Asian = Oriental, etc.

[Frank Abate]

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
abatefr at earthlink.net
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