Murzyn

Key takeaways

Murzyn belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Murzyn to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Murzyn from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Murzyn (Polish pronunciation: [muʐɨn]) is a common Polish word for a Black person of Sub-Saharan African descent, cognate with the English word "Moor". Since the late 20th century, some Black people residing in Poland consider it offensive.

Etymology The word "Murzyn" derives from a Czech borrowing (mouřenín) of the German word Mohr, stemming from the Latin Maurus, and is cognate with the English word "Moor".

Meaning and usage

Definition In the Polish language, 'Murzyn' means somebody with black skin (a proper noun, uppercase spelling). The lowercase word ('murzyn', a common noun) has several metaphoric and informal meanings. Murzyn (feminine form: Murzynka, diminutive: Murzynek) can be translated into English as "black man". The standard nominative plural is Murzyni, which is using the "personal masculine" suffix, while the impersonal suffix (that is: Murzyny) is pejorative.

Scholarly discourse The word "Murzyn" is sometimes translated as either "black" or, more controversially, "Negro". With regards to the English word "Negro", however, the socio-cultural roots of each word are significantly different in the corresponding cultures. In the opinion of linguist Marek Łaziński, it has also been associated with Shakespeare's 'noble' Othello, usually called a "moor" in English. Sociologist Antonina Kloskowska, writing in 1996 in "Race", ethnicity and nation: international perspectives on social conflict, says the word Murzyn "does not carry pejorative connotations. However, in 2006 philologist Grażyna Zarzycka said that the word "'Murzyn', which to many Poles, including academics, is not offensive, is seen by some black people as discriminatory and derogatory." Łaziński, writing in the language advice column of the Polish dictionary in 2008, suggested that in cases where an individual may perceive Murzyn to be offensive, geographic or national designations should be used. According to Łaziński the word Murzyn in Polish is sometimes perceived as offensive, though many Poles would defend its use. In comparison, a direct translation of the English word "black", "czarny", does not seem better to him since it often carries negative connotations in Polish, though he feels it may eventually replace Murzyn due to the influence of foreign languages on Polish. Philosopher Marcin Miłkowski wrote in 2012 that the word Murzyn, "previously considered neutral, is now all but banned in newspapers". In August 2020 Łaziński published an opinion about the usage of the word, at the website of the Polish Language Council. According to Łaziński, the word had little negative association through the 1980s and into the 1990s; but as the Polish language evolved, the word became less and less common and its associations became more and more pejorative. In his new opinion, Łaziński has argued against its modern and public use and recommended that the word "Murzyn" not be used other than in historical quotations. In early March 2021, on the 55th plenary session of the Polish Language Council, Łaziński's opinion was unanimously voted as official opinion of the council. The Council opinion is a recommendation, it does not have legal binding, yet this was unique and first time recognition of the archaic and pejorative meaning by a high expert body.

Public discourse Polish writer Dawid Juraszek in 2009 noted that comparing Polish "Murzyn" to English "Negro" without taking into account the word's neutral origins and non-racist historical background has caused some controversy over the word in recent years. Poland's first black Member of Parliament, John Godson, said in 2011 that the word was not offensive and that he was proud to be called a Murzyn. He also said he saw no problem in using the terms "Murzyn", "ciemnoskóry" ["dark-skin"], "Afrykańczyk" ["African man"], or "Afropolak" ["Afro-Pole"]. Later however, in 2020, he tweeted "The word has evolved. If the people in question do not wish to be called "murzyn" - please do not call them that". Back in 2011, Mamadou Diouf, a Polish-Senegalese musician and representative of the Committee for the African Community (Komitet Społeczności Afrykańskiej), criticised Godson for his use of the word. Polish-Kenyan writer and activist James Omolo in his 2018 book Strangers at the Gate. Black Poland argues that regardless the neutrality of the term "Murzyn", in the perception of Poles it is associated with inferiority. Among other usage examples, he cites a 2014 scandal with foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who reportedly said that Polish mentality suffers from "Murzyńskość" ["Murzynness"], adding "The problem in Poland is that we have very shallow pride and low self-esteem". A black Polish MP, Killion Munyama, used the expression sto lat za Murzynami ["100 years behind the Murzyns"] while speaking to Godson about the status of LGBT issues in Poland, characterising it as behind the times. On the other hand, black Polish journalist Brian Scott considers the word Murzyn to be positive and calls himself "pierwszy Murzyn Rzeczypospolitej" ("First Murzyn of Republic of Poland"), which is also the title of his autobiographical book published in 2016.

In language

A saying used in Poland, Murzyn zrobił swoje, Murzyn może odejść, is a quote from the 1783 play Fiesco by German writer Friedrich Schiller (translated from the German as "The Moor has done his duty, the Moor can go"). The meaning of this phrase is: "once you've served your purpose, you're no longer needed". The expression "sto lat za murzynami" ("a hundred years behind the Africans", in reference to a considerable lagging in some area of progress) is pejorative with respect to the African people, suggesting they are backward, and being behind them is insulting. The lowercase word ('murzyn', a common noun) may mean:

(informally) Somebody anonymously doing work for somebody else. The English word "ghostwriter" can be translated informally in Polish as literacki murzyn, in this case a "literary Negro". (informally) Somebody with a dark brown tan; (informally) A hard working person forced to do hard labour. A murzynek can also mean a popular type of chocolate cake, or a portion of strong coffee. Cycki Murzynki ("Murzynka's tits") is a cake made of biscuit and chocolate. A murzyn polski ("Polish murzyn") is a variety of black-billed pigeon. A murzynka is also a type of strawberry with small, dark red fruit. Muřin (murzyn, murzin; "murzin wielkanocny", or "Easter murzin") is another term for szołdra, a Silesian easter bread.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Murzyn

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Murzyn claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Murzyn before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Murzyn ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Murzyn

In research: Murzyn appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Murzyn in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Murzyn is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics African diaspora in Poland, Anti-African and anti-black slurs, Anti-black racism in Poland, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Murzyn outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Murzyn in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Murzyn means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Murzyn out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Murzyn in simple terms?

Murzyn (Polish pronunciation: [muʐɨn]) is a common Polish word for a Black person of Sub-Saharan African descent, cognate with the English word "Moor". Since the late 20th century, some Black people residing in Poland consider it offensive.

Why does Murzyn matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Murzyn?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Murzyn.