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Ruski a slur like Pollack?


Polonius3 994 | 12,367
28 Dec 2010 #1
A court case is under way in Kielce to determine whether 'Rusek', 'Ruska' and 'Ruski' are ethnic slurs punishable by law in Poland. This akin to the situation of Pollack in the USA, since 'ruski' is a neutral term in Russian but pejorative in Polish.

thenews.pl/national/artykul146321_court-to-decide-if-ruski-is-ethnic-term-of-abuse-in-poland.html
Plato - | 10
28 Dec 2010 #2
Yeah it is for me. I wouldn't say rusek to anyone and when I use it to tell somebody about someone, it feels like an insult towards the person I'm telling about.
PolishNutjob 1 | 74
28 Dec 2010 #3
The Polaks in the USA are doing quite well for themselves. Can the Ruskies make the same claim about their fate in Poland among the multicultural, sensitive Polaks?
PennBoy 76 | 2,432
28 Dec 2010 #4
Ruski' are ethnic slurs

That word is neutral not a slur, it's simply an old fashioned way of calling a Russian from when Russia was Kievan Rus

sensitive Polaks?

And in English (once again) Pollack is always offensive, if you're speaking Polish or Russian or some other language where Polak means a Pole then its ok to say it.
wildrover 98 | 4,441
28 Dec 2010 #5
It won,t be long before Brit is seen as an offensive word..!
jonni 16 | 2,482
28 Dec 2010 #6
Sometimes in small-town east Poland it can be used perjoratively against someone, maybe orthodox by religion.
guesswho 4 | 1,278
28 Dec 2010 #7
That word is neutral not a slur,

right, "Kacap" is a slur, lol
I heard one of my friends saying it while in Poland and it sounded so funny that I still remember it.
PennBoy 76 | 2,432
28 Dec 2010 #8
Sometimes in small-town east Poland it can be used perjoratively against someone

That's only because some Poles are prejudice against Russians and they say Ruski angrily, but this is mostly the older folk or some dimwit. Right guesswho, Kacap is very offensive, funny how a Russian friend of mine explained to me that Kacap (Russian) and Hahol (Ukrainian) come from the hairstyles that men used to have hundreds of years ago like Cossacks with the hair up.
jonni 16 | 2,482
28 Dec 2010 #9
this is mostly the older folk or some dimwit.

A bit of that, but you get it in villages near borders everywhere, Poles or not.
Paulina 16 | 4,266
28 Dec 2010 #10
Yeah it is for me.

For me also.

I wouldn't say rusek to anyone and when I use it to tell somebody about someone, it feels like an insult towards the person I'm telling about.

Yes, I wouldn't say "rusek" to anyone either and I wouldn't use this word behind their back.

That word is neutral not a slur, it's simply an old fashioned way of calling a Russian from when Russia was Kievan Rus

Are you sure? Maybe ask Russians living in Poland what they think about this word.

And in English (once again) Pollack is always offensive, if you're speaking Polish or Russian or some other language where Polak means a Pole then its ok to say it.

LOL

Oh but Americans also claim that Polack "is neutral not a slur" and everything depends on the context :)

A Russian guy posted a link to the article in Polish about it on one blog:
nana - | 40
28 Dec 2010 #11
I think "Ruski" has got offensive meaning. of course it depends on intonation and intention :).
Some phrases aren't so offensive like "ruski miesiąc" ("russian month") - which means that sth takes a long time. It's used in polish language without negative meaning.

But generally it's offensive and the term "ruski" it hasn't got polish origin but russian. In polish should be "rosyjski". If we wanna say that sth is russian we should use "rosyjski".That's why "ruski" is rude, impolite
Plato - | 10
28 Dec 2010 #12
old fashioned way of calling a Russian from when Russia was Kievan Rus

The historic context might be present, but it just feels degrading when you use it and I would allways use "Rosjanin" in "official" area.

"jebany Rosjanin" - 4 results in Google
"jebany Rusek" - 354 results in Google

And it's not because we are more pissed about the Kievian Rus than about the Tsarian/Soviet Russians
SeanBM 35 | 5,806
28 Dec 2010 #13
Pierogi ruskie?
PennBoy 76 | 2,432
28 Dec 2010 #14
A Russian guy posted a link to the article in Polish about it on one blog

Well if they feel like it's offensive maybe they should change it, the Polish word for Gypsy Cygan (same also in Russian) became offensive since Cygan is slang for liar, so they prefer to be called Roma.
Paulina 16 | 4,266
28 Dec 2010 #15
Pierogi ruskie?

This name is derived from Ruś Czerwona (Red Ruthenia), not from Russia (Rosja):

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Ruthenia

Well if they feel like it's offensive maybe they should change it, the Polish word for Gypsy Cygan (same also in Russian) became offensive since Cygan is slang for liar, so they prefer to be called Roma.

