zlacker

>>anarba+(OP)
Truly, being able to read Lem's works untranslated is my favourite thing about being a native polish speaker. There are some fantastic translations out there, but somehow, when it comes to sci-fi, I find works written in polish or other eastern european languages to flow better. In addition to the above, I find that reading an older physical edition adds much charm to vintage sci-fi. The copy of The Truth I own comes from 1967 and the feel of the old, yellowed pages does enhance the reading experience.

>>miav+qa1
> native polish speaker.

Ah, the man I want. Tell me, is "Ijon Tichy" a joke on "tachyon", or something else?

(noticed that years ago, been wondering it could not possibly be accidental, not Lem ...)

>>B1FF_P+lm1
Probably not, the name goes before the surname in Polish (like in English), so saying "Tichy Ijon" would sound a bit unnatural, even if the 'Citizen Tichy Ijon' form was promoted in communist time, probably as a borrowing from a more formal Russian?

The word 'tichy' means 'silent' in Czech/Slovakian, and maybe in some smaller Polish dialects.

Though http://encyklopediafantastyki.pl/index.php?title=Ijon_Tichy claims that "the ancestor of Tichy was called Cichy (the silent one in Polish), but the official putting down the name in the official register was lisping"