Fwd: Re: Fwd: A question

[Sonja L. Lanehart]

I wasn't sure if this message I forwarded last week made it through
to the list so I'm forwarding it again.    --Sonja

>>User-Agent: Mutt/1.2.5i
>>Date:         Thu, 4 Oct 2001 11:45:29 -0400
>>Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>From: Jesse Sheidlower <jester at PANIX.COM>
>>Subject:      Re: Fwd: A question
>>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>Status:
>>
>>On Thu, Oct 04, 2001 at 11:49:20AM -0400, Sonja L. Lanehart wrote:
>>  > I thought I'd pass this on in case anyone on the ADS list had a response.
>>  >
>>  > >X-Authentication-Warning: galileo.cc.rochester.edu: majord set
>>  > >sender to owner-linganth at ats.rochester.edu using -f
>>  > >User-Agent: Microsoft-Outlook-Express-Macintosh-Edition/5.02.2106
>>  > >Date: Thu, 04 Oct 2001 11:18:36 -0400
>>  > >Subject: A question
>>  > >From: Bambi Schieffelin <bs4 at nyu.edu>
>>  > >To: <linganth at ats.rochester.edu>
>>  > >Sender: owner-linganth at ats.rochester.edu
>>  > >Status:
>>  > >
>>  > >One of my students heard the following, and was wondering if
>>any of it was
>>  > >true - any ideas or is this a language myth?
>>
>>It's an absolute myth. See HDAS, which has extensive examples
>>back to 1920 in reference to Haitians, Filipinos, Nicaraguans,
>>Italians, etc. It's probably from _goo-goo_ in the same sense,
>>from the 1890s (Philippines).
>>
>>Jesse Sheidlower
>>OED
>>
>>
>>  > >
>>  > >Gook, a racial slur for Koreans comes from the Korean word for "America".
>>  > >Supposedly, when the troops landed in Korean during the Korean war, they
>>  > >heard local people saying "mee-gook" (America/USA) and assumed they were
>>  > >speaking English.
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >Thanks - Bambi


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Sonja L. Lanehart
Department of English                 706-542-2260 (office)
University of Georgia                 706-542-1261 (messages)
300 Park Hall                         706-542-2181 (fax)
Athens, GA 30602-6205                 lanehart at arches.uga.edu
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