skądżeby znowu

[anthox]

Hello everyone,

I was hoping someone could clarify how this phrase is used. I'm trying to translate it properly in this text, where the protagonist is trying to figure out why he is so tired, and cannot find a reason in what he did the day before:

"...po czym koło dziesiątej poszedłem spać. Oto wszystko. Więc nie tędy droga. W tym tkwi coś innego. A możem ja chory? Lecz skądżeby znowu?" (Grabiński, "Na tropie", 1922).

I wasn't sure whether to read this as, "But where could this (i.e. getting sick) have come about, again?" or as meaning, "But where else could it (i.e. his tiredness) have come from?" and suggesting he seek for other causes. But then I found this definition of "skądże znowu" as an idiomatic phrase from WSJP to signal contradiction of what was previously said ("mówiący zaprzecza temu, co zostało powiedziane, sądząc, że rozmówca powinien wiedzieć, że nie jest to prawda"). But I don't think that is the meaning here, and I don't know if adding the particle "by" can allow the phrase to retain this meaning...

I found another usage of this expression in Prus (Faraon), where it seems to mean "How did/how could this have come about?": "'Nie ma żadnych plam... Od kilku dni trę sobie skórę, więc jest zaczerwieniona...Skądżeby znowu?... Czy kto słyszał, ażeby kapłanka i kobieta następcy tronu mogła zachorować na trąd... O bogowie!'" But I don't know if it's intended in the same way in Grabiński's text.

Can anyone help clarify the usage of this phrase for me? Thank you!

 

[zaffy]

skądże znowu" as an idiomatic phrase from WSJP to signal contradiction of what was previously said

That's what's meant.

Kind of like these:
"Maybe I'm sick? No way!"
"Maybe I'm sick? No! Why would I be?"

 

[anthox]

Thanks for the quick response, zaffy. I guess the question mark is what made me feel it wasn't meant to contradict the previous phrase, in which case I feel like an exclamation point would be more appropriate.

 

[Ben Jamin]

Hello everyone,

I was hoping someone could clarify how this phrase is used. I'm trying to translate it properly in this text, where the protagonist is trying to figure out why he is so tired, and cannot find a reason in what he did the day before:

"...po czym koło dziesiątej poszedłem spać. Oto wszystko. Więc nie tędy droga. W tym tkwi coś innego. A możem ja chory? Lecz skądżeby znowu?" (Grabiński, "Na tropie", 1922).

I wasn't sure whether to read this as, "But where could this (i.e. getting sick) have come about, again?" or as meaning, "But where else could it (i.e. his tiredness) have come from?" and suggesting he seek for other causes. But then I found this definition of "skądże znowu" as an idiomatic phrase from WSJP to signal contradiction of what was previously said ("mówiący zaprzecza temu, co zostało powiedziane, sądząc, że rozmówca powinien wiedzieć, że nie jest to prawda"). But I don't think that is the meaning here, and I don't know if adding the particle "by" can allow the phrase to retain this meaning...

I found another usage of this expression in Prus (Faraon), where it seems to mean "How did/how could this have come about?": "'Nie ma żadnych plam... Od kilku dni trę sobie skórę, więc jest zaczerwieniona...Skądżeby znowu?... Czy kto słyszał, ażeby kapłanka i kobieta następcy tronu mogła zachorować na trąd... O bogowie!'" But I don't know if it's intended in the same way in Grabiński's text.

Can anyone help clarify the usage of this phrase for me? Thank you!

Remember that Grabiński used many idiolectic expressions. skądżeby znowu is a normal Polish expression, but is rather obsolete. Few people would use it nowadays. However, Grabiński tried to introduce many neologisms to Polish, but they did not grow roots, and are altogether forgotten. So, once again, I would not recommend to use Grabiński's books as representative for the development of Polish.

 

[anthox]

So, once again, I would not recommend to use Grabiński's books as representative for the development of Polish.

Thank you, but that’s not what I’m doing. I’m translating stories that have not been collected in English. Most of the time I can make sense of these idiosyncracies and archaisms from the context, but brief expressions like this are tricky and I need a native speaker’s insight.