This is a list English words of Polish origin, that is words used in the

English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the ...

that were borrowed or derived, either directly or indirectly, from

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

. Several Polish words have entered English

slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-g ...

via

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...

, brought by

Ashkenazi Jews Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...

migrating from

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

to North America. Other English words were indirectly derived from Polish via

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

, French,

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

. The Polish words themselves often come from other languages, such as German or Turkish. Borrowings from Polish tend to be mostly words referring to staples of

Polish cuisine Polish cuisine ( pl, kuchnia polska) is a style of cooking and food preparation originating in or widely popular in Poland. Due to Poland's history, Polish cuisine has evolved over the centuries to be very eclectic, and it shares many similariti ...

, names of Polish folk dances or specialist, e.g. horse-related, terminology. Among the words of Polish origin there are several words that derive from Polish geographic names and ethnonyms, including the name ''Polska'', "Poland", itself.

Derived from common words

Directly

The following words are derive directly from Polish. Some of them are loanwords in Polish itself.

Indirectly

The following words are derived from Polish via third languages. {, class="wikitable" , - ! width="15%" , Word ! width="25%" , Meaning ! width="45%" , Etymology ! width="15%" , References , - ,

Hetman ( uk, гетьман, translit=het'man) is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders. Used by the Czechs in Bohemia since the 15th century. It was the title of the second-highest military co ...

, ''Historical'' - Polish, Czech or Cossack military leader , Ukrainian гетьман, ''het'man'' ← Polish ''hetman'' ←

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

''hejtman'' ← dialectical

''hötmann'', ''hetmann'' (modern ''Hauptmann'') ←

Middle High German Middle High German (MHG; german: Mittelhochdeutsch (Mhd.)) is the term for the form of German spoken in the High Middle Ages. It is conventionally dated between 1050 and 1350, developing from Old High German and into Early New High German. Hig ...

''houbet'' ("head/high") + ''man'' ("man")
AHD
, - , Horde , A nomadic tribe; a crowd or swarm , German ''Horde'' ← Polish ''horda'' ← Ukrainian ''горда/gorda'' ← Russian ''орда'' (''ordá'') ← Mongol or North-West Turkic ''ordï'' ("camp", "residence") ← Old Turkic ''ordu'' ("encampment, residence, court")
AHD
, - ,

Gherkin A pickled cucumber (commonly known as a pickle in the United States and Canada and a gherkin in Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand) is a usually small or miniature cucumber that has been pickled in a brine, vinegar, or ...

, A small cucumber , Early Modern Dutch ''gurkijn'' (Modern ''gurkje''), diminutive of ''gurk'' (+ ''kijn''), aphetic variant of ''agurk'', or possibly via Dutch ''agurken'', plural of ''agurk'', taken to English as singular ''a gurken'', from Dutch ''agurk'', variant of ''augurk'' ← German ''Gurken'', plural of ''Gurk'' ← Slavic source, i.e. Polish ''ogórek'', partial translation (with diminutive suffix -ek) of Byzantine Greek ''angourion'' ("watermelon, gherkin"), from diminutive of Late Greek ''angouros'' ("a grape(s)"), meaning "small, unripe fruit," from expressive alteration of Greek ''aōros'' ("out of season, unripe") ← Proto Indo-European
AHDOED
, - , Nudnick / Nudnik , A bore; a boring person , variant English ''noodnik'' ← Yiddish ''nudne'' + diminutive suffix ''-nik'', from ''nudyen'' ("to bore") ← Slavic, either Russian ''нудный''/''núdnyj''("tedious"), Ukrainian ''нудний/núdnýj'' ("tedious"), or Polish ''nudny'' ("boring") ← Old Church Slavonic ''ноудити/nuditi'' or ''нѫдити/nǫditi'' ("to compell") ← Proto-Slavic ''*nuda'' ← Proto-Indo-European ''*neuti-'' (“need”), from *nau- ("death, to be exhausted")
AHD
, - ,

Quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica ( silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical ...

