Wyliczanki dziecięce w kontekście kulturowym

In the article nursery rhymes are investigated as a cultural phenomenon; they are studied as texts but, at the same time, types of language behavior in which various elements of different languages and cultures are manifested. The research method of the article draws upon Krystyna Pisarkowa’s Wyliczanki polskie [Polish Nursery Rhymes]. In nursery rhymes one can notice Latin, French, German, Jewish and gypsy influences. They allow one to study the customs of the representatives of different cultures and their attitudes towards the education of the Latin and French languages. In more modern nursery rhymes one can trace political references, as well as the effects of the impact of media and the English language. Nursery rhymes can serve as an additional source of knowledge of people’s everyday life and cultural changes taking place at a given time.