AboutMaciej St. Zięba Expertise I am native Polish and I used to teach Polish to foreigners. I know (passively of actively) more than 15 other languages - so I can answer many questions concerning Polish grammar, pronounciation, spelling, ethymology and usage - as compared to English, French, German, Russian, Dutch, Esperanto or Norwegian. Also questions concerning other Slavic languages, Sanskrit, Chinese, Tibetan, or general linguistics, especially scripts (writing systems and transcriptions) - are welcome.
Experience Teaching English and French to Poles, Polish to foreigners, teaching Sanskrit, Chinese and Tibetan to philosophy students.
Question Hi: My name is Gayle Moryl I am Polish but I never learned how to speak it very well could you tell me and write how you say Greatgrandfather and Aunt in Polish I know Grandfather is Ja Ja and Uncle is Voya I don't think I spelled it right but I know how to say it. Thanks Gayle
Answer Hi Gayle,
Read under http://en.allexperts.com/q/Polish-Language-3388/ my previous answers to Patricia on "how to say grandfather and grandmother" of 4/11/2007 and to Dottie
on "babcia/dziadzio" of. 5/9/2007
Greatgrandfather is "pradziadek", greatgrandmother is "prababcia".
Aunt is "ciocia" [cho-cha] - but see below.
Uncle is "wujek" [voo-yek], or short "wuj" [vooy]; the form you use "wuja" [voo-ya], not [vo-ya]is an outdated regional one used only in the South of Poland - Upper Silesia and western Malopolska (or Lesser Poland).
In proper Polish "wujek" is only a maternal uncle (brother of your mother), and the paternal uncle (borther of your father) is "stryjek" or short "stryj". Their wives are called respectively "wujenka" and "stryjenka". "Ciocia" is a sister of your mother or your father.
In popular Polish these distinctions tend to disppaear, and "wujek" and "ciocia" take part of all the other ones.
