Poland Languages: Difference between revisions

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__TOC__
===Word Lists===
Most materials used in Polish research are written in Polish. You do not need to speak or read Polish to do research in Polish records, but you should know some key words and phrases to understand the records. Because the Roman Catholic Church was the predominant religion in Poland, many records  are in Latin. Other languages in Polish records include German, Russian, Hebrew, Ukrainian, and Old Church Slavonic.
 
For word lists and help researching in Polish records, see:
*[[Polish Genealogical Word List]]
*[[German Genealogical Word List]]
*[[Russian Genealogical Word List]]
*[[Latin Genealogical Word List]]
 
===Lessons on Handwriting===
'''Handwriting Lessons on FamilySearch Learning Center:'''<br>
*'''[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/german-paleography-seminar-introduction German Paleography Seminar - 10 classes]'''
*[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/german-paleography-seminar-introduction German Paleography Seminar] - Lessons on German Handwriting
*Old German Script
**[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/old-german-script-part-1 Part 1]
**[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/old-german-script-part-2 Part 2]
**[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/old-german-script-german-church-and-civil-records-part-3 Part 3 (German Church and Civil Records)]
*'''Reading Russian Handwriting'''
**[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/reading-russian-documents-the-russian-alphabet Reading Russian Documents: The Russian Alphabet]
**[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/russian-alphabet-language-and-handwriting-part-1 Russian Alphabet, Language and Handwriting, part 1]
**[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/russian-alphabet-language-and-handwriting-part-2 Russian Alphabet, Language and Handwriting, part 2]
*'''Additional Russian Paleography Classes'''
**[http://www.russianforeveryone.com/RufeA/Lessons/Introduction/Alphabet/Alphabet.htm Russian for Everyone: The Russian Alphabet]
**[https://www.sggee.org/research/rus_translate/Cyrillic_Handouts.pdf SGGEE Cyrillic Handout.pdf] for months and numbers in Russian cursive.
*'''Latin in German Church Records'''
**[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/latin-for-genealogists Latin for Genealogists]
 
Polish grammar may affect the way names appear in genealogical records. For example, names of your ancestors will vary from record to record in Polish.
 
For help in understanding name variations, see [[Poland Names, Personal|Personal Names]].
 
=== Alphabet  ===
 
Aa Ąą Bb Cc Ćć Dd Ee Ęę Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Łł Mm Nn Ńń Oo Óó Pp Rr Ss Śś Tt Uu Ww Yy Zz Źź Żż
 
The letters q, v and x are also used, but only for foreign names or words.
 
=== Pronunciation Guide  ===
 
c = ts<br>ch,h = kh<br>ć,cz,ci = ch<br>ś,sz,si = sh<br>ż,zi,rz = zh<br>ą = om, on<br>ę = em, en<br>j = y<br>dz = j<br>ł = w<br>w = v<br>
 
=== Language Aids  ===
 
The FamilySearch Library has genealogical word lists for Polish (34098), German (34067), and Latin (34077). The following books and English-Polish dictionaries can also aid you in your research. You can find these and similar material at many research libraries:
 
Kierst, W. ''English-Polish/Polish-English Dictionary.'' New York, New York: Saphograph Co., 1956. (FS Library book 491.85321 K847e.)
 
Pogonowski, Iwo Cyprian. ''Practical Polish-English, English-Polish Dictionary.'' New York, New York: Hippocrene Books, 1985. (FS Library book 491.85321P751p.)
 
Another valuable research tool for reading records of the former Russian territories of Poland is:
 
Frazin, Judith R. A ''Translation Guide to&nbsp;the 19-century Polish-language Civil-registration Documents: (Birth, Marriage and Death Records). 2nd ed.'' Northbrook, Illinois: The Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois, 1989. (FS Library book 943.8 V27.) This book is now online at Google Books: http://books.google.de/books?id=qSEBjYeyUpAC&amp;pg=PA154&amp;lpg=PA# .
 
To read the Russian language records of this same area after 1868 use:
 
Shea, Jonathan D. ''Russian Language Documents from Russian Poland: a Translation Manual for Genealogists. 2nd ed.'' Buffalo Grove, Illinois: Genun, 1989. (FS Library book 943.8 D27.)
 
The Polish genealogical Word List published by the FamilySearch Library is available at this link: [http://204.9.225.220/eng/Search/rg/frameset_rhelps.asp?Page=./research/type/Word_List.asp https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Poland_Genealogical_Word_List]
 
Learning:&nbsp;Polish Language, Common Word Translations is [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~atpc/learn/tools/commonwords.html available online].
 
