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10:47 May 8, 2018 |
Polish to English translations [PRO] Slang | |||||||
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| Selected response from: Frank Szmulowicz, Ph. D. United States Local time: 06:45 | ||||||
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3 | blackmailer/extortionist (of hiding Jews or Poles hiding them during WWII) |
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2 | denouncer |
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... there is no real equivalent in English of 'szmalcownik', greasy-palmer, |
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blackmailer/extortionist (of hiding Jews or Poles hiding them during WWII) Explanation: Szmalcownik (Polish pronunciation: [ʂmalˈtsɔvɲik]), in English also spelt shmaltsovnik, is pejorative Polish slang used during World War II for a person who blackmailed Jews who were hiding, or who blackmailed Poles who protected Jews during the German occupation https://www.google.com/search?num=100&ei=M4HxWvbxOZ2zjwSe75G... -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 7 mins (2018-05-08 10:55:34 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- ccccccccccc Of course, you can use shmaltsovnik, but that may not mean much to an English-speaking person. |
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denouncer Explanation: It became a choice of dying from hunger by simply staying put or leaving the ghetto and risking our lives to obtain food. Whoever was able to sneak out of the ghetto to sell possessions and buy some food, did so. Many succeeded, but some were not so fortunate and never returned. The szmalcowniks — denouncers — took care of them - http://memoirs.azrielifoundation.org/recollection#display-as... -------- |
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Reference: ... there is no real equivalent in English of 'szmalcownik', greasy-palmer, Reference information: For example, there is no real equivalent in English of 'szmalcownik', greasy-palmer, and the word is often translated as 'blackmailer', which is not exactly the same. (Editor's note: wartime parlance distinguished, not always consistently, between the szmalcownik and the szantażysta (blackmailer): the former accosted his victims on the street and might be likened to an ordinary mugger, using the threat of denunciation rather than a pistol as his weapon. The latter, much more dangerous, ferreted out Jews in their hiding-places and demanded everything they had. In English writing on the subject, the Polish word szmalcownile has generally been adopted for both.) - https://goo.gl/jgu7cQ |
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