• ominouslemon@lemm.ee
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    10 months ago

    If people still use it that way, it should be in the dictionary. Dictionaries are descriptive, not prescriptive

  • azvasKvklenko@sh.itjust.works
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    10 months ago

    It’s like in Polish - the word “żyd” (jew) has negative connotations, and maybe it becomes rare in usage these days, but the negative meaning sticks. It’s still an offense to call somebody that.

    We have more words like this (cygan, rumun) that on its own are official words for etnicity or nationality, but carry some negative meaning. We also have dedicated words to call many different groups in offensive ways.

    However languages happen organically and they reflect how people speak, not the other way that there’s some sort of entity that dictates how the entire population should speak (although reformations are possible).

    Funny how people try to regulate that by law. We had such case in Polish when few years ago feminists tried to change how we call professions that are typically assigned with men, but some women are also performing them (police officer, firefigter, ministry etc). Some of those forms didn’t make sense completely due to semantics, some were dropped from the language decades ago and sound archaic or unnatural, the lobby lead to memes at the very most.

    • AstridWipenaugh@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      That movement worked though. You wrote police officer and firefighter instead of policeman and fireman.

      • Cabrio@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        Fireman and policeman in English are also not offensive because they aren’t referring to gender or sex.

        Human - Group
        Humans - Collective Individuals
        Man - Individual
        Men - Collective Individuals (Non-sexed)

        Not to be conflated with

        Men - Collective (Sex Male)
        Women - Collective (Sex Female)
        Wo - Female, men - collective individuals (non-sexed).

        Keep in mind these are all traditional definitions and were constructed before sex and gender were determined to be separate and before intersex was a classification.

        We now often conflate those in common English with human and man and person being interchangeable. As man (individual) with man (sex). And many others conflate sex and gender.

        Firefighters - Group
        Fireman - Firefighting Individual
        Firemen - Firefighting Collective (Non-sexed)

        Police - Group
        Policeman - Policing Individual
        Policemen - Policing Collective (Non-sexed)

        The arguments for removing gender from professions is based on the misapprehension that the professions were ever related to gender and as a result mass illiteracy has made it an “issue”.

  • Badass_panda@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    I’m saddened to hear that there are still an appreciable amount of Spanish people talking about us that way, but I’m not upset at the dictionary for recording the way the language is used.

    I’m guessing it’s approached in something of a similar way to how English language dictionaries handle the word gyp, which is to give its definition and note that it is offensive.

    • cosmic_skillet@lemmy.ml
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      10 months ago

      Exactly, dictionary definitions are descriptive, not prescriptive. They describe how words are used, not prescribe how they should be used.

  • bobman@unilem.org
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    10 months ago

    Definition of Zionist: right-wing scumbag who believes religion should dictate where people live, regardless of who suffers as a result.

    I don’t mind Jews, but I hate zionists because they are all religious nationalists by definition.

        • Fisk400@feddit.nu
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          10 months ago

          I know. I also know he can’t say that because they are all whiny little cowards.

      • ansik@kbin.social
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        10 months ago

        One really has to be deep into antisemitism to think that’s a relevant point to make in a discussion on how the word Jew is defined in Spain.

        • SuddenDownpour@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          Israel =/= Judaism

          There are Jews who don’t like the government of Israel, and Israelis critical of their own country.

      • bobman@unilem.org
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        10 months ago

        See my other comment on the matter.

        Are you just upset I’m calling out zionism for what it is? I think so, but you’re going to try to lie and make it seem about something else.

        • Fisk400@feddit.nu
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          10 months ago

          I am asking why you are talking about Zionism on a post that isn’t about Zionism. If you do not think all Jews and Zionists are the same then why are you bringing it up here and now?

            • Fisk400@feddit.nu
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              10 months ago

              You have no other comments on this post. Have you made comments somewhere else about this specific post and how it’s relevant to Zionism?

              • floofloof@lemmy.ca
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                10 months ago

                I think they’re referring to “I don’t mind Jews.” It’s about as convincing as “I’m not racist but…”