This article presents the military ranks of the entire Polish Armed Forces as well as the rank insignia used today. The system of rank insignia is a direct descendant of various systems used throughout history by the Polish Army. Some of the grades trace their name back to the Middle Ages, for instance the rank of literally means a flag bearer or an Ensign. Names of Polish ranks are often of foreign origin, like the ones introduced by the 17th-century mercenaries serving for the Polish Crown. These include the rank of , which is a derivative of the Italian - much like the English equivalent of corporal. As the structure of Polish rank names substantially differs from the English one, it seems more appropriate to give the U.S. or U.K. equivalent ranks, based on the common NATO codes, rather than to provide a literal translation which can lead to numerous misinterpretations. Origins Most rank titles are cognates to the ones in English, with some exceptions. Notably colonel's literal meaning is regimental-leader, likewise means platoon-leader. Also, the title equivalent to petty officer is identical to the word for boatswain, so a may or may not be a . Until World War II, each of the branches of the Land Forces used a set of different names for the same grades. For instance a sergeant was called in the infantry, (literally master of fire) in the artillery and (from German , or Master of the Guards) in the cavalry. This is similar to the German army calling a cavalry officer which is equivalent to Hauptmann a Rittmeister Modern Polish military practices were heavily influenced by Prussian/German and Russian traditions, as most founding officers after 1918 independence were veterans of those respective armies. Marshal of Poland Marshal of Poland () is the highest rank in the Polish Armed Forces. Note that unlike the remaining ranks, it does not belong to any particular service but to the armed forces as a whole. So far only six individuals have been promoted to this rank. With the death of the last surviving holder, Michał Rola-Żymierski in 1989 the rank of Marshal of Poland has been vacant. Customs The Polish language requires the use of a prior honorific before stating the addressee's rank e.g. '' (Sir Captain...). This is directly equivalent to French practice where the possessive is pre-pended to the addressee's rank. During the communist period