The Polish you heard from the Polish Yidden in all likelihood was a very primitive form since very few frum Polish Yidden ever mastered the language because of the rampant Anti-Semitism. Few attended secular schools beyond the early grades and Yiddish was spoken/written exclusively.
BS”D
Interesting.
And yes to the rest of it – I have the same feeling when I see Ukrainian peasants (and in this part of Ukraine they were far from the worst) mopping the floors of my shul – venahapoichu!