=== Word List  ===
 
This list contains Polish words with their English translations. The words included here are those that you are likely to find in genealogical sources. If the word you are looking for is not on this list, please consult a Polish-English dictionary.&nbsp;<br>
 
Polish is a Slavic language related to Russian and Slovak. It is used in genealogical sources throughout Poland. Before 1918, Polish-speaking territories were divided between Russia, Germany, and Austria. Records written before 1918 may be in German, Russian, Latin, or Polish.
 
*In Russian Poland, Polish was the official language for vital records from 1808 to 1868. From 1868 to 1917, Russian was the official language.
*In German Poland, most records were kept in German or [[Latin Genealogical Word List|Latin]], though some were kept in Polish.
*In Austrian Poland, most records were kept in [[Latin Genealogical Word List|Latin]]. Some records were kept in German and some in Polish.
 
Polish is also used in the records kept in some Polish communities in the United States.
 
Polish records often contain Latin and German words. See the [[German Word List|German Genealogical Word List]], and the [[Latin Genealogical Word List|Latin Genealogical Word List]]. Or at the following link:http://204.9.225.220/eng/Search/rg/frameset_rhelps.asp?Page=./research/type/Word_List.asp
 
=== Language Characteristics  ===
 
Polish words for persons, places, and things (nouns) are classified as masculine, feminine, or neuter. Adjectives used to describe them must have the proper masculine, feminine, or neuter endings, for example:
 
stary mąż-- old man
 
stara kobieta-- old woman
 
stare miasto-- old city
 
The endings of past tense verbs also change depending on the gender of the person or thing being described or performing the action. For example:
 
umarł -- he died
 
umarła-- she died
 
umarło-- it [the child] died
 
==== Variant Forms of Words  ====
 
In Polish, as in English, the forms of some words will vary according to how they are used in a sentence. Who-whose-whom or marry-marries- married are examples of words in English with variant forms. In Polish any word may change, depending on usage. This word list gives the standard form of each Polish word. As you read Polish records, you will need to be aware that most words vary with usage.
 
The endings of words in a document will often differ from what you find in this list. For example, the document may use the word starego (old), but you will find it in this word list as stary (old).
 
Certain endings, called genitive, give the meaning "of" to a word. The following endings are typical:
 
Nouns Endings Adjectives
 
-a (masculine) -ego
 
-y or -i (feminine) -ej
 
-ów (plural) -ich or -ych
 
Thus, ojciec zmarłego means "father of the deceased."
 
Plural forms of Polish words usually change the singular word as follows:
 
Words ending in -a change to -y
 
Words ending in -o change to -a
 
A -y or -i is added to form the plural
 
The plural form may change the basic word, for example:
 
{| class="plain FCK__ShowTableBorders"
|-
| Singular
| Plural
|-
| miasto =city
| miasta= cities
|-
| powiat =district
| powiaty =districts
|-
| brat= brother
| bracia =brothers
|-
| żona=wife
| żony=wives
|}
 
=== Additional Resources  ===
 
This word list includes words most commonly found in genealogical sources. For further help, use a Polish-English dictionary. Several Polish-English dictionaries are available at the FamilySearch Library in the European collection. Their call numbers begin with 491.85321. See [[Poland Encyclopedias and Dictionaries]].<br>
 
The following dictionary is available on microfilm for use in FamilySearch Centers:
 
Stanisławski, Jan. ''English-Polish and Polish-English Dictionary.''&nbsp; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: David McKay, 1946. (FS Library film 1,045,473, item 1)
 
Additional dictionaries are listed in the Subject section of the FamilySearch Catalog under:
 
POLISH LANGUAGE - DICTIONARIES
 
Other dictionaries and language helps, such as Polish grammar books, are listed in the Locality section under:
 
POLAND - LANGUAGE AND LANGUAGES
 
=== Key Words  ===
 
To find and use specific types of Polish records, you will need to know some key words in Polish. This section gives key genealogical terms in English and the Polish words with the same or similar meanings.
 
For example, in the first column you will find the English word marriage. In the second column you will find Polish words with meanings such as marry, marriage, wedding, wedlock, unite, legitimate, joined, and other words used to indicate marriage.
 
For a full genealogical word list, visit [[Polish Genealogical Word List|Polish Genealogical Word List]].
 
