A well known and respected professor of Polish studies and linguist, Jan Miodek, was a special guest of the 22nd "Biesiada at Bartnik. He was the first lecturer of this year's beekeeping conference. 
Professor talked not only about honey in the history of Polish language, but also mentioned a number of interesting and entertaining information. For instance, he explained the etymology of the name "Stroze" and some surnames derived from beekeeping. 
Many listeners were amazed to learn that a Polish word for bear "niedzwiedz" comes from two old Slavonic words "mied" and "jed" that together meant "miedjed" (honey eater). In time, it was phonetically transformed into modern "niedzwiedz".
Just after the conference Jan Miodek was literally "attacked" by a mass of people asking for an autograph or a photograph.

According to the tradition of "Biesiada", special certificates made by an artist Franciszek Palka were granted by Anna and Janusz Kasztelewicz. On the second day of "Biesiada" one of these certificates was presented to Prof. Jan Miodek as "the sweetest advocate of Polish language".

Who is Professor Jan Miodek?

Jan Miodek graduated from the University of Wroclaw with the degree in Polish Studies. His MA thesis gave him a pass to start an assistantship in the department of Polish studies at the University in Wroclaw. In 1968 he began his adventure with promoting the usage of proper Polish language when he was asked to write a column for the newspaper "Slowo Polskie". His section entitled "About a language" has been since available to read. However, his career has centered on the scientific work.

In 1983 he received a Ph.D. title and took a position of an associate professor at the University of Wroclaw. Since 1986 he has been the director of Polish Studies Institute at the university. He received the title of professor in 1995 from Lech Walesa. Jan Miodek is the doctor honoris causa of the Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences and the University of Opole.
Professor Miodek has been educating three generations of Poles with the means of TV and radio. 
From 1987 to 2007 he was the host of the tv programme "Ojczyzna polszczyzna" (Our country, our language) for which he was twice granted with the award of "Wiktor" and later, in 1988, for the whole work with "Superwiktor". In 2000 he took the fourth place in a plebiscite for the most outstanding TV personality according to the magazine "Polityka".

Since 2009 Prof. Miodek has been hosting a TV programme "Slownik polsko@polski” in which he answers live the questions concerning the peculiarities of Polish language.

He has also wriiten a number of best sellers including "Odpowiednie dac rzeczy słowo. Szkice o wspolczesnej polszczyznie", "Ojczyzna polszczyzna dla uczniow", "Slaska ojczyzna polszczyzna", "Nie taki jezyk straszny. O polszczyznie do uczniow, "Miodek drazy skale", "Rozmyslajcie nad mową!", "ABC polszczyzny", "Slownik ojczyzny polszczyzny", just to name a few.

Photo: Leszek Horwath, Bogdan Klimczyk & Mirosław Żak
Recording: Leszek Horwath
© Beekeeping Farm "Sadecki Bartnik" 2013. 
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