Hello everyone!
I am reading a book that refers to Polish people as "Poles", is it a rude word?
I have read that it is informal, but it doesn't say whether it is rude or not.
Thanks in advance for your time!
I am reading a book that refers to Polish people as "Poles", is it a rude word?
I have read that it is informal, but it doesn't say whether it is rude or not.
Thanks in advance for your time!
PuccaDo you mean that "Poles" is just a synonym for "Polish"?No. "Polish" is usually an adjective, meaning "of or relating to Poland" (as in "the Polish government", "Polish culture").
"Pole" (plural "Poles") is a noun, meaning a Polish person.
Sometimes you might also hear "the Polish" used to mean "the Polish people".
Comments
unkind sense. It depends on how you pronounce it and in what
circumstances. I personally would always say "a Polish person"
or "the Polish people." There is also another group of people here
in the United States who should be treated in the same way. To call
that particular group by the proper noun would definitely be considered
rude by many people. I personally subscribe to the theory that -- at
least in English -- the shorter word is ruder than the longer word/term.
Thank you.
Would anyone else care to comment on this?
group (which I do not wish to specify). By the way, here in the States,
some older people (like me) were used to hearing jokes about Polish
people (I do not want to be specific). I believe that this practice is
dying out with the younger generation.
I have always referred to Polish people just as "Polish", instead of "Poles"!