canadians that find this derogatory. If they do maybe they're just hypersensitive to everything and like to cause s9it.
The word "Polak" can be derogatory. I've heard people use the word in reference to one being unintelligent, or doing some thing stupid or wrong. For example, if someone put their shirt on backwards and didn't realize it someone could call them a Polak. I don't know how it originated, but it can be derogatory depending on how it's used.
It means "You f&cking Pole," which is just like saying "You f&cking Yank" in some contexts. but heres an interesting line from our friends at Wikipedia:
In early 20th century, some ethnic slurs were popularized to describe Polish people in the U.S., such as "Polacks" or the term "white niggers" - used by the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs) due to the fact that Polish-American men were marrying African-American women regardless of their race,[54] but most notably, it was the spread of Polack (or Polish) jokes.
What's funny, though, is that a number of us were actually Jewish and hated by gentile Poles as well. So, maybe that's why Great-Great-Granddad and Great-Great-Great-Grandma pretended to be Polish Catholics: they'd rather get the rap for being "Polacks" then "k___s"; and I don't blame them. I'm not saying that calling anyone a "Polack" or even "Polak" in a derogatory sense is right; but I think that Great-Granddad pretended to be a Pole for that reason when he married Great-Grandma, a Slovakian-American gentile (though perhaps Jewish) Catholic: her parents did not like Jews too much (because, unless they were trying to dodge being Jewish as well; the Jews were the Christ-killing and unredeemed people to them, since they were hard-core Slovakian Roman Catholics).
Polak, kike, Yank, wop, its all the same. Depends on the context, intentions of the speaker, whatever. If someone uses the term endearingly its no big deal. If there's spite in the voice then you know what the person is all about.
Well, "k___" is like "n_____"; and "Polak" spelled inappropriately is like using "Jew" or "Negro" (even "Black") as a pejorative. So, I don't see where your argument holds up.
Mar 25, 10, 21:15 - Thread attached on merging: Is 'Pollack' offensive?
In the mouth of an English speaker do you find the term 'Pollack' offensive? I migth have added 'German speaker' as well. They've even got a nasty term for Poland: Polakei instead of the standard Polen.
So what do you call a bunch of Polish people then...? I have heard on tv Polish people refering to themselves and others as Pollacks , so i am not sure if its offensive or not...?
Among my Polish friends , we call each other all manner of things , and it would not matter at all if i call them a Pollack , or even a burak , but i would not want to cause offence to a stranger...What is the correct word to call Polish people...????
Home / Language / Is the term 'Polak' derogatory??
