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<div class="moz-signature">Dear colleagues,<br>
<br>
I should, first of all, say that it was not my intention to start
a discussion on political correctness on this forum. On the one
hand, it is pretty clear that, among all genuinely linguistic
issues, this is the one which engages most people emotionally,
which means that a rational and constructive discussion is very
hard to conduct. On the other, one may ask why this would be an
appropriate topic for LingTyp. So, to repeat, the only thing that
I requested was that people refrain from criticizing or commenting
on other people's usage if political correctness is at stake. It
seems that nobody among those who have taken up the topic is
really against this request.<br>
<br>
This being said, it seems also clear that the issue involves a
number of problems that are of linguistic interest (although not
necessarily of typological interest). One is the question brought
up by Maïa: Do we have a right to determine our name? And further:
Do we have a right to determine how our people (our ethnos), town
and our country are called? (Remember that political correctness
has often required speakers to stick to the most recent
redenomination realized by locals.) <br>
<br>
Another is the question of politeness brought up by Jürgen: If I
use an expression that some people find politically incorrect, at
the same time sincerely and credibly assuring interlocutors that
I mean no harm (and if required, distancing myself explicitly from
pejorative or otherwise negative connotations that some people
associate with it), is it then me who is impolite or is it those
people who insist that I speak otherwise?<br>
<br>
Again, these are issues of pragmatics rather than typology. But we
typologists are not really that narrow-minded; so if people want
to take it up, go ahead.<br>
<br>
Best,<br>
Christian<br>
-- <br>
<p style="font-size:90%">Prof. em. Dr. Christian Lehmann<br>
Rudolfstr. 4<br>
99092 Erfurt<br>
<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Deutschland</span></p>
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<td>Tel.:</td>
<td>+49/361/2113417</td>
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<td>E-Post:</td>
<td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:christianw_lehmann@arcor.de">christianw_lehmann@arcor.de</a></td>
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<td>Web:</td>
<td><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.christianlehmann.eu">https://www.christianlehmann.eu</a></td>
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