Murzyn
Encyclopedia
Murzyn is a Polish
word for a black person
. It is seen by some as a neutral word, but others consider it to have pejorative connotations. Notably, the noun
murzyn appears in a popular Polish saying
which referres to any menial work performed by a Pole
for the sole benefit of his own potential adversaries, i.e. "Murzyn zrobił swoje, murzyn może odejść" (Black man did his deed, black man can go now).
'.
'Murzyn' (feminine form - 'murzynka', diminutive
- 'murzynek') can be translated into English as 'black' or 'Negro
'. In the opinion of Dr Marek Łaziński, it can also be associated with Shakespeare's 'noble' Othello
, usually called a 'moor' in English. According to him, among Poles, the word is perceived as less offensive than a direct translation of the English word "black", "czarny", which often does carry negative connotations in Polish. Łaziński, in a language advice column of the Polish dictionary, also suggests that in cases where an individual may perceive the word to be offensive, geographic or national designations should be used.
According to Patrycja Pirog, the word "'murzyn', which in the opinion of many Poles, including academics, is not offensive, is seen by black people as discriminatory and derogatory." For Antonina Kloskowska, meanwhile, writing in "Race", ethnicity and nation: international perspectives on social conflict, the word "Murzyn" "does not carry pejorative connotations. In contrast, the favoured term in the West, "black", which translates into Polish as "Czarny", is seen as offensive".
It should be noted that in Poland the expressions "czarny" and "czarna," literally meaning "black," are also often applied, without derogatory connotation, to white ("Caucasian
") individuals, respectively male and female, who have dark hair or dark complexions. Since black people have not been common in Poland historically, this has not caused confusion.
Poland's first black Member of Parliament
, John Godson
, has said that the word is not offensive and that he is proud to be called a 'murzyn'. Mamadou Diouf
, a black Polish musician and representative of the Committee for the African Community (Komitet Społeczności Afrykańskiej), has criticised Godson for his use of the word, saying that it has only had "negative connotations" and that Godson does not know the etymology of the word.
Wiadomosci24 says:
The phrase "a hundred years behind the murzyns" ("sto lat za Murzynami") is used, often about Poland itself, to describe a backward, under-developed situation.
The English word "ghostwriter
" can be translated informally in Polish as "literacki murzyn" - "a literary murzyn" - someone who works (relatively anonymously) to write a book for somebody else.
as having "greatly contributed to the preservation of the word 'murzyn' in the lexicon." Pirog characterizes the poem, about a cheerful but unruly black child attending an African school, as "a story about how enlightened Europe tries to civilise the savage", embodying "the Enlightenment myth of the good savage, creating an opposition to that which is white and rational."
"Under the murzyns" ("Pod Murzynami") is also a not uncommon name for chemist's shops or tenement
buildings in Poland. Often an image of a black person accompanies the name.
Agatha Christie
's novel, which was originally titled Ten Little Niggers was translated into Polish as Ten Murzyns (Dziesięciu Murzynków), although the English title of the novel was itself changed to "Ten Little Indians". General Władysław Franciszek Jabłonowski (1769–1802), of mixed descent, was nicknamed "Murzynek".
"Murzynka", apart from meaning a black-skinned woman, also is a type of strawberry
with small, dark red fruit.
A "murzyn polski" ("Polish murzyn") is a variety of black-billed pigeon.
, depending on context
. By contrast, other Polish expressions that have sometimes been applied to "Murzyni" have generally carried disparaging associations — e.g., "czarnuch" (a variant of "czarny"), and "negatyw" (a "negative
," in the photography
sense).
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
word for a black person
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
. It is seen by some as a neutral word, but others consider it to have pejorative connotations. Notably, the noun
Noun
In linguistics, a noun is a member of a large, open lexical category whose members can occur as the main word in the subject of a clause, the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition .Lexical categories are defined in terms of how their members combine with other kinds of...
murzyn appears in a popular Polish saying
Saying
A saying is something that is said, notable in one respect or another, to be "a pithy expression of wisdom or truth."There are a number of specific types of saying:...
which referres to any menial work performed by a Pole
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
for the sole benefit of his own potential adversaries, i.e. "Murzyn zrobił swoje, murzyn może odejść" (Black man did his deed, black man can go now).
Etymology
Etymologically, 'murzyn' comes from the same root as the English word 'moorMoors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
'.
Meaning, usage and connotations
According to Słownik Języka Polskiego (Dictionary of the Polish Language), 'murzyn' means somebody with black skin. Informally, it can also mean: 1. Somebody anonymously doing work for somebody else; 2. Somebody with a dark brown tan; 3. A hard working person forced to do hard labour.'Murzyn' (feminine form - 'murzynka', diminutive
Diminutive
In language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
- 'murzynek') can be translated into English as 'black' or 'Negro
Negro
The word Negro is used in the English-speaking world to refer to a person of black ancestry or appearance, whether of African descent or not...
'. In the opinion of Dr Marek Łaziński, it can also be associated with Shakespeare's 'noble' Othello
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
, usually called a 'moor' in English. According to him, among Poles, the word is perceived as less offensive than a direct translation of the English word "black", "czarny", which often does carry negative connotations in Polish. Łaziński, in a language advice column of the Polish dictionary, also suggests that in cases where an individual may perceive the word to be offensive, geographic or national designations should be used.