{| width="65%" class="plain FCK__ShowTableBorders"
|-
| '''English'''
| '''Polish'''
|-
| birth
| urodzin, urodzony, urodził się, zrodzony
|-
| burial
| pogrzeb, pochówek
|-
| Catholic
| katolicki, rzymsko-katolicki
|-
| child
| dziecię, dziecko
|-
| christening
| chrzest, chrzciny, ochrzczone
|-
| death(s)
| zgon(ów), zejść, umarł , zmarł , śmierć (śmierci)
|-
| father
| ojciec
|-
| husband
| mąż, małżonek
|-
| index
| indeks, skorowidz, register, spis
|-
| Jewish
| żydowski, starozakonny, izraelici, mojżeszowy
|-
| marriage
| małżenstw(o), ślub(ów), zaślubionych
|-
| marriage banns
| zapowiedzi
|-
| mother
| matka
|-
| name, given
| imię, imion
|-
| name, surname
| nazwisko
|-
| parents
| rodzice
|-
| parish
| parafia
|-
| Protestant
| ewangelicki, reformowany, protestancki, luterański
|-
| wife
| żona, małżonka, zamęża, kobieta
|-
| year
| rok, lat
|}
 
<br>
 
=== Numbers  ===
 
In many genealogical records, numbers— especially dates—are spelled out. The following list gives the cardinal (1, 2, 3) and ordinal (1st, 2nd, 3rd) numbers. Dates are written in ordinal form. In dates, ordinal numbers usually end with '''''-ego''''', for example:
 
{| cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="40%" border="0" align="center" class="FCK__ShowTableBorders"
|-
| pierwszy
| the first
|-
| pierwszego
| on the first (of the month)
|}
 
{| cellspacing="1" cellpadding="10" width="432" border="0" class="FCK__ShowTableBorders"
|-
|
| '''Cardinal'''
|
| '''Ordinal'''
|-
| align="right" | 1 <br>2 <br>3 <br>4 <br>5 <br>6 <br>7 <br>8 <br>9 <br>10 <br>11 <br>12 <br>13 <br>14 <br>15 <br>16 <br>17 <br>18 <br>19 <br>20 <br>21 <br>22 <br>23 <br>24 <br>25 <br>26 <br>27 <br>28 <br>29 <br>30 <br>40 <br>50 <br>60 <br>70 <br>80 <br>90 <br>100 <br>200 <br>300 <br>400 <br>500 <br>600 <br>700 <br>800 <br>900 <br>1000
| jeden, jedna <br>dwa <br>trzy <br>cztery <br>pięć <br>sześć <br>siedem <br>osiem <br>dziewięć <br>dziesięć <br>jedenaście <br>dwanaście <br>trzynaście <br>czternaście <br>piętnaście <br>szesnaście <br>siedemnaście <br>osiemnaście <br>dziewiętnaście <br>dwadzieścia <br>dwadzieścia jeden <br>dwadzieścia dwa <br>dwadzieścia trzy <br>dwadzieścia cztery <br>dwadzieścia pięć <br>dwadzieścia sześć<br>dwadzieścia siedem <br>dwadzieścia osiem <br>dwadzieścia dziewięć<br>trzydzieści <br>czterdzieści <br>pięćdziesiąt <br>sześć dziesiąt <br>siedemdziesiąt <br>osiemdziesiąt <br>dziewiecdziesiąt <br>sto <br>dwieście <br>trzysta <br>czterysta <br>pięćset <br>sześćset <br>siedemset <br>osiemset <br>dziewięćset <br>tysiąc
| 1st <br>2nd <br>3rd <br>4th <br>5th <br>6th <br>7th <br>8th <br>9th <br>10th <br>11th <br>12th <br>13th <br>14th <br>15th <br>16th <br>17th <br>18th <br>19th <br>20th <br>21st <br>22nd <br>23rd <br>24th <br>25th <br>16th <br>27th <br>28th <br>29th <br>30th <br>40th <br>50th <br>60th <br>70th <br>80th <br>90th <br>100th <br>200th <br>300th <br>400th <br>500th <br>600th <br>700th <br>800th <br>900th <br>1000th
| pierwszy <br>drugi <br>trzeci <br>czwarty <br>piąty <br>szósty <br>siódmy <br>ósmy <br>dziewiąty <br>dziesiąty <br>jedenasty <br>dwunasty <br>trzynasty <br>czternasty <br>piętnasty <br>szesnasty <br>siedemnasty <br>osiemnasty <br>dziewiętnasty <br>dwudziesty, dwódziesty <br>dwudziesty pierwszy <br>dwudziesty drugi <br>dwudziesty trzeci <br>dwudziesty czwarty <br>dwudziesty piąty <br>dwudziesty szósty <br>dwudziesty siódmy <br>dwudziesty ósmy <br>dwudziesty dziewiąty <br>trzydziesty <br>czterdziesty <br>pięćdziesiąty <br>sześćdziesiąty <br>siedemdziesiąty <br>osiemdziesiąty <br>dziewięćdziesiąty <br>setny <br>dwóchsetny <br>trzysetny, trzechsetny <br>czterysetny, czterechsetny <br>pięćsetny <br>sześćsetny <br>siedemsetny <br>osiemsetny <br>dziewięćsetny <br>tysięczny
|}
 
=== Dates and Time&nbsp;  ===
 
In Polish records, dates are usually written out, for example:
 
:''roku tysiąc osemset trzydziestego szóstego dnia dwódziestego trzeciego marca'' [in the year one thousand eight hundredth thirtieth and sixth on the day twentieth third of March (23 March 1836] In some records, two dates are recorded:
 
:''dnia piątego/siedemnastego Maja'' [on the day 5th/17th of May] The two dates are usually 12 days apart. The first date is based on the Julian calendar (used by the Russian Empire). The second date is based on the present-day Gregorian calendar.
 
