Why do Polish speakers turn foreign names like “Simona” into “Simonka”?

Introducing herself, the Sicilian speaker offers three versions of her own name: “Jestem Simona, albo Simo, albo Simonka po polsku” — Simona, or Simo, or “Simonka” in Polish. That last one isn’t a translation; it’s Polish doing what it does to any name, foreign or native, adding the affectionate “-ka” ending the same way “Anna” becomes “Anka” or “Kasia” becomes “Kasiunia.”

This is worth knowing before you introduce yourself in Polish: expect friends to spontaneously build you a diminutive nickname this way, regardless of where your name is from — it’s a sign of warmth, not mockery, and resisting it is basically pointless.