# złodziej vs rozbójniczka



## 涼宮

Good afternoon! 

Reading  Królowa Śniegu, the część V, says _mała rozbójniczka_ as a title. I couldn't find that word in the dictionaries but Google translator says it means thief, which makes sense. Now, my question is, what is the difference between złodziej and rozbójniczka? And also what is the male version of rozbójniczka? I typed on Google rozbójniczk and only could find few hits, most related to RPG games. Perhaps it is robójnik?


Thanks in advance!


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## cyruslb

Złodziej Złodziejka               Thief

Rozbójnik Rozbójniczka              Brigand / This is a much more archaic-sounding word, more literary

Masculine Feminine


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## 涼宮

Thank you! Then, I guess rozbójnik is not a common word, because brigand isn't either. There is also bandit, not commonly used either.


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## cyruslb

Exactly  

Although "Bandyta" as Bandit is commonly used.


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## 涼宮

I found another term: zbójca. What is its female version? and Is it even more less common than rozbójnik?


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## kknd

涼宮 said:


> I found another term: zbójca. What is its female version? and Is it even more less common than rozbójnik?



probably _zbójczyni_ but that seems to be a neologism (cf. _zabójca_–_zabójczyni_, murderer, killer: m.-f.); it'd be _zbójniczka_ for _zbójnik_ (like in _rozbójnik_). there is also quite nice neologism from janusz christa's comix titled "kajko i kokosz" (kajko and kokosz are names, it's very similar in construction to asterix in obelix but placed in early medieval poland): _zbójcerz_ which is portmanteaux of _zbój_ (=zbójca, but much more popular; female form would probably also be _zbójniczka_) and _rycerz_ (knight).


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## LilianaB

_Rozbzójnik_ is a regular male form (non-diminutive) of a noun which means Robin Hood kind of person: someone who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. _Rozbójniczka_ is both the regular (non-diminutive) female form, although I have never heard it used, or it could also be a female diminutive form of this noun. There were famous _rozbójniki_ in history, or literature at least: robójnik Rumcajs, from a Slovalk or Czech folk tale, which was made into a cartoon for children, rozbójnik Janosik, also Slovak I think, but the word is defitintely Polish. There may be a similar word in other West Slavic languages.


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## Ben Jamin

LilianaB said:


> _Rozbzójnik_ is a regular male form (non-diminutive) of a noun which means Robin Hood kind of person: someone who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. _Rozbójniczka_ is both the regular (non-diminutive) female form, although I have never heard it used, or it could also be a female diminutive form of this noun. There were famous _rozbójniki_ in history, or literature at least: robójnik Rumcajs, from a Slovalk or Czech folk tale, which was made into a cartoon for children, rozbójnik Janosik, also Slovak I think, but the word is defitintely Polish. There may be a similar word in other West Slavic languages.



This is wrong on many points: 
“Rozbójnik” (and not “Rozbzójnik”) means a bandit, robber, highwayman, brigand. The word is archaic and only used in historical novels and stories from the past. Modern criminals robbing people are called “bandyta” in singular. The word is in no way limited to a “noble brigand”, this is just your fantasy.


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## 涼宮

Thank you all of you! Ben Jamin, if bandyta is the common term nowadays, when do you use złodziej? Thanks again!


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## LilianaB

Yes, _Rozbójnik_, of course: I am sorry. I do not know how the z got in there. Sorry for the typo. Otherwise it is all correct. This is what rozbójnik means. It  is slightly archaic, but understandable to people who have a thorough knowledge of Polish. I don't know why the translator used the word _rozbójniczka_ instead of _złodziejka_. I will have to see what it is in Danish. Rozbójniczka sounds sweeter than _złodziejka_, but it bassically means _a little thief_ here.


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## dreamlike

Suzumiya, "bandyta" is the word which is used reasonably often in the media, and appears to be fairly popular with journalists these days, but people are more likely to say "złodziej" instead (when they mean a robber, "bandyta" covers a range of criminals, and it's not restricted to thieves). I would never use the word "bandyta" in a regular conversation, and rarely do I hear people say it, unless jocularly.


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## LilianaB

The question was what _mała_ _zbójniczka_ meant in a translation, I assume, of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale -- _The Snow Queen,_ and what the difference between _rozbójnik_ and _złodziej _was. Z_łodziej is a regular thief: rozbójnik _is a more archaic word and has the indications of  representing somebody who robs the rich and gives to the poor. In the above context, the phrase just means _a little thief_. _Złodziej_ is somebody who just steals. _Bandyta_ usually uses weapons and is often involved in other crimes as well, such as murder.

Just as a curiosity, there if even a dance of those people who robbed the rich and gave to the poor in Tatra Mountains called _zbójnicki _and a national costume.


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## vianie

LilianaB said:


> robójnik Rumcajs, from a Slovalk or Czech folk tale, which was made into a cartoon for children


Rumcajs (as the germanised name indicates) is a Czech tale character. He hasn't been an existing person.


> rozbójnik Janosik, also Slovak I think, but the word is defitintely Polish


I can imagine it is Polish, but subjectively, why it should be?  *Ján* is a Slovak version of John, *János *[jánoš] is a Hungarian one and *-ík *is a common Slovak male diminutive suffix.


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## LilianaB

Thank you Vianie. They were both called rozbójnik in Polish and they were both Robin Hood like characters.


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## 涼宮

Thanks all of you again!


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## Ben Jamin

涼宮 said:


> Thank you all of you! Ben Jamin, if bandyta is the common term nowadays, when do you use złodziej? Thanks again!



‘Złodziej’ means “thief”, that is a criminal that steals, not robs: takes goods, money, intellectual property from lawful owners by “stealth”, that is, in a clandestine way, not involving violence or threat against the owner.
I understand that the problem for Spanish speakers is that neither Castilian nor Catalan makes difference between “steal” and “rob”.


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## dreamlike

LilianaB said:
			
		

> It  is slightly archaic, but understandable to people who have a thorough knowledge of Polish.



I'd say it's readily understandable to all Polish speakers, regardless of whether they are well-read or not. One doesn't have to have an above average knowledge of Polish language to be familiar with the word. Unless you meant non-native speakers, then I agree. 

Some time has passed since I last read "Królowa śniegu", and I can't recall what the fifth part is about, but "Mała rozbójniczka" does not sound very derogatory to my ears, it has some "Sweetness" to it, as Liliana said. If the author, or the translator, for that matter, had meant it as a criticism, he would have probably used different words.


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## Stardusd

Hi! #1
Złodziej - is a smart thief. He can have firearm, knife and so on, but when he uses them for robbery, abduction etc.... he/she/they- is (are) considered Rozbójnik/Rozbójniczka/ Rozbójniki.
The word I have heard the most is- zbój, a criminal guy, bandit. Armed or not.
Mała> little, small, young.....

My reply is for #1


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