To understand Polish dates, use the following lists as well as the preceding "Numbers" section.
 
'''Months'''
 
Polish often abbreviates dates by using a Roman numeral for the month. For example, 13 June 1864 could be written as ''13.VI.1864 ''instead of ''13.czerwca.1864''.
 
{| cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="40%" border="0" class="FCK__ShowTableBorders"
|-
|
| '''English'''
| '''Polish'''
|-
| I. <br>II. <br>III. <br>IV. <br>V. <br>VI. <br>VII <br>VIII. <br>IX <br>X. <br>XI. <br>XII.
| January <br>February <br>March <br>April <br>May <br>June <br>July <br>August <br>September <br>October <br>November <br>December
| stycznia <br>lutego <br>marca <br>kwietnia <br>maja <br>czerwca <br>lipca <br>sierpnia <br>września <br>pażdziernika <br>listopada <br>grudnia
|}
 
<br>'''Days of the Week'''
 
{| cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="30%" border="0" class="FCK__ShowTableBorders"
|-
| '''English '''<br>Sunday <br>Monday <br>Tuesday <br>Wednesday <br>Thursday <br>Friday <br>Saturday
| '''Polish <br>'''niedziela <br>poniedzialek <br>wtorek <br>środa <br>czwartek <br>piątek <br>sobota
|}
 
<br>'''Times of the Day'''
 
Polish birth and death records often indicate the exact time of day when the birth or death occurred. This is usually written out.
 
{| cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="40%" border="0" class="FCK__ShowTableBorders"
|-
| '''Polish '''<br>o godzinie drugiej <br>o godzinie siódmej <br>w nocy <br>południe/w południe <br>popołudniu/z południa <br>przed południem<br>północna godzina <br>rano/z rana <br>wieczorem/w wieczór
| '''English <br>'''at the 2nd hour <br>at the 7th hour <br>at night <br>noon <br>afternoon <br>forenoon <br>midnight <br>in the morning <br>in the evening&nbsp;
|}
 
<br>
 
 
 


==Description==
==Description==
Line 45: Line 344:
* [https://omniglot.com/language/phrases/kashubian.htm#:~:text=Useful%20phrases%20in%20Kashubian Useful phrases in Kashubian] - Omniglot
* [https://omniglot.com/language/phrases/kashubian.htm#:~:text=Useful%20phrases%20in%20Kashubian Useful phrases in Kashubian] - Omniglot


Polish is a Slavic language related to Russian and Czech. It is used in genealogical sources throughout Poland. Before 1918, Polish-speaking territories were divided between Russia, Germany, and Austria. Records written before 1918 may be in German, Russian, Latin, or Polish.
* In Russian Poland, Polish was the official language for vital records from 1808 to 1868. From 1868 to 1917, Russian was the official language.
* In German Poland, most records were kept in German or [[Latin Genealogical Word List|Latin]], though some were kept in Polish.
* In Austrian Poland, most records were kept in [[Latin Genealogical Word List|Latin]]. Some records were kept in German and some in Polish.
Most materials used in Polish research are written in Polish. You do not need to speak or read Polish to do research in Polish records, but you should know some key words and phrases to understand the records. Because the Roman Catholic Church was the predominant religion in Poland, many records&nbsp; are in Latin. Other languages in Polish records include German, Russian, Hebrew, Ukrainian, and Old Church Slavonic.<br>
For word lists and help researching in Polish records, see:
* [[Polish Genealogical Word List|Polish Genealogical Word List]]
* [[Polish Genealogical Word List|Polish Genealogical Word List]]
* [[German Genealogical Word List|German Genealogical Word List]]
* [[German Genealogical Word List|German Genealogical Word List]]
Line 74: Line 365:
** [https://forvo.com/languages/csb/ Kashubian pronunciation dictionary] - Forvo
** [https://forvo.com/languages/csb/ Kashubian pronunciation dictionary] - Forvo
** [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashubian_alphabet#Pronunciation Kashubian Pronunciation] - Wikipedia
** [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashubian_alphabet#Pronunciation Kashubian Pronunciation] - Wikipedia
'''''Pronunciation Guide'''''<br>
:c = ts
:ch,h = kh
:ć,cz,ci = ch
:ś,sz,si = sh
:ż,zi,rz = zh
:ą = om, on
:ę = em, en
:j = y
:dz = j
:ł = w
:w = v