, A hard white or colorless mineral , German ''Quarz'' ← dialectical Old Polish ''kwardy'' (modern Polish ''twardy'')
AHDOED
, - , Schav, schaf , A

sorrel soup Sorrel soup is made from water or broth, sorrel leaves, and salt.Екатерина Авдеева. Ручная книга русской опытной хозяйки. СПб, 1842 Елена Молоховец. ''Подарок молодым ...

, Yiddish שטשאַוו, ''shtshav'' ("sorrel") ← Polish ''szczaw''
AHD
, - , Schlub, shlub , A clumsy, stupid or unattractive person , Yiddish ''zhlob/zhlub'', "yokel", "boor" ← Polish ''żłób'' ("trough, blockhead")
AHDMW
, - , Schmatte, shmatte , A rag , Yiddish ''shmate'' ← Polish ''szmata''
AHD
, - , Schmuck, shmuck , A clumsy or stupid person , Yiddish ''shmok'' ("penis, fool") ← probably Old Polish ''smok'' ("snake/dragon") or German ''Schmuck'' ("Jewellery"); in either case, the German word highly influenced the English spelling.
AHD
, - ,

Uhlan Uhlans (; ; ; ; ) were a type of light cavalry, primarily armed with a lance. While first appearing in the cavalry of Lithuania and then Poland, Uhlans were quickly adopted by the mounted forces of other countries, including France, Russia, Pr ...

, ulan , A cavalryman , German ''Uhlan'' ← Polish ''ułan'' ← Turkish ''oğlan''("boy, youth" / "servant"), from ''oǧul'' ("son") ← Old Turkic
AHDMW
, - ,

Vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deat ...

, Mythical creature , Polish "wampir, from Proto-Polish "wąpierz", it's the most archaic form of the word, entered , English via German "Vampire" in the 18th century. , - ,

Vodka Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuriti ...

, Alcoholic drink , Polish ''wódka'', diminutive of ''woda'', "water", invented in pagan Poland. , - ,

, Mythical creature , Polish "wampir, from Proto-Polish "wąpierz", it's the most archaic form of the word, entered , English via German "vampire" in the 18th century.

Derived from geographic names and ethnonyms

{, class="wikitable" , - ! width="15%" , Word ! width="25%" , Meaning ! width="45%" , Etymology ! width="15%" , References , - , Alla polacca , Like a

polonaise The polonaise (, ; pl, polonez ) is a dance of Polish origin, one of the five Polish national dances in time. Its name is French for "Polish" adjective feminine/"Polish woman"/"girl". The original Polish name of the dance is Chodzony, meani ...

(in musical notation) ,

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

''alla polacca'', "in the Polish manner, Polish style"
MW
, - , Bialy , A flat, round baked roll or

bagel A bagel ( yi, בײגל, translit=beygl; pl, bajgiel; also spelled beigel) is a bread roll originating in the Jewish communities of Poland. It is traditionally shaped by hand into a roughly hand-sized ring from yeasted wheat dough that is first ...

topped with onion flakes ,

''bialy'' ← short for ''bialystoker'', "of Białystok", a town in northeastern Poland
AHDMW
, - , Cracovian , A mathematical symbol used in cracovian calculus , Polish ''krakowian'' ← Cracow, a city in southern Poland, former capital , , - , Cracovienne, krakowiak , A lively Polish folk dance , French ''(danse) cracovienne'', "Kraków (dance)", feminine of ''cracovien'', "of Cracow"; Polish ''krakowiak'', "inhabitant of Cracow"
MW: cracovienneMW: krakowiak
, - , Crackowe, cracowe, crakow , A long, pointed shoe popular in the 14th-15th centuries ,

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English ...

