# string bag



## Encolpius

Hello, were string bags popular in Poland, too? And what did you call it? 
Here is what I mean. 
Thanks.


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## Thomas1

I'll speak from my experience: I don't know if they were popular, but I certainly recall them from my childhood. Did they have any special name? I don't remember, but I'd call "авоська" a "siatka" or, maybe, a "torba" (the latter being a general term for a bag). "siatka" seems to come the closest if you analyse its core meaning (a little net). Today "siatka" is sometimes used for different kinds of bags too (which have little or nothing to do with a net).


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## Askorti

Possibly, but as far as I know, only to contain fruit like oranges and the like. Never seen them used for anything else.
And as Thomas said, we would simply call it a "siatka".


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## wolfbm1

"Siatka na zakupy" or simply "siatka" was very popular during the PRL time. I don't see them around at present.


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## Thomas1

I hear "siatka" in everyday Polish used to refer to bags like these or of the _reklamówka_ type. Today, a true _siatka _is often used for packaging fruit or vegetables.


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## Encolpius

reklamówka is an interesting comment, too


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## Thomas1

I've just recalled this thread: reklamówka.


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## jasio

Thomas1 said:


> I'll speak from my experience: I don't know if they were popular, but I certainly recall them from my childhood.



They were, indeed. Pretty long time ago, though, but still I remember them very common. 



Thomas1 said:


> Did they have any special name,



Obviously, just "siatka". 



Thomas1 said:


> "torba" (the latter being a general term for a bag)



Frankly speaking, I would probably never call it "torba". "Torba" is something much more solid (http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torba_(worek)). As you noticed however, it may be the other way round: almost regardless of its construction "torba na zakupy" ('a shopping bag'), especially light, can be referred to as 'siatka'; an obvious reminiscence of a string bag. 



Thomas1 said:


> "siatka" seems to come the closest if you analyse its core meaning (a little net).


Grammatically speaking, 'siatka' indeed is a diminuation of 'sieć', but I would never translate it as a 'little net'. 

In practice 'siatka' means _just_ net, especially if it's reasonable in size or string thickness: a string bag, fence net, volleyball net, tennis net, etc. On the contrary, it is 'sieć' which could be sometimes referred to as a 'big net', because it is used to name something really large or solid - like a fishing net, bird net, fighting net, cargo net, anti-submarine net, etc. The only exception I can think of is a spider's net - although actually it *is* big. Compared to a spider, of course. 

Also, "sieć" is a common translation of a 'network' (rail, roads, computer, telecommunication, social - you name it) or a 'grid' (like an electric grid) - also big structures. 



Thomas1 said:


> Today "siatka" is sometimes used for different kinds of bags too (which have little or nothing to do with a net).



Actually, it refers to dedicated shopping bags only. I don't think anyone would use 'siatka' to refer to one's luggage bag or a handle-less paper bag used for fruits.


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## Soob

I see this type of bag even today. Mostly on the marketplace in my town, but not very often these days. We call it siatka. I didn't know it was popularized by Soviets


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## Ben Jamin

Askorti said:


> Possibly, but as far as I know, only to contain fruit like oranges and the like. Never seen them used for anything else.
> And as Thomas said, we would simply call it a "siatka".



You confuse the shopping net with the packaging net for some goods (motly fruit, but also nuts) provided by the retailer.
Siatka, or "siatka na zakupy" was used for all general purposes, but mostly food, but you apparently don't remember it.
By the way, why don't you disclose your age in your profile?. It is important information for the forum memebers.


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## Thomas1

jasio said:


> [...]
> Frankly speaking, I would probably never call it "torba". "Torba" is something much more solid (http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torba_(worek)).  As you noticed however, it may be the other way round: almost  regardless of its construction "torba na zakupy" ('a shopping bag'),  especially light, can be referred to as 'siatka'; an obvious  reminiscence of a string bag.


Strictly speaking, "torba" is a hyperonym  in this case. One of the websites I linked to in post #5 seems to equal "torba" with "siatka".




jasio said:


> Grammatically speaking, 'siatka' indeed is a diminuation of 'sieć', but I would never translate it as a 'little net'.
> 
> In practice 'siatka' means _just_ net, especially if it's  reasonable in size or string thickness: a string bag, fence net,  volleyball net, tennis net, etc. On the contrary, it is 'sieć' which  could be sometimes referred to as a 'big net', because it is used to  name something really large or solid - like a fishing net, bird net,  fighting net, cargo net, anti-submarine net, etc. The only exception I  can think of is a spider's net - although actually it *is* big. Compared to a spider, of course.


A point in case is "siata", a colloquial word and a functional augmentative  of "siatka", which is indeed a big "siatka" (as used in the context of  shopping bags).
Indeed, the word "siatka" may have lost most of its  diminutive* connotations. There are, however, instances in which it still  denotes a small** net-like object. The one that occurs to me offhand is  "siatka do włosów". 
I do see that "pajęcza sieć" is probably the most idiomatic today, but I can also imagine contexts allowing for "pajęcza siatka" (here's  what I have in mind). Diacronically speaking, it may well change over  time: a search in older dictionaries (for instance, in the so  called _Słownik warszawski_, 1900-1927) shows that "siatka" was considered a diminutive* of "sieć" (it's also got an example in which "siatka" refers to a cobweb, by the way). 

*I'm not clear though if it was ever used as a true one.
**this is (a little) subjective and relative, of course.


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## Ben Jamin

There are many words in Polish that have endings typical for diminutives, but they are not diminutives. Some of them were diminutives once, but now are not, some function in some contexts as diminutives and in others not, and som ehave never been diminutives.
Examples:
Group 1: filiżanka
Group 2: rączka (a handle), siatka, rurka 
Group 3: wariatka


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