==Language Aids and Dictionaries==
==Language Aids and Dictionaries==
Line 96: Line 374:
* Frymark, Stanisław. ''English-Polish- Kashub dictionary.'' Wilno, Ontario: Wilno Heritage Society, 2008. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/865875369 WorldCat].
* Frymark, Stanisław. ''English-Polish- Kashub dictionary.'' Wilno, Ontario: Wilno Heritage Society, 2008. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/865875369 WorldCat].
* Jeliński, Marian and David Shulist. ''Kashubian-English-Polish dictionary.'' Żukowo: Fundacja Skansenu Pszczelarskiego, 2011. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/870335567 WorldCat].
* Jeliński, Marian and David Shulist. ''Kashubian-English-Polish dictionary.'' Żukowo: Fundacja Skansenu Pszczelarskiego, 2011. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/870335567 WorldCat].
* Kierst, Wadysaw. ''Concise dictionary, English Polish and Polish-English.'' Warszawa: Wiedza Powszechna, 1957. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/32044384 WorldCat].
* Kierst, W. ''English-Polish and Polish-English dictionary.'' New York, N.Y.: Saphrograph, 1956. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/1663913 WorldCat].
* Pogonowski, Iwo Cyprian. ''Practical Polish-English, English-Polish dictionary.'' New York: Hippcrene Books, 1985. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/866012067 WorldCat].
* Stanisławski, Jan. ''McKay's English-Polish/Polish-English dictionary.'' New York: Random House, 1988. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/17353421 WorldCat].


'''Online Dictionaries'''
'''Online Dictionaries'''
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* [https://glosbe.com/en/szl Dictionary English - Silesian] - Glosbe
* [https://glosbe.com/en/szl Dictionary English - Silesian] - Glosbe
** [https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Silesian/Dictionary Silesian Dictionary] - WikiBooks
** [https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Silesian/Dictionary Silesian Dictionary] - WikiBooks
* [https://glosbe.com/en/csb Dictionary English - Kashubian] - Glosbe
* [ https://glosbe.com/en/csb Dictionary English - Kashubian] - Glosbe


'''Language Aids'''
'''Language Aids'''
Line 115: Line 389:
* ''Polish for beginners : a comprehensive guide for learning the Polish language fast.'' n.p.: n.p., 2020. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/1251927460 WorldCat].
* ''Polish for beginners : a comprehensive guide for learning the Polish language fast.'' n.p.: n.p., 2020. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/1251927460 WorldCat].
* Miłkowski, Marcin, Georg Rehm, and Hans Uszkoreit. ''The Polish language in the digital age.'' Berlin: Springer, 2012. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/808123448 WorldCat].
* Miłkowski, Marcin, Georg Rehm, and Hans Uszkoreit. ''The Polish language in the digital age.'' Berlin: Springer, 2012. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/808123448 WorldCat].
* Shea, Jonathan D. ''Russian language documents from Russian Poland : a translation manual for genealogists.'' Unlimited, Buffalo Grove, Ill.: Genun Publishers, 1989. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/21158243 WorldCat].
* [[Poland Encyclopedias and Dictionaries|Poland Encyclopedias and Dictionaries]]
'''''Lessons on Handwriting'''''
'''Handwriting Lessons on FamilySearch Learning Center:'''<br>
*'''[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/german-paleography-seminar-introduction German Paleography Seminar - 10 classes]'''
*[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/german-paleography-seminar-introduction German Paleography Seminar] - Lessons on German Handwriting
*Old German Script
**[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/old-german-script-part-1 Part 1]
**[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/old-german-script-part-2 Part 2]
**[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/old-german-script-german-church-and-civil-records-part-3 Part 3 (German Church and Civil Records)]
*'''Reading Russian Handwriting'''
**[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/reading-russian-documents-the-russian-alphabet Reading Russian Documents: The Russian Alphabet]
*'''Additional Russian Paleography Classes'''
**[http://www.russianforeveryone.com/RufeA/Lessons/Introduction/Alphabet/Alphabet.htm Russian for Everyone: The Russian Alphabet]
**[https://www.sggee.org/research/rus_translate/Cyrillic_Handouts.pdf SGGEE Cyrillic Handout.pdf] for months and numbers in Russian cursive.
*'''Latin in German Church Records'''
**[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/latin-for-genealogists Latin for Genealogists]
Polish grammar may affect the way names appear in genealogical records. For example, names of your ancestors will vary from record to record in Polish.
For help in understanding name variations, see [[Poland Naming Customs|Naming Customs]].


