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Writing Polish in longhand (cursive)


Lightbulb 1 | 39  
8 Sep 2007 /  #1
Hello!

I was taking some notes from my Polish text today, and I realized that I didn't know the proper way of writing Polish in longhand (cursive). It's my habit to write English that way, and my notes look a bit awkward if I alternate.

So! I was hoping someone might be able to explain this, or know of a webpage or anything online that has examples of this. I wouldn't ask if I hadn't already tried Google and found nothing, including using Image-Search. It would be very helpful to know how most Polish people write in longhand, esp. the characters ą, ł, and ę. I've seen when studying other languages that there is a lot of variation around the world in longhand, so I think this might be a good topic!

Thanks a lot to anyone who can help. :)
szkotja2007 27 | 1,498  
8 Sep 2007 /  #2
I think this might be a good topic!

It sure is, I was helping a friend fill out an application form yesterday and the first thing I got him to do was write the alphabet out on a scrap bit of paper, Upper Case and lower. Then I "Anglisised" it for him.

Unfortunately I can't explain it for you.
HAL9009 2 | 323  
12 Sep 2007 /  #3
You can write "ę" as e with a little squiggle attached to the end of it, and "ą" as e with a little squiggle attached to the end where the ogonek is. "ł" may be written like an english lower case i but with a flat line above it instead of a dot. Lower case "z" is written like a small upper case z. The other letters are very similar to how letters in english are written and joined.

This is how a polish friend of mine showed me to write the letters.
Krzysztof 2 | 973  
13 Sep 2007 /  #4
I'm not sure if we write "r" the same way you do, but, unfortunatelly, I'm not very familiar with handwriting in English

here I found some text written by a teenage girl,
bamse - | 12  
13 Sep 2007 /  #5
Polish alphabet

maybe it would help u
OP Lightbulb 1 | 39  
13 Sep 2007 /  #6
I'm not sure if we write "r" the same way you do, but, unfortunatelly, I'm not very familiar with handwriting in English
here I found some text written by a teenage girl,

Aha, interesting sample, thanks! Sort of half-longhand, half-print. But it confirms what HAL9009 was saying about the Polish ł being written like English i, except with a flat line over it, and about lower-case Z being written like a small upper-case Z. Neat! :)

So at least half the puzzle is solved, I think. The Polish "r" looks the same as ours, although one person's style will differ a bit from the next, and the picture was a bit blurry I think, although that might just be my computer's settings.

If anyone can post additional examples, that would be very welcome, but for now at least it makes some sense to me. :)
tomekcatkins 8 | 130  
11 Oct 2007 /  #7
Could someone write and scan some examples for the Polish letters like the attached pictures are for Russian.
philip2 - | 2  
10 Jun 2008 /  #8
Thread attached on merging:
curisve handwriting in polish....

what does handwritten cursive look like when writting polish? does anyone have pics or anything? how are ĄąĆćĘę£łŃńÓóŚś-źŻż written?
Catz - | 9  
11 Jun 2008 /  #9
Ć, Ń, Ó, Ś, - and Ż are written as C, N, O, S and Z, with the special dots or kreska centered above the letter.

I have found a guide to designing polish fonts: twardoch.com/download/polishhowto/intro.html

There's very little about the handwriting, but some descriptions should give you an idea what the letters should look like.
Krzysztof 2 | 973  
11 Jun 2008 /  #10
Ask someone with a scanner to write in Polish and post it here. If I had a scanner I'd do it for you :)
philip2 - | 2  
23 Jun 2008 /  #11
anyone who has a scanner that could scan som loghang/cursive text for me? i would be much thankfull!
student2  
9 Oct 2008 /  #12
Scans of cursive writing examples from business or workplace will be helpful
Picnawode  
10 Oct 2008 /  #13
Sorry for my bad english, but i read this topic and I not understand something. User Bamse has posted polish "special marks" on normal letters. They look 120% the same like in handwriting. There is nothing magical, unnormal or something with writting this letters. Just write (yours handwriting) C, O, S, Z, N and then put small line (called acute accent //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acute_accent*) above letter. I assure you that acute accent look the same like in Bamse picture. There is no possibility to write this acute accent different. Acute accent is not joins with letter.

Ą and Ę - write your own A and E and then put under letter small "hook" (called ogonek (this is FIRST POLISH INTERNATIONAL WORD!) //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogonek*) Ogonek is joins with letter.

Ż - just Z with dott above letter.
£ - normal L with small line cross this letter.

This is the same latin alphabet like english alphabet but with some letters with special marks (NOT SPECIAL LETTERS WITH MARKS!!)
To sum up - write your own's handwriting letters and then put this marks.

*I can't write all link so if this interest you add some missing part to link ;P
osiol 55 | 3,921  
10 Oct 2008 /  #14
Sorry for my bad english

Totally forgiveable.

120%

You didn't ask to be forgiven for bad numeracy.
student - | 3  
27 Oct 2008 /  #15
Cześć!
i dziękuję

There is a difference between the typed (printed) "fonts" and the cursive or handwritten Polish.

Na przykład: £ ł

In Polish handwriting or cursive form this appears as an 'i' , where the dot over the 'i' has been replaced by a flat line, so it slightly resembles a T.

Some scans of cursive writing examples by native Polish speakers would be helpful.

[GUEST]
Bondi 4 | 142  
8 Nov 2008 /  #16
My grandmother used to write in cursive. After WWII, the Communist régime had done away with the former education system, along with the cursive handwriting, and replaced it.

Someone has posted another topic and attached some photoes of an old letter (sh*t quality, though):
Trevor 6 | 66  
11 Nov 2009 /  #17
here is a good link to pics of written polish with the ł written as a normal "l" with a line above it. You do need Adobe to look at it. The post is towards the bottom. When you open it, choose the one "better handwriting" its much more clear! Hope this helps you guys, it did me :D

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