I don't follow articles and news that much, but one Pole claims that in Polish newspapers and on TV they're already replacing "Cyganie" with "Romowie".
SeanBM 35 | 5,806
28 Dec 2010 #16
This name is derived from Ruś Czerwona (Red Ruthenia), not from Russia (Rosja):

Ha! Thanks, I always thought it was like Russian style pierogi, what about Chicken Kiev? :)
PennBoy 76 | 2,432
28 Dec 2010 #17
Blacks or Arabs getting beat up, people making monkey chants, or white power writen on blocks that's offensive, not being called Ruski a neutral word.
Paulina 16 | 4,266
28 Dec 2010 #18
PennBoy, you don't live in Poland, do you?
PennBoy 76 | 2,432
28 Dec 2010 #19
Nope not any more, used to in Stalowa Wola. All i'm saying is I hardly remember anyone ever using the word Rosjanin always Ruski and it wasn't a bad word at all.
Paulina 16 | 4,266
28 Dec 2010 #20
PennBoy, I also wasn't paying any attention to this word until I started discussing with Russians. After that I suddenly started to notice it and pay attention how it's used and why.

Remember that there was a time when antisemitism and calling someone "Żydek" was something normal and nothing out of the ordinary...
I know that Poles often say that it's just a "zdrobnienie" or "potoczne słowo", but why won't they call Russians like that in the face? You ever wondered why?
PennBoy 76 | 2,432
28 Dec 2010 #21
Żyd

From what i've heard Żyd is offensive now in Russia. And i did notice twice from Russians when i called them Ruski they got mad, but since i never used it offensively in Poland it was normal to say that, i just figured they're overreacting.
Nathan 18 | 1,349
28 Dec 2010 #22
in the face

Also, I might add to what you say, it doesn't matter what you feel or how you interpret the words you are using, it is how the person about whom you are talking takes it. I might say: "Hey Polack!" meaning "hey a guy from Poland" and nothing else, no hatred, not for fun. But how the guy I am talking to will take it? So it is not about what the sayer feels - nobody gives a dime what is in the head of the talker. If people to whom you refer consider it offensive, then it is offensive.
OP Polonius3 994 | 12,367
28 Dec 2010 #23
The standard Russian word for Jew (in Polish transliteration) is Iwrej. Żyd is standard in Polish but in Russian it means something like Kike, Hymie, Jewboy, etc..
Paulina 16 | 4,266
28 Dec 2010 #24
From what i've heard Żyd is offensive now in Russia.

So? What's your point? If someone in Russia is an antisemite it means Poles are allowed to be offensive to all Russians?

And i did notice twice from Russians when i called them Ruski they got mad.

Was it in Poland?
Well, I would say they weren't overreacting. Poles' attitude towards Russians and Russia + calling them "Ruscy/Ruski/Ruska" = a very unpleasant mix for Russians.

Also, I might add to what you say, it doesn't matter what you feel or how you interpret the words you are using, it is how the person about whom you are talking takes it.

Um... I would say completely the other way around.
PennBoy 76 | 2,432
28 Dec 2010 #25
Was it in Poland?
Well, I would say they weren't overreacting. Poles attitude towards Russians and Russia + calling them "Ruscy/Ruski/Ruska" = a very unpleasant mix for Russians.

I have nothing against Russians i have Russian friends i dated a Russian girl few years back, I just said i've never used it offensively nor most people in Poland, it was just an another way of saying Rosjanin, neutral.
Seanus 15 | 19,674
28 Dec 2010 #26
Żyd itself is not so offensive but is with the right intonation.

Ruski is just an easy slang word for me :)
Paulina 16 | 4,266
28 Dec 2010 #27
The problem is that word "Ruski/Ruska/Ruscy" is associated with the attitude of Poles towards Russians and Russia and I think it quite often stems from it. Not always, not in your case, but quite often it does.

By "attitude" I mean this:

Which - according to the general Polish stereotype - so we find the eastern border ? First of all - the Russians . The Russians , which include both the Russians and the Ukrainians and Belarusians , because the average Pole barely three nations from each other distinguish . Often the " Russian " we throw the bag yet - Polish generous hand - Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians , but recently it happens now - thankfully - less frequently. The Baltic States are together with us and the EU and Schengen , and the Estonian - which is the statistical information they already suppressed admiration assimilated - anything you can get on the Internet and pay for parking SMS - em.

And the "attitude" as shown in this quote from the article:

Ulrich opowiada jak pewnego dnia jechał busem do Mniowa na dyżury terapeutyczne. - Jakoś tak zeszła rozmowa na temat Luby. I ci ludzie, do obcego w końcu mężczyzny, jakim dla nich byłem, w ogóle się nie krępowali. Ruska to, ruska tamto, epitety, pamiętam ten rechot Leppera w całym busie. Wtedy zrozumiałem, jak Luba może się czuć na tej wsi - opowiada.

Even in Polish dictionaries this word is described as "disrespectful" ("lekceważący"):

sjp.pwn.pl/slownik/2518189/rusek

I've noticed that Russians tolerate this word only when it's coming from some hardcore rusophiles.
isthatu2 4 | 2,694
28 Dec 2010 #28
It won,t be long before Brit is seen as an offensive word..!

It is,in context,from a Yank its fair enough,from an Irishmen it holds far deeper meanings.
Isnt Moskaly the offensive term,surely not the russian for russian?
wildrover 98 | 4,441
28 Dec 2010 #29
It is,in context,from a Yank its fair enough,

What about Yanks...is that offensive...?
isthatu2 4 | 2,694
28 Dec 2010 #30
To anyone south of the mason dixon I imagine :) But I dont hear anyone bleeping out the words to "Over There" or Yankke Doodle Dandy....


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