== References  ==
== References  ==

Revision as of 07:51, 25 May 2023

Poland Wiki Topics
Koszecin
Beginning Research
Record Types
Poland Background
Local Research Resources

Word Lists[edit | edit source]

Most materials used in Polish research are written in Polish. You do not need to speak or read Polish to do research in Polish records, but you should know some key words and phrases to understand the records. Because the Roman Catholic Church was the predominant religion in Poland, many records  are in Latin. Other languages in Polish records include German, Russian, Hebrew, Ukrainian, and Old Church Slavonic.

For word lists and help researching in Polish records, see:

Lessons on Handwriting[edit | edit source]

Handwriting Lessons on FamilySearch Learning Center:

Polish grammar may affect the way names appear in genealogical records. For example, names of your ancestors will vary from record to record in Polish.

For help in understanding name variations, see Personal Names.

Alphabet[edit | edit source]

Aa Ąą Bb Cc Ćć Dd Ee Ęę Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Łł Mm Nn Ńń Oo Óó Pp Rr Ss Śś Tt Uu Ww Yy Zz Źź Żż

The letters q, v and x are also used, but only for foreign names or words.

Pronunciation Guide[edit | edit source]

c = ts
ch,h = kh
ć,cz,ci = ch
ś,sz,si = sh
ż,zi,rz = zh
ą = om, on
ę = em, en
j = y
dz = j
ł = w
w = v

Language Aids[edit | edit source]

The FamilySearch Library has genealogical word lists for Polish (34098), German (34067), and Latin (34077). The following books and English-Polish dictionaries can also aid you in your research. You can find these and similar material at many research libraries:

Kierst, W. English-Polish/Polish-English Dictionary. New York, New York: Saphograph Co., 1956. (FS Library book 491.85321 K847e.)

Pogonowski, Iwo Cyprian. Practical Polish-English, English-Polish Dictionary. New York, New York: Hippocrene Books, 1985. (FS Library book 491.85321P751p.)

Another valuable research tool for reading records of the former Russian territories of Poland is:

Frazin, Judith R. A Translation Guide to the 19-century Polish-language Civil-registration Documents: (Birth, Marriage and Death Records). 2nd ed. Northbrook, Illinois: The Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois, 1989. (FS Library book 943.8 V27.) This book is now online at Google Books: http://books.google.de/books?id=qSEBjYeyUpAC&pg=PA154&lpg=PA# .

To read the Russian language records of this same area after 1868 use:

Shea, Jonathan D. Russian Language Documents from Russian Poland: a Translation Manual for Genealogists. 2nd ed. Buffalo Grove, Illinois: Genun, 1989. (FS Library book 943.8 D27.)

The Polish genealogical Word List published by the FamilySearch Library is available at this link: https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Poland_Genealogical_Word_List

Learning: Polish Language, Common Word Translations is available online.

Word List[edit | edit source]

This list contains Polish words with their English translations. The words included here are those that you are likely to find in genealogical sources. If the word you are looking for is not on this list, please consult a Polish-English dictionary. 

Polish is a Slavic language related to Russian and Slovak. It is used in genealogical sources throughout Poland. Before 1918, Polish-speaking territories were divided between Russia, Germany, and Austria. Records written before 1918 may be in German, Russian, Latin, or Polish.

  • In Russian Poland, Polish was the official language for vital records from 1808 to 1868. From 1868 to 1917, Russian was the official language.
  • In German Poland, most records were kept in German or Latin, though some were kept in Polish.
  • In Austrian Poland, most records were kept in Latin. Some records were kept in German and some in Polish.

Polish is also used in the records kept in some Polish communities in the United States.

Polish records often contain Latin and German words. See the German Genealogical Word List, and the Latin Genealogical Word List. Or at the following link:http://204.9.225.220/eng/Search/rg/frameset_rhelps.asp?Page=./research/type/Word_List.asp

Language Characteristics[edit | edit source]

Polish words for persons, places, and things (nouns) are classified as masculine, feminine, or neuter. Adjectives used to describe them must have the proper masculine, feminine, or neuter endings, for example:

stary mąż-- old man

stara kobieta-- old woman

stare miasto-- old city

The endings of past tense verbs also change depending on the gender of the person or thing being described or performing the action. For example:

umarł -- he died

umarła-- she died

umarło-- it [the child] died

Variant Forms of Words[edit | edit source]

In Polish, as in English, the forms of some words will vary according to how they are used in a sentence. Who-whose-whom or marry-marries- married are examples of words in English with variant forms. In Polish any word may change, depending on usage. This word list gives the standard form of each Polish word. As you read Polish records, you will need to be aware that most words vary with usage.

The endings of words in a document will often differ from what you find in this list. For example, the document may use the word starego (old), but you will find it in this word list as stary (old).

