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Polish month names Trivia Quiz

Polish is one of the few European languages which (with two exceptions) does not use month names based on Latin. The names reflect natural cycles and seasonal practices of the ancient Slavs.

A multiple-choice quiz by Orbis3. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
Orbis3

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
332,354

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
345

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Let's start at the beginning: the month of January is named "styczeń". This is related to the Polish word "styk", meaning what? Hint

A touching or joining of two things

Frostbite

A hole used for ice-fishing

A fur collar seasonally stitched onto coats

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Question 2 of 10

2. One of the months, "listopad", combines the word for "leaves" (="lis'cie") and "to fall" (="padac'"). Which month is it in English? Hint

May

October

November

December

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Question 3 of 10

3. The two Polish months which DO derive their names from Latin, just as they do in English, both start with the letters "ma-". What are their names? Hint

marcin and maja

marzec and maj

makaron and marchew

majak and matka

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Question 4 of 10

4. Let's make the fourth question about the fourth month, April, called "kwiecień". By its name, it tells Poles to expect... Hint

Peace and quiet

Muddy roads

Blooming flowers

Singing birds

5. While April refers to flowers in general, two other Polish month names are related to specific plants which may flower during that time. The first is the month of the linden tree -- "lipiec". Which month is it? Hint

February

May

October

July

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Question 6 of 10

6. The second Polish month related to a flowering plant is September, or "wrzesień". What is the English name of that plant, "wrzos"? Hint

Rose

Tulip

Heather

Cabbage

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Question 7 of 10

7. The month of June, "czerwiec", is so named for the ancient custom of gathering a certain insect larvae ("czerw") to make a textile dye. What color was that dye? Hint

Red

White

Purple

Green

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Question 8 of 10

8. August is a month which ought to be dear to any Communist; after all its name, "sierpień", makes it the month of what? Hint

Hammers

Sickles

Stars

Labor

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Question 9 of 10

9. The next month is named for a practice so archaic, few in Poland still know anything about it. "Paździerze" are shives, the splintered husks produced by braking and scutching woody stalks of flax to make linen. The month of "Październik" is therefore which month? Hint

February

none of the above

December

October

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Question 10 of 10

10. We will end with the year's last month, "grudzień", related to the word "gruda". This makes the Polish December the month of what? Hint

Pine trees

A parting or severing of two things

Chunks or clods

The forgiveness of grudges

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Let's start at the beginning: the month of January is named "styczeń". This is related to the Polish word "styk", meaning what?

Answer: A touching or joining of two things

January is the month in which the old year joins the new.

2. One of the months, "listopad", combines the word for "leaves" (="lis'cie") and "to fall" (="padac'"). Which month is it in English?

Answer: November

Some of the other Slavic languages also have a month named "listopad", but not all agree which month it is! In Croatian, for example, "listopad" corresponds to October.

3. The two Polish months which DO derive their names from Latin, just as they do in English, both start with the letters "ma-". What are their names?

Answer: marzec and maj

March is "marzec" (from Latin "Martius"), and May is "maj" (from "Maius"). If you answered "makaron and marchew", you're hungry for noodles and carrots!

4. Let's make the fourth question about the fourth month, April, called "kwiecień". By its name, it tells Poles to expect...

Answer: Blooming flowers

Blossoms or flowers are called "kwiecia" or "kwiaty".

Answer: July

The linden tree ("lipa") is also known as basswood or lime tree. Its flowers are popular with Polish people for the making of herbal teas and with Polish beekeepers for the making of prized honey.

6. The second Polish month related to a flowering plant is September, or "wrzesień". What is the English name of that plant, "wrzos"?

Answer: Heather

Wrzos in Poland blooms from August to November, but fortunately we didn't name all four months after it!

7. The month of June, "czerwiec", is so named for the ancient custom of gathering a certain insect larvae ("czerw") to make a textile dye. What color was that dye?

Answer: Red

The deep red dye was extracted from the larvae of the carmine scale. I bet you can guess what color the word "czerwony" means!

8. August is a month which ought to be dear to any Communist; after all its name, "sierpień", makes it the month of what?

Answer: Sickles

While sickles used to be essential to the summer grain harvest, they have been mostly replaced by scythes -- and of course combines and tractors.

Answer: October

Did you know what shives meant in English? No, me neither! They are also known as boon. As for "braking" and "scutching", they essentially refer to different ways of beating, mangling and crushing the flax stems.

10. We will end with the year's last month, "grudzień", related to the word "gruda". This makes the Polish December the month of what?

Answer: Chunks or clods

With first frosts, the mud of the rainy autumn freezes into bumpy, lumpy clods.

Source: Author Orbis3

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.
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