Dead-End Discussions (was the/Ukraine)

[Robert Chandler]

Dear Eliot and all,

Well, I have found much in the discussion extremely interesting.  I have learned a great deal from it and am grateful for most, if not quite all, of the contributions.

Especial thanks to Alina Israeli for her astute point about all the attention going to the chosen "markers" ("v" and "na") while most people didn't even notice that "s" had been replaced by "iz".  To Anne Marie Devlin for helping me to understand what it is like to live inside one of these conflict zones.  And to Paul Gallagher for his sensible and tolerant summary of many of the issues.

Controversies, however silly, don't spring up for no reason - and it is worth trying to understand them, and any part we may unwittingly be playing in perpetuating them.

All the best,

Robert

On 20 Jun 2014, at 21:05, Eliot Borenstein <eb7 at NYU.EDU> wrote:

> The argument about (the) Ukraine seems to pop up on SEELANGS at regular intervals, like a swarm of linguistic locusts.  
> 
> I agree entirely with Michele Berdy. It doesn't matter if you agree with the logic behind the rejection of a given term by members of an ethnic (or other identity) group.  It's not your call.  Can't we just assume that, in the absence of entirely shared history and experience, no one can really determine what should or should not be found offensive by a group to which one does not belong?  Just call people what they want to be called, and call their countries what they want their countries to be called.  
> 
> It's not censorship, it's not even (horrors!) political correctness.  It's just linguistic etiquette combined with minimal empathy.
> 
> Here's hoping we can put this issue to rest for another five years,
> 
> Eliot Borenstein
> 
> Eliot Borenstein
> Collegiate Professor
> Professor, Russian & Slavic Studies
> Director of Graduate Study for R&SS
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> 
> Editor, All the Russias
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> 
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> jordanrussiacenter.org/all-the-russias/
> 
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Robert Chandler, 42 Milson Road, London, W14 OLD





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