Certain endings, called genitive, give the meaning "of" to a word. The following endings are typical:

Nouns Endings Adjectives

-a (masculine) -ego

-y or -i (feminine) -ej

-ów (plural) -ich or -ych

Thus, ojciec zmarłego means "father of the deceased."

Plural forms of Polish words usually change the singular word as follows:

Words ending in -a change to -y

Words ending in -o change to -a

A -y or -i is added to form the plural

The plural form may change the basic word, for example:

Singular Plural
miasto =city miasta= cities
powiat =district powiaty =districts
brat= brother bracia =brothers
żona=wife żony=wives

Additional Resources[edit | edit source]

This word list includes words most commonly found in genealogical sources. For further help, use a Polish-English dictionary. Several Polish-English dictionaries are available at the FamilySearch Library in the European collection. Their call numbers begin with 491.85321. See Poland Encyclopedias and Dictionaries.

The following dictionary is available on microfilm for use in FamilySearch Centers:

Stanisławski, Jan. English-Polish and Polish-English Dictionary.  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: David McKay, 1946. (FS Library film 1,045,473, item 1)

Additional dictionaries are listed in the Subject section of the FamilySearch Catalog under:

POLISH LANGUAGE - DICTIONARIES

Other dictionaries and language helps, such as Polish grammar books, are listed in the Locality section under:

POLAND - LANGUAGE AND LANGUAGES

Key Words[edit | edit source]

To find and use specific types of Polish records, you will need to know some key words in Polish. This section gives key genealogical terms in English and the Polish words with the same or similar meanings.

For example, in the first column you will find the English word marriage. In the second column you will find Polish words with meanings such as marry, marriage, wedding, wedlock, unite, legitimate, joined, and other words used to indicate marriage.

For a full genealogical word list, visit Polish Genealogical Word List.

English Polish
birth urodzin, urodzony, urodził się, zrodzony
burial pogrzeb, pochówek
Catholic katolicki, rzymsko-katolicki
child dziecię, dziecko
christening chrzest, chrzciny, ochrzczone
death(s) zgon(ów), zejść, umarł , zmarł , śmierć (śmierci)
father ojciec
husband mąż, małżonek
index indeks, skorowidz, register, spis
Jewish żydowski, starozakonny, izraelici, mojżeszowy
marriage małżenstw(o), ślub(ów), zaślubionych
marriage banns zapowiedzi
mother matka
name, given imię, imion
name, surname nazwisko
parents rodzice
parish parafia
Protestant ewangelicki, reformowany, protestancki, luterański
wife żona, małżonka, zamęża, kobieta
year rok, lat


Numbers[edit | edit source]

In many genealogical records, numbers— especially dates—are spelled out. The following list gives the cardinal (1, 2, 3) and ordinal (1st, 2nd, 3rd) numbers. Dates are written in ordinal form. In dates, ordinal numbers usually end with -ego, for example:

pierwszy the first
pierwszego on the first (of the month)
Cardinal Ordinal
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000 		jeden, jedna
dwa
trzy
cztery
pięć
sześć
siedem
osiem
dziewięć
dziesięć
jedenaście
dwanaście
trzynaście
czternaście
piętnaście
szesnaście
siedemnaście
osiemnaście
dziewiętnaście
dwadzieścia
dwadzieścia jeden
dwadzieścia dwa
dwadzieścia trzy
dwadzieścia cztery
dwadzieścia pięć
dwadzieścia sześć
dwadzieścia siedem
dwadzieścia osiem
dwadzieścia dziewięć
trzydzieści
czterdzieści
pięćdziesiąt
sześć dziesiąt
siedemdziesiąt
osiemdziesiąt
dziewiecdziesiąt
sto
dwieście
trzysta
czterysta
pięćset
sześćset
siedemset
osiemset
dziewięćset
tysiąc 		1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
16th
17th
18th
19th
20th
21st
22nd
23rd
24th
25th
16th
27th
28th
29th
30th
40th
50th
60th
70th
80th
90th
100th
200th
300th
400th
500th
600th
700th
800th
900th
1000th 		pierwszy
drugi
trzeci
czwarty
piąty
szósty
siódmy
ósmy
dziewiąty
dziesiąty
jedenasty
dwunasty
trzynasty
czternasty
piętnasty
szesnasty
siedemnasty
osiemnasty
dziewiętnasty
dwudziesty, dwódziesty
dwudziesty pierwszy
dwudziesty drugi
dwudziesty trzeci
dwudziesty czwarty
dwudziesty piąty
dwudziesty szósty
dwudziesty siódmy
dwudziesty ósmy
dwudziesty dziewiąty
trzydziesty
czterdziesty
pięćdziesiąty
sześćdziesiąty
siedemdziesiąty
osiemdziesiąty
dziewięćdziesiąty
setny
dwóchsetny
trzysetny, trzechsetny
czterysetny, czterechsetny
pięćsetny
sześćsetny
siedemsetny
osiemsetny
dziewięćsetny
tysięczny

Dates and Time [edit | edit source]

In Polish records, dates are usually written out, for example:

roku tysiąc osemset trzydziestego szóstego dnia dwódziestego trzeciego marca [in the year one thousand eight hundredth thirtieth and sixth on the day twentieth third of March (23 March 1836] In some records, two dates are recorded:
dnia piątego/siedemnastego Maja [on the day 5th/17th of May] The two dates are usually 12 days apart. The first date is based on the Julian calendar (used by the Russian Empire). The second date is based on the present-day Gregorian calendar.

