Polack

See also: polack and pólack

English

Alternative forms

• Polak, Pollack, Pollock, Polock

Etymology

From Polish Polak (“a Polish person”). Cognate to French Polak, and akin to Swedish polack.

Pronunciation

• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈpoʊlɑk/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpəʊlæk/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Homophone: polac

Noun

Polack (plural Polacks)

1. (now Canada, US now offensive slang) A Pole, or person of Polish descent.
   • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 260, column 2, line 63:

     which to him appear'd / To be a preparation 'gainſt the Poleak

   • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 260, column 2, line 75:

     So leuied as before, againſt the Poleak.

   • 1610, Thomas Middleton, “Sir R. Sherley Sent Ambassador, etc.”, in Arthur Henry Bullen, editor, The Works of Thomas Middleton, volume VIII, published 1886, page 307:

     First therefore was he employed into Poland, where by Sigismund, the king of Poland and of Suecia, he was received with great magnificence and applause both of the Polack himself and of his people.

Usage notes

• The term Polack was used neutrally through the late nineteenth century, but is today considered an ethnic slur in North America as it was associated with poorer immigrants. The Polish still refer to themselves by this term, and other countries do not attach an offensive connotation.

Synonyms

• (person of Polish descent): Pole, Polish person

Translations

derogatory: Polish person

• Czech: Pšonek (cs) m
• Finnish: polakki (fi)
• French: Polak (fr)
• German: Polacke (de) m
• Polish: polaczek (pl) m
• Russian: пшек (ru) m (pšek), пше́чка f (pšéčka), лях (ru) (ljax)

archaic: Polish person

• Finnish: polakki (fi)
• Romanian: leah (ro) m

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• German: ^{(please verify)} Polack m, ^{(please verify)} Polacke (de) m

Proper noun

Polack

1. An anglicized Polish surname from Polish, from Polak (“Pole”).

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Polack is the 35057^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 643 individuals. Polack is most common among White (78.38%) and Black/African American (9.49%) individuals.

See also

• palooka

Further reading

• Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Polack”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 3, New York City: Oxford University Press, →ISBN.

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɔ.lak/

Noun

Polack m (plural Polacks)

1. Alternative spelling of Polak (Polack, person of Polish descent)

Hunsrik

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p(ʰ)oˈlak/

Noun

Polack m (plural Polacke)

1. Pole, Polack

Further reading

• Online Hunsrik Dictionary