View source for Polish proverbs

{{short description|Adages in the Polish language}}
{{good article}}
[[File:Proverbiorum_Polonicorum_a_Solomone_Rysinio.jpg|thumb|''Proverbiorum Polonicorum a Solomone Rysinio'' (Polish Proverbs by Salomon Rysiński), a 1618 collection of Polish proverbs (in Latin), recognized as the first work dedicated to collecting Polish proverbs]]
Tens of thousands of '''Polish proverbs''' exist;<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Matczak|first1=Piotr|last2=Graczyk|first2=Dariusz|last3=Choryński|first3=Adam|last4=Pińskwar|first4=Iwona|last5=Takacs|first5=Viktoria|date=2020-05-12|title=Temperature Forecast Accuracies of Polish Proverbs|url=https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/wcas/12/3/wcasD190086.xml|journal=Weather, Climate, and Society|language=EN|volume=12|issue=3|pages=405–419|doi=10.1175/WCAS-D-19-0086.1|s2cid=219072955 |issn=1948-8327|url-access=subscription}}</ref> many have origins in the [[Middle Ages]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Krzyżanowski|first=Julian|date=1960|title=U średniowiecznych źródeł przysłów polskich|url=https://www.bazhum.pl/bib/article/90476/|journal=Pamiętnik Literacki|volume=51|issue=3|pages=69–90}}</ref> The oldest known Polish proverb dates to 1407. A number of [[Paremiology|scholarly studies of Polish proverbs]] (paremiology) exist; and Polish proverbs have been collected in numerous dictionaries and similar works from the 17th century onward.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Furiassi|first1=Cristiano|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G_LhIGpfPl4C&q=%22Polish+proverbs%22&pg=PA274|title=The Anglicization of European Lexis|last2=Pulcini|first2=Virginia|last3=González|first3=Félix Rodríguez|date=2012-08-22|publisher=John Benjamins Publishing|isbn=978-90-272-7363-5|pages=274|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last=Szpila|first=Grzegorz|date=2020|title=Współczesna Polska paremiografia dla dzieci|url=https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=896954|journal=Poradnik Językowy|volume=2020|language=Polish|issue=7|pages=85–97|doi=10.33896/PorJ.2020.7.7|issn=0551-5343|doi-access=free}}</ref> Studies in Polish paremiology have begun in the 19th century.<ref name=":3" /> The largest and most reputable collection of Polish proverbs to date, edited by [[Julian Krzyżanowski]], was published in 1970s.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />  

== History ==
The oldest known Polish proverb, dating to 1407, was written in [[Latin]] and [[Old Polish]]: "''Quando sø lika drø, tunc ea drzi''", which translates to "When [[bast fibre|bast]] can be torn, then tear it." This is analogous to "[[wikt:make hay while the sun shines|Make hay while the sun shines]]" or "[[wikt:strike while the iron is hot|Strike while the iron is hot]]". The oldest Polish proverb thus reminded peasants to seize the opportunity when the time was right – to harvest bast in the spring, which they would turn into [[bast shoes]], [[textile]]s, and [[rope|cordage]] in winter.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last=Jarząbek|first=Krystyna|url=https://dokumenty.osu.cz/ff/ksl/paremie/sbornik2012.pdf#page=70 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830042837/https://dokumenty.osu.cz/ff/ksl/paremie/sbornik2012.pdf |archive-date=2021-08-30 |url-status=live|title=Parémie národů slovanských VI: sborník příspěvků z mezinárodní konference konané v Ostravě ve dnech 9.-10. října 2012|year=2012|pages=70–79|language=pl|trans-title=Poles and Poland in Polish proverbs|chapter=Polacy i Polska w rodzimych przysłowiach}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-05-14|title=Przysłowia ludowe mądrością narodu|url=https://nikidw.edu.pl/2020/05/14/przyslowia-ludowe-madroscia-narodu/|access-date=2021-08-30|website=Narodowy Instytut Kultury i Dziedzictwa Wsi|language=pl-PL}}</ref><ref name=mlyn>{{Cite journal|last=Młynarczyk|first=Ewa|date=2015|title=Językowo-kulturowy obraz łyka w świetle dawnych frazeologizmów i przysłów|url=https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=752401|journal=Annales Universitatis Paedagogicae Cracoviensis. Studia Linguistica|language=Polish|issue=10|pages=120–129|issn=2083-1765}}</ref>

