Asian = Oriental, etc.

[Beverly Flanigan]

At 05:06 PM 2/8/01 -0500, you wrote:
>Jerome Foster said:
> >>
>Re what to call Chinese and Japanese- the current PC term is Asian. Seems it
>was once Asiatic but that lost favor sometime after WWII. Then it was
>Oriental but that went out for some reason though my local supermarket sells
>Oriental food and there is a market that sells only Oriental food run by
>Asians who don't seem to object to the term. And as for "colored" The NAACP
>has not seen fit to change its name....
><<
>
>The PC objection to "Oriental" is based on etymology (from Latin _oriens_
>'rising'; that is, in the direction of the rising sun) -- that it labels
>people from a Western perspective.
>
>I contend that arguments for or against certain usages that are based on
>etymology are weak, as word origins are not generally in people's
>awareness as they use language.  Etymology is a fascinating study, but has
>little to do with everyday usage decisions.
>
>In the case of fixed compounds that contain non-PC elements -- e.g.,
>"Negro spiritual", "NAACP", "cigar-store Indian", "Indian summer", "Dago
>red", "Guinea T", or "Oriental food" -- such combinations are naturally
>difficult to change because any substitution diminishes or destroys their
>value as designators.  In some instances no good alternative can be used
>without substantial explanation.
>
>Frank Abate
>
>Dictionary & Reference Specialists (DRS)
>Consulting & Lexicographic Services
>(860) 510-0100, ext 2311
><mailto:abatefr at earthlink.net>abatefr at earthlink.net

Guinea T???  All I know is the guinea pig--which I assume was a real type
of pig originally?

_____________________________________________
Beverly Olson Flanigan         Department of Linguistics
Ohio University                     Athens, OH  45701
Ph.: (740) 593-4568              Fax: (740) 593-2967
http://www.cats.ohiou.edu/linguistics/dept/flanigan.htm