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Why do Silesians call people from Warsaw "Gorole"?


cdnpp 1 | 4
21 Apr 2010 #1
Silesians sometimes complain about 'gorole'. At first, I thought they were referring to the Gorole of southern Poland: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorals

but it appears that quite often they're referring to people from Warsaw... I assume they're being sarcastic since from my limited knowledge of Polish geography, there aren't any mountains in Masovia. But why use a name that will cause so much confusion? Does this have something to do with the fact that some Silesians want autonomy but there's less interest in the southern part of Silesia associated with Gorole. So perhaps that's how Gorole became conflated with Warsaw.. maybe they think the Gorole are on Warsaw's side?
Ziemowit 14 | 4,263
21 Apr 2010 #2
The Silesians call "gorole" the rest of people of Poland other than themselves, the native people of Upper Silesia. For themselves they will use the name "hanysy".

The use of "gorole" by Silesians should not be confounded with the use of "górale" in standard Polish in which it will mean "highlanders".
not_guilty - | 1
21 Apr 2010 #3
Well I cannot answer all your questions regarding the word gorol where it came from but from what I understand that word refers to all people who are from outside of Silesia. Not only Warsaw but any place in Poland for that matter.

The word gorol has nothing to do with the word goral which refers to highlanders up in the mountains.
OP cdnpp 1 | 4
21 Apr 2010 #4
For some reason I thought gorol was another form of goral.. Wikipedia also seems to think so. They give gorole as the Cieszyn Silesian term for highlanders.
Ziemowit 14 | 4,263
21 Apr 2010 #5
Wikipedia also seems to think so. They give gorole as the Cieszyn Silesian term for highlanders.

It may be the case. In the language of Cieszyn Silesians, the term "gorole" may mean exactly what it means in standard Polish (górale), as opposite to the language of the rest of Upper Silesia. Cieszyn Silesia had been separated from the Prussian part of Upper Silesia from 1741 until 1919 as a part belonging to the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. Even before 1741 Cieszyn Silesia was a seperate entity known as the Principality of Cieszyn.
smurf 39 | 1,969
21 Apr 2010 #6
plus anything that annoys Warsaw natives is always fun ;-P
Polonius3 993 | 12,357
21 Apr 2010 #7
The Polish oldtimers in Hamtramck, MI used to call Negroes "Warszawiacy", maybe so they wouldn't know they were being talked about. Many blacks living there kknew some Polish and knew what "czarne" meant. In Caro, MI (some 170 km the north of there) one old Polish immigrant used the term kaszuby for all non-Polish people including Americans jabbering away in English. All traditonal communities are wary of outsiders and sometines find unusual ways of labelling htem.
Mr Grunwald 32 | 2,176
21 Apr 2010 #8
to call Negroes "Warszawiacy",

lol

All traditonal communities are wary of outsiders and sometines find unusual ways of labelling htem.

hmm interesting
You effy person :p
kondzior 11 | 1,046
21 Apr 2010 #9
I hate Hanysy! :-)

How was it?

"Gdy dorośniesz synu mój
Całe Bielsko weźmiesz w bój
Katowice całe spal, spal, spal
Niech Hanysy mają bal, bal, bal
1jola 14 | 1,879
21 Apr 2010 #10
plus anything that annoys Warsaw natives is always fun ;-P

We're never really annoyed as we consider everyone else hicks except for Cracovians. We reserve special words to describe them. He,he
Drac90 1 | 74
29 Apr 2010 #11
We reserve special words to describe them. He,he

and what that might be?
frd 7 | 1,399
30 Apr 2010 #12
KRAKUSY!!!!! damn krakuses !!
pgtx 29 | 3,145
30 Apr 2010 #13
special words

KRAKUSY!!!!! damn krakuses !!

thank you very much ;)
frd 7 | 1,399
30 Apr 2010 #14
What? : o

Born and bred silesian here, I know my dictionary :p
pawian 224 | 24,484
1 Oct 2019 #15
The word gorol has nothing to do with the word goral which refers to highlanders up in the mountains.

I always though it does. Gorole was derived from górale (Highlanders) who came to Silesia from Lesser Poland regions.

pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorol_(etnolekt_%C5%9Bl%C4%85ski)


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