red herring; passivism; Malaya

[Stephen Goranson]

OED 2b ...to attempt to divert attention from the real question; hence red
herring, a subject intended to have this effect. 1884

1877 Parliamentary Debates: Official Report By Sierra Leone House of
Representatives, Legislature p.335 This compensation question is merely a red
herring drawn across the scent, in order to capsize the Bill. It is not
brought
forward out of regard for the publicans... (Google Book)
_____

Passivism--perhaps an eggcorn for pacifism?
_____

Malayan OED [ety.]...the place name Malaya is not attested before the
19th cent.

1744 [and perhaps in the 1727 ed.?] A New Account of the East Indies:
Giving an
Exact and Copious Description of the Situation ... By Alexander Hamilton p, 74
[and other pages] ... There are several other Places along that Coast of
Malaya, that produce great Quantities of tin... (Google Books)

1653 The voyages and adventures of Fernand Mendez Pinto. Done into
Engl. by H.C.
By Fernão Mendes Pinto p.69 ... people of the other fide of Malaya, and that
after they had fought with them from one to four in ... (Google Books)

Stephen Goranson
http://www.duke.edu/~goranson

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