Some Polish proverbs have been medieval translations of [[Latin]] classics. Thus, "''Oko pańskie konia tuczy''" – "The master's eye fattens the horse" – comes from the Latin "''Oculus domini saginat equum''"; and the latter Latin proverb was likely translated from a still older [[Persian language|Persian]] one. Other proverbs have taken their origin from other European languages.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite book|last=Szpila|first=Grzegorz|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ENMbAQAAIAAJ&q=Oko+pa%C5%84skie+konia+tuczy+%C5%82aciny+Oculus|title=Krótko o przysłowiu|date=2003|publisher=Collegium Columbinum|isbn=978-83-87553-63-0|pages=16|language=pl}}</ref> 

Many proverbs have been popularized by [[Polish literature]]. For example, the popularity of "''Oko pańskie konia tuczy''" has been attributed to its inclusion in [[Adam Mickiewicz]]'s [[epic poem]], ''[[Pan Tadeusz]]''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Krzyżanowski|first=Julian|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kyk4AAAAIAAJ&q=%22Oko+pa%C5%84skie+konia+tuczy%22+krzy%C5%BCanowski|title=Madrej glowie dość dwie slowie: Dwie nowe centurie przysłów polskich|date=1958|publisher=Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy|pages=219|language=pl}}</ref>

== Themes ==
As with proverbs of other peoples around the world, Polish proverbs concern many topics;<ref name=":3" /> at least 2,000 Polish proverbs relate to weather and climate alone.<ref name=":1" /> Many concern classic topics such as fortune and misfortune, religion, family, everyday life, health, love, wealth, and women; others, like the first recorded Polish proverb (referring to [[bast fibre|bast]] production), and those about weather, offer practical advice.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Eternal Wisdom of Polish Proverbs|url=https://culture.pl/en/article/the-eternal-wisdom-of-polish-proverbs|access-date=2021-08-30|website=Culture.pl|language=en}}</ref> A theme  unique to Polish proverbs is about Poles and Poland; one of the most famous of these states that "Polacy nie gęsi lecz własny język mają" ("Poles are not geese, they have their own tongue"), in a 1562 verse by [[Mikołaj Rej]], and commonly interpreted as stressing the importance of having one's own national language (here, [[Polish language|Polish]]).<ref name=":3" />

Similarly to English proverbs, Polish proverbs have been criticized for being [[sexist]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Reading|first=Anna|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lRmxCwAAQBAJ&q=%22Polish+proverbs%22&pg=PA28|title=Polish Women, Solidarity and Feminism|date=1992-06-18|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-1-349-12339-1|pages=28|language=en}}</ref>

== Polish paremiology ==
[[File:Samuel_-_Adalberg_-_Księga_przysłów.djvu|page=3|thumb|Title page of the late 19th century Samuel Adalberg's ''Księga przysłów polskich'', recognized as one of the landmark works in Polish paremiology.]]
The first known Polish author interested in proverbs was the poet [[Biernat of Lublin]], who in 1522 published a collection of them titled ''{{ill|Żywot Ezopa Fryga|pl|Żywot Ezopa Fryga}}, mędrca obyczajnego i z przypowieściami jego'' (The life of [[Aesop]] the [[Phrygia|Phrygian]], a Decent Sage, and with His Parables).<ref name=":3" /> The first Polish scholar of paremiology was {{ill|Salomon Rysiński|pl|Salomon Rysiński}} (Solomone Rysinio), who in 1618 published the first known Polish work dedicated solely to collecting and discussing proverbs (''Proverbiorum polonicorum a Salomone Rysino collectorum Centuriae decem et octo''). This work, first published in Latin, but subsequently in Polish (''Przypowieści polskie, przez Salomona Rysińskiego zebrane, a teraz nowo przydane i na wielu miejscach poprawione'', 1620<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Grześkowiak|first=Radosław|date=2019|title=Dawne krakowskie edycje pierwszej księgi przysłów polskich - 2. Paremiografi czny warsztat Stanisława Serafi na Jagodyńskiego|url=https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=896148|journal=Terminus|language=Polish|volume=21|issue=50 (1)|pages=1–39|issn=2082-0984}}</ref>), collected over 1,800 proverbs which, according to the author, were "of Polish origin".<ref name=":3" /> In 1632, [[Grzegorz Knapski]], a Polish [[Jesuit]], published an even larger collection (in volume three of his ''Thesaurus Polono-Latino-Graecus''), with over 6,000 collected proverbs.<ref name=":3" /> In 1658 Polish writer [[Andrzej Maksymilian Fredro]] published another collection of proverbs, ''Przysłowia mów potocznych albo przestrogi obyczajowe, radne, wojenne'', which was said to have been widely popular in contemporary Poland.<ref name=":3" />