According to Patrycja Pirog, the word "'murzyn', which in the opinion of many Poles, including academics, is not offensive, is seen by black people as discriminatory and derogatory." For Antonina Kloskowska, meanwhile, writing in "Race", ethnicity and nation: international perspectives on social conflict, the word "Murzyn" "does not carry pejorative connotations. In contrast, the favoured term in the West, "black", which translates into Polish as "Czarny", is seen as offensive".
It should be noted that in Poland the expressions "czarny" and "czarna," literally meaning "black," are also often applied, without derogatory connotation, to white ("Caucasian
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
") individuals, respectively male and female, who have dark hair or dark complexions. Since black people have not been common in Poland historically, this has not caused confusion.
Poland's first black Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, John Godson
John Godson
John Abraham Godson is a Polish politician, a university teacher and a former Pentecostal minister. He is the first black Polish Member of Parliament and a member of the Civic Platform party....
, has said that the word is not offensive and that he is proud to be called a 'murzyn'. Mamadou Diouf
Mamadou Diouf (musician)
Mamadou Diouf is a musician and writer of Senegalese descent, currently residing in Poland.-Musical career:Diouf has released a number of albums and has collaborated with Anna Maria Jopek, Voo Voo and Zakopower.-Writing:...
, a black Polish musician and representative of the Committee for the African Community (Komitet Społeczności Afrykańskiej), has criticised Godson for his use of the word, saying that it has only had "negative connotations" and that Godson does not know the etymology of the word.
In phrases
Dr Tomasz Piekot, writing on Gazeta.pl, notes that the image of the 'murzyn' in Poland is"brutal. We think they are stupid, dirty and stink. From this we get sayings of the following type: "it stinks as if it's from a murzyn hut", "it's as dark as in a murzyn's arse". It's associated with backwardness, poverty, slavery. We can after all describe someone we are using as, "this is my white murzyn". These are all negative connotations."
Wiadomosci24 says:
"Although we rarely see Africans and African-Americans on our streets, of course we say: "The murzyn has done his job, he can go now", or: "we need a murzyn" (for dirty work done for little pay)."
The phrase "a hundred years behind the murzyns" ("sto lat za Murzynami") is used, often about Poland itself, to describe a backward, under-developed situation.
The English word "ghostwriter
Ghostwriter
A ghostwriter is a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person. Celebrities, executives, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, or other written...
" can be translated informally in Polish as "literacki murzyn" - "a literary murzyn" - someone who works (relatively anonymously) to write a book for somebody else.
Examples in Polish culture
Patrycja Pirog cites the famous children's poem Murzynek BamboMurzynek Bambo
"Murzynek Bambo" is a children's poem by Polish author Julian Tuwim , written in 1923 or '24. It is about a small black boy called Bambo, who lives in Africa...
as having "greatly contributed to the preservation of the word 'murzyn' in the lexicon." Pirog characterizes the poem, about a cheerful but unruly black child attending an African school, as "a story about how enlightened Europe tries to civilise the savage", embodying "the Enlightenment myth of the good savage, creating an opposition to that which is white and rational."
"Under the murzyns" ("Pod Murzynami") is also a not uncommon name for chemist's shops or tenement
Tenement
A tenement is, in most English-speaking areas, a substandard multi-family dwelling, usually old, occupied by the poor.-History:Originally the term tenement referred to tenancy and therefore to any rented accommodation...
buildings in Poland. Often an image of a black person accompanies the name.
Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
's novel, which was originally titled Ten Little Niggers was translated into Polish as Ten Murzyns (Dziesięciu Murzynków), although the English title of the novel was itself changed to "Ten Little Indians". General Władysław Franciszek Jabłonowski (1769–1802), of mixed descent, was nicknamed "Murzynek".
Other meanings
"Murzynek" in informal Polish can also mean a type of chocolate cake, or a portion of strong coffee."Murzynka", apart from meaning a black-skinned woman, also is a type of strawberry
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
with small, dark red fruit.
A "murzyn polski" ("Polish murzyn") is a variety of black-billed pigeon.
Derogatory terms
The words "Murzyn" and "Czarny," like other words, may — but need not — carry a derogatory connotationConnotation
A connotation is a commonly understood subjective cultural or emotional association that some word or phrase carries, in addition to the word's or phrase's explicit or literal meaning, which is its denotation....
, depending on context
Context (language use)
Context is a notion used in the language sciences in two different ways, namely as* verbal context* social context- Verbal context :...
. By contrast, other Polish expressions that have sometimes been applied to "Murzyni" have generally carried disparaging associations — e.g., "czarnuch" (a variant of "czarny"), and "negatyw" (a "negative
Negative (photography)
In photography, a negative may refer to three different things, although they are all related.-A negative:Film for 35 mm cameras comes in long narrow strips of chemical-coated plastic or cellulose acetate. As each image is captured by the camera onto the film strip, the film strip advances so that...
," in the photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
sense).