To understand Polish dates, use the following lists as well as the preceding "Numbers" section.

Months

Polish often abbreviates dates by using a Roman numeral for the month. For example, 13 June 1864 could be written as 13.VI.1864 instead of 13.czerwca.1864.

English Polish
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII
VIII.
IX
X.
XI.
XII. 		January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December 		stycznia
lutego
marca
kwietnia
maja
czerwca
lipca
sierpnia
września
pażdziernika
listopada
grudnia


Days of the Week

English
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday 		Polish
niedziela
poniedzialek
wtorek
środa
czwartek
piątek
sobota


Times of the Day

Polish birth and death records often indicate the exact time of day when the birth or death occurred. This is usually written out.

Polish
o godzinie drugiej
o godzinie siódmej
w nocy
południe/w południe
popołudniu/z południa
przed południem
północna godzina
rano/z rana
wieczorem/w wieczór 		English
at the 2nd hour
at the 7th hour
at night
noon
afternoon
forenoon
midnight
in the morning
in the evening 




Description[edit | edit source]

The languages spoken in Poland are [1] [2] [3]

  • Polish - the official and predominant spoken language. 97% of the population declare Polish as their mother language. 37 million (2011).
    • one of the official languages of the European Union, also a second language in parts of neighboring Lithuania.
  • Silesian - spoken by 529,377 (2011).
  • Kashubian - a recognized regional language spoken by 100,000 people in the northern regions of Kashubia and Pomerania on a daily basis. 108,140 (2011).
  • English - about 32% of Polish citizens are knowledgeable with English. Spoken by 103,541 (2011).

The Minority Languages spoken in Poland are [4] [5]

Word List(s)[edit | edit source]

Alphabet and Pronunciation[edit | edit source]

Alphabet

Pronunciation

Language Aids and Dictionaries[edit | edit source]

Dictionaries

  • Phillips, Janet. Oxford essential Polish dictionary : Polish-English, English-Polish. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. Available at: WorldCat.
  • Gavira, Angeles and Angela Wilkes. Polish English visual bilingual dictionary. New York: DK Publishing, 2018. Available at: WorldCat.
  • Grzebieniowski, Tadeusz. Langenscheidt's pocket Polish dictionary : English-Polish, Polish-English. New York: Langenscheidt, 1985. Available at: WorldCat.
  • Roczniok, Andrzej. A Polish-Silesian dictionary. Zabrze: Narodowa Oficyna Śląska, 2012. Available at: WorldCat.
  • Frymark, Stanisław. English-Polish- Kashub dictionary. Wilno, Ontario: Wilno Heritage Society, 2008. Available at: WorldCat.
  • Jeliński, Marian and David Shulist. Kashubian-English-Polish dictionary. Żukowo: Fundacja Skansenu Pszczelarskiego, 2011. Available at: WorldCat.

Online Dictionaries

Language Aids

  • Fokker, A. A. and Emilia Smolikowska. Anatomy of a word-class : A chapter of Polish grammar. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton, 2018. Available at: WorldCat.
  • Bartonlini-Salimbeni, Beth. Italian grammar for dummies. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2013. Available at: WorldCat.
  • Makurat H. The Grammar of the Kashubian Language. n.p.: n.p., 2018. Available at: WorldCat.

Additional Resources[edit | edit source]

  • Polish for beginners : a comprehensive guide for learning the Polish language fast. n.p.: n.p., 2020. Available at: WorldCat.
  • Miłkowski, Marcin, Georg Rehm, and Hans Uszkoreit. The Polish language in the digital age. Berlin: Springer, 2012. Available at: WorldCat.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Poland," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland#:~:text=Polish%20is%20the%20official%20and%20predominant, accessed 24 May 2023.
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Languages of Poland," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Poland, accessed 24 May 2023.
  3. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Polish language," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_language, accessed 24 May 2023.
  4. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Languages_of_Poland," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Poland#National_minority's_languages, accessed 24 May 2023.
  5. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Languages_of_Poland," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Poland#Household_languages, accessed 24 May 2023.

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