A Dash of Polish
I am resurrecting this thread as it fits what I have to add.
I am reading Michener's Poland. In one chapter (Mazurka), set in the late 19th century (1897-8), an American (from Chicago) is marrying a Pole, falls in love with Poland and is trying to learn the language. i thought her notes may be instructive:
ALWAYS REMEMBER
POLISH IS EASY
A is pronounced EYE (sometimes)
C is pronounced TZ, TS
Ę is ppronounced EN
J is pronounced Y
Ł is pronounced W
W is pronounced V
Final T is pronounced TH
BRZ is pronounce BZHE
ICZ is pronounced EETCH
RZE is pronounced ZHE
SZCZ is pronounced SHTCH
STRZY is prounced STCHI
Łodz = Woodge
Rzeszow = Zheshoov
Szczorz = Shtchoozh
Pszczyna = Pshtchina
Szczebrzesyn = Shtchebzhehshin
Łancut = Wine-tsooth
After a discussion about how to pronounce Lancut, the girl says "I'm so glad you've proved you love me, Wiktor. Because otherwise I'd think you were trying to drive me crazy."
Przemysl = P'shemish'l (with the P & L either half mumbled or skipped altogther); the Polish lad says the Polish locals get a kick out of the German-speaking Austrian Officers trying to pronounce it.
Przemysl is a large fortress town up the San River from Sandomierz near the (WW1) Russian border. It was the scene of three sieges in WW1.
Other minor things:
Honorifics (equivalent of Mister and Ma'am)
Pan
Pani
Women have an a or wa at the end of their name rather than an 'i'
Pan Bukowski
Pani Bukowska
Hope this gives games set in Poland an ounce more flavor.
Uncle Ted
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