The 19th century saw the first work dedicated more to analyzing the proverbs and their history than solely collecting them, the ''Przysłowia narodowe, z wyjaśnieniem źródła, początku oraz sposobu ich użycia, okazujące charakter, zwyczaje i obyczaje, przesądy, starożytności i wspomnienia ojczyste'' (1830) of {{ill|Kazimierz Władysław Wóycicki|pl|Kazimierz Władysław Wóycicki}}.<ref name=":3" /> Other early works on Polish paremiology were published in the 19th century by [[Oskar Kolberg]] and [[Samuel Adalberg]], the latter publishing a collection of over 30,000 Polish proverbs (''Księga przysłów, przypowieści i wyrażeń przysłowiowych polskich'' - The Book of Polish Proverbs - 1889–1894).<ref name=":3" /> Adalberg's work was praised as "the first modern work on this topic in Polish"<ref name=":02">{{Cite web|title=YIVO {{!}} Adalberg, Samuel|url=http://www.yivoencyclopedia.org/article.aspx/Adalberg_Samuel|access-date=2019-06-03|website=www.yivoencyclopedia.org}}</ref> and "the most extensive collection ever made in this field".<ref name=":12">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Adalberg, Samuel {{!}} Encyclopedia.com|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/adalberg-samuel|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-06-03|website=Encyclopaedia Judaica}}</ref> The early 20th century saw further scholarly analysis of Polish proverbs by scholars such as [[Aleksander Brückner]] and [[Jan Stanisław Bystroń]], the latter known as "the father of modern Polish paremiology", and the author of the monograph simply titled ''Przysłowia polskie'' (Polish proverbs, 1933).<ref name=":3" /> After [[World War II]], significant contributions to the field of Polish paremiology were carried out by [[Julian Krzyżanowski]].<ref name=":3" /> He was the editor of the largest and most reputable collection of Polish proverbs to date,<ref name=":3" /> ''Nowa księga przysłów i wyrażeń przysłowiowych polskich'' (New Book of Polish Proverbs and Proverbial Expressions, also known as ''Nowa Księga przysłów polskich'', A New Book of Polish Proverbs, published in several volumes in the years 1969–1978), dubbed the "bible of Polish proverbs".<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> Despite the proliferation of similar works in later years, in 2012 his work was still described as "the most comprehensive" of its type in Poland.<ref name=":3" /> Other notable modern Polish paremiologists include {{ill|Tomasz Jurasz|pl|Tomasz Jurasz}}, [[Dobrosława Świerczyńska]], {{ill|Katarzyna Kłosińska|pl|Katarzyna Kłosińska}}, {{ill|Jerzy Bralczyk|pl|Jerzy Bralczyk}} and [[Władysław Kopaliński]].<ref name=":3" />

In 2009–2018 alone, 16 collections of proverbs aimed at young readers were published in Poland; many addressed to a mass audience are of varying  quality.<ref name=":2" />

==List of Polish proverbs==
*[[Paradisus Judaeorum|Heaven for the nobility, purgatory for townspeople, hell for peasants, paradise for Jews]]
*[[Pole and Hungarian brothers be]]

==See also==
* [[wikiquote:Polish proverbs|Polish proverbs]]

==References==
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{{Europe topic |Proverbs of}}

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{{wiktionarycat|Polish proverbs}}
{{commonscat|Polish-language proverbs}}

[[Category:Culture of Poland]]
[[Category:Proverbs by language]]
[[Category:Polish words and phrases]]