In the twenty-first century, a century of globalization and internationalization, much greater emphasis should be placed on practical knowledge of languages with a broad cultural perspective. This phrasebook was generated in response to the emergence of the independent state of Ukraine on the European and world maps.

The following sections are included in this phrasebook: information signs;  numerals; dimensions and measures; personal data; travel; hotel; food; services; post, telegraph, telephone; purchasing; city; health; entertainment; current expressions and frequently used expressions.  Important information on Ukrainian grammar is also presented (pp. 260-91).

The phrasebook is well prepared, covering significant portions of everyday conversation and/or more focused conversation. In Ukraine most phrasebooks of this type are English-Ukrainian or Russian-Ukrainian. Other language combinations are often neglected.  Poland has extensively expanded its contacts with Ukraine and actively utilizes both languages – Polish and Ukrainian, a crucial change important for communication, commerce, politics, and culture.

This praiseworthy phrasebook is not without its problems, however. On occasion the authors of the Ukrainian portion reveal the influence of Polish or Russian.  Polish Bosniak, Bosniaczka are rendered as Ukrainian босняк, боснячка (p. 68), instead of боснієць, боснійка, with plural form боснійці. Ukrainian пілот for ‘pilot’ is preferable to льотчик (p. 74). Novyi tlumachnyi slovnyk ukrains’koi movy in four volumes (Kyiv: Akonit, 2000) includes only льотчик-космонавт (vol. 2, p. 542). On p. 62 Ukrainian жонатий is presented for ‘married’ (but not одружений), нежонатий for ‘unmarried/single’ (but not неодружений), розведений, розведена for ‘divorced’ (but not розлучений, розлучена). Several times the Ukrainian suffix –ський is rendered as –ский (Russian): польских (p. 65), польскою мовою (p. 175), гірский (p. 231).

The consistent problem in this and similar phrasebooks is the use of capital letters in the names of institutions and for certain social greetings (where the current Ukrainian orthography specifies that lower case letters should be used). Examples of this type abound: Шановна Пані (p. 158, correct пані), Шановний Пане (p. 158, correct пане); З Новим Роком (pp. 159, 251, correct роком); Міської Ради (p. 193, correct міської ради); Спілка Письменників (p. 199, correct Спілка письменників); Музей Українського Мистецтва (p. 202, correct Музей українського мистецтва), Музей Російського Мистецтва (p.202, correct Музей російського мистецтва); Веселих Свят (p. 252, correct Веселих свят).

The suffix –чий is rendered as –чний: коров’ячний (p. 167, correct коров’ячий),  жіночний светр (p. 182,  correct жіночий).

Among the other mistakes (misprints, errors, etc.) one should note the following:

p. 41  Национальний (should be Національний)

p. 44  кілометрив (should be кілометрів)

p. 68  Азиа (should be Азія)

p. 74  университету (should be університету)

p. 90  відвезить (imperative, command, should be відвезіть)

p. 96  б касах (should be в касах), дижня (should be тижня)

p. 115   прозвище (should be прізвище)

p. 186  Скілки (should be Скільки)

p. 201  Софійський (should be Софіївський)

p. 210  темперетуру (should be температуру)

p. 220  акомпонемент (should be акомпанемент)

p. 249  Хема (should be Нема)

p. 289 читяймо, читяйте (should be читаймо, читайте), гланьмо, гланьте (should be гляньмо, гляньте), etc.

The forms мене тиснуть(p. 178, Ці туфлі мене тиснуть) and мене коле (p. 209, Мене коле в грудях)are rendered in Ukrainian as мені тиснуть and мені коле.

This Polish-Ukrainian Phrasebook can be recommended for use in classes for teaching Polish, Ukrainian, as well as for use in Slavic linguistic courses where these two languages are to be contrasted.

Valerii Polkovsky, University of Alberta