[OT] McGuinness/margin in Polish Brooklyn

[David Donnell]

It would seem that "margin" ain't no Polish word...

So then I wonder where "mar-gee-nees" comes from. Perhaps they just
borrowed the English word and applied it to the name McGuinness?...
that seems awfully involved for a gal who barely speaks English...

I may never know.

But thanks!


>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       Bruce Hunter <bhunter3 at MINDSPRING.COM>
>Subject:      Re: [OT] McGuinness/margin in Polish Brooklyn
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Greetings,
>
>Interested amateur lurker here. My dictionary ( English-Polish Polish
>English, J. Stanilawski {slashed l} David McKay Co. Inc.{no date}) says...
>1) brzek (dot under e) - edge, brink, verge, coast, shore, bank, margin
>2) krawedz (dot under e, acute z) - edge brim, border, verge
>
>Regards,
>Bruce Hunter
>
>David Donnell wrote:
>>  I beg your pardon, I reckon this is more ESL than ADS-L material:
>>
>>  A Polish woman in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn told me
>>  that local Polish-speakers pronounce McGuinness Blvd as
>>  "MAR-gee-nees", because it is considered a 'margin' between the two
>>  sides of the community.
>>
>>  McGuinness Blvd is the major thoroughfare one takes to get into
>>  Manhattan, via the Queens Midtown Tunnel or the 59th Street Bridge...
>>  here's a map:
>>  http://www.mapquest.com/maps/%5B61-111%5D+McGuinness+Blvd+Brooklyn+NY+11222/
>>
>>
>>  Anyone know the Polish word for 'margin'?
>>
>>  DD
>>  Missourian @ NYC
>>
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