''crakowe'' ← Cracow, the English name of Kraków
MW
, - ,

, Of or related to the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

or its people , Polish ''Czech'', "a Czech or Bohemian man" ←

''Čech''
AHD
, - , Mazurka , A Polish dance or a piece of music for such a dance , from Polish ''(tańczyć) mazurka'', "(to dance) the mazurka",

accusative The accusative case (abbreviated ) of a noun is the grammatical case used to mark the direct object of a transitive verb. In the English language, the only words that occur in the accusative case are pronouns: 'me,' 'him,' 'her,' 'us,' and ‘th ...

of ''mazurek'' ← diminutive of ''Mazur'', "inhabitant of

Masovia Mazovia or Masovia ( pl, Mazowsze) is a historical region in mid-north-eastern Poland. It spans the North European Plain, roughly between Łódź and Białystok, with Warsaw being the unofficial capital and largest city. Throughout the centurie ...

Masuria Masuria (, german: Masuren, Masurian: ''Mazurÿ'') is a ethnographic and geographic region in northern and northeastern Poland, known for its 2,000 lakes. Masuria occupies much of the Masurian Lake District. Administratively, it is part of the ...

", regions in northeastern Poland
AHDOEDSWO
, - ,

Polack In the contemporary English language, the noun ''Polack'' ( and ) is a derogatory, mainly North American, reference to a person of Polish descent or from Poland. It is an anglicisation of the Polish masculine noun ''Polak'', which denotes a per ...

, A Pole; formerly a neutral term, now considered offensive (see also List of ethnic slurs) , Polish ''Polak'', "

Pole Pole may refer to: Astronomy *Celestial pole, the projection of the planet Earth's axis of rotation onto the celestial sphere; also applies to the axis of rotation of other planets *Pole star, a visible star that is approximately aligned with the ...

"
AHDOED
, - ,

Polonaise The polonaise (, ; pl, polonez ) is a dance of Polish origin, one of the five Polish national dances in time. Its name is French for "Polish" adjective feminine/"Polish woman"/"girl". The original Polish name of the dance is Chodzony, meani ...

, A stately, marchlike Polish dance or a piece of music for such a dance , French ''(danse) polonaise'', "Polish (dance)", feminine of ''polonais'', "Polish"
OED
, - ,

, A woman's overdress popular in the 18th century , French ''(robe à la) polonaise'', "Polish (style dress)", feminine of ''polonais'', "Polish"
OED
, - , Polonaise , Sprinkled with browned butter and bread crumbs (of food, mostly vegetables) , French ''polonaise'', feminine of ''polonais'', "Polish"
OEDMW
, - ,

Polonium Polonium is a chemical element with the symbol Po and atomic number 84. Polonium is a chalcogen. A rare and highly radioactive metal with no stable isotopes, polonium is chemically similar to selenium and tellurium, though its metallic character ...

, Chemical element with atomic number 84 ,

Medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying degrees. Latin functione ...

''Polonia'', "Poland"
AHD
, - , Polska , A Scandinavian folk dance or a piece of music for such a dance ,

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

''polska'' ← feminine of ''polsk'', "Polish"
MW
, - ,

Poulaine Crakows or crackowes were a style of shoes with extremely long toes very popular in 15th century Europe. They were so named because the style was thought to have originated in Kraków, the then capital of Poland. They are also known as poula ...

, (The pointed toe of) a crackowe shoe (see above) , Middle French ''(soulier à la) poulaine'', "Polish (style shoe)" ← feminine of ''poulain'', "Polish"
MW
, - , Varsoviana, varsovienne , A graceful dance similar to a mazurka , Spanish ''varsoviana'' ← feminine of ''varsoviano''; French ''varsovienne'' ← feminine of ''varsovien''; both from Medieval Latin ''varsovianus'', "of

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

" (Polish: Warszawa), the capital city of Poland
MW
, -

References

Sources

* AHD, (included in Dictionary.com) * EB-1911, *

OED The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a co ...

, * MW, {{DEFAULTSORT:List Of English Words Of Polish Origin English