Re: Re: Origin of word "redskin"

[RonButters at AOL.COM]

In a message dated 5/26/05 2:01:48 PM, zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU writes:


> 
> geoff nunberg, who testified in the Redskins case, discusses deford's
> claim at:
> 
>    http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002194.html
> 
Thanks, Arnold, for pointing me towards this. Nunberg concludes his note as 
follows:


"Linguists pooh-pooh the idea that the original meaning of a term can somehow 
persist in the collective unconscious after it has been lost to individual 
recall. But that picture still has a pervasive hold in popular thinking about 
language. I'm of two minds about the "scalp" story about the origin of redskin: 
as a linguist I feel obliged to correct it, but it's doing good work, and part 
of me is inclined to let it pass. Se non è vero. . ."

Even if I agreed that forcing the Washington Redskins to change their name 
would be "good work," I must disagree strongly that spreading an obvious lie can 
do good work for any cause, however passionately one might feel about it.