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- Topic: Polish >
- "Ten chłopak to mój partner."
26 Comments
So I take it that the word "partner" came into the Polish language from English because there was no counterpart to it. - it's a non Polish concept. Interesting when that happens. Funniest imported word I found in Polish is seks apil - though I didn't know what it was until I sounded it out!
Polish "seksapil" is a single word. For me the funniest "loanword" is "wihajster". It's of German origin.
My mom used the word wihajster when she couldn't think of the real word to use - but I gather the German word means screwdriver!
932
Yup, it's just rendered according to rules of Polish orthography/phonology:
"Wie heißt er" -> "Wi hajst er" -> "wihajster". ;)
- 187
I would even go as far as to say that German Jews might have introduced this word to Polish language, as the transcription appears Yiddish to me. Just my two cents, it indeed looks funny to me. :D
Reminds me of the French word "vasistas" which is a particular sort of window. Apparently named thus by German visitors who had no name for it; hence "Was ist dass?"!
Actually, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wihajster sort of confirms the possibility of it being used (in Polish) for an "elongated tool" so screwdriver is not completely inappropriate.
OK, I can add it here, but it's not accepted anywhere else in this course, so you're a lot safer sticking to "boy"...
We generally stick mostly to the standard American and British English, and it is my understanding that "lad" only works in some regions of Britain.
Merriam-Webster does not mark it as being regional: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lad
In articles about e.g. lift (elevator) and flat (apartment) it is clearly said that these are British words.
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To be honest, I can't think of a region of the UK where "lad" isn't used and I've moved around a lot. I think it should be accepted too.
But how old is a "lad" to you? And would they be old enough to be a romantic or business partner?
From the usages I've met, it's teens to about middle-twenties.
Very much like "chłopak" as I understand it.
- 569
JerryMcCarthy99 - When would you use "boy" to describe a partner (business or romantic)? I would be surprised to hear it. "Lad" would sound less odd.
May 'this young man' be a possible translation? I remember an old Polish film, where soldiers were calling their group as 'Chłopaki' only. I understand that Duo usually needs a literal translation, but the context of 'partner' made me choose 'young man', and now I wonder how much of a mistake it was.
I agree "boy" sounds a little awkward in English, "young man" would be a better translation
