"Silver Tsunami" (first "boomer" files for Social Security)

[Scot LaFaive]

Geez. How about we give it a rest. People use what they want. If you want to use "tidal wave," then use it, but I for one will use "tsunami" because I prefer it. More flavorful. ADS isn't going to make some grand decision that will enforce language rules among all American speakers, so please give the platforming a break.
Scot
> Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2007 00:35:17 +0000> From: truespel at HOTMAIL.COM> Subject: Re: "Silver Tsunami" (first "boomer" files for Social Security)> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>> Poster: Tom Zurinskas <truespel at HOTMAIL.COM>> Subject: Re: "Silver Tsunami" (first "boomer" files for Social Security)> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------> > A good point. So why should Americans be subject to the replacement of a word they already know, such as "tidal wave"> by a word they have trouble pronouncing, tsunami, or looking up because it starts with a silent letter, or connot fathom> the relevance of because of the invisible morphology that makes it relevant. At least the word "tidal wave" is something> that is spellable, lookupable, and intuitive as to meaning based on English morphology.> > So as an American in the American Dialect Society, I believe the word "tidal wave" should be retained because,> according to m-w.com, it antedates the word tsunami, is more intuitive as to meaning, and is more pronouncable> and spellable. To me there is no more redeamable quality to tsunami than changing hurricane to typhoon.> Is that next? So my vote is tidal wave over tsunami. I find no sense in changing.> > Tom Zurinskas, USA - CT20, TN3, NJ33, FL5+> See truespel.com - and the 4 truespel books plus "Occasional Poems" at authorhouse.com.> > > > > > Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:46:45 -0700> > From: gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM> > Subject: Re: "Silver Tsunami" (first "boomer" files for Social Security)> > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> >> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------> > Sender: American Dialect Society> > Poster: Benjamin Barrett> > Subject: Re: "Silver Tsunami" (first "boomer" files for Social Security)> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------> >> > Tsunami does not mean "harbor wave" in English, but a wave caused by an> > earthquake or volcanic eruption.> >> > The morpheme tsu (津) certainly does mean harbor or port* and nami (波)> > means wave in Japanese, but that morphology is invisible in English,> > which is why it's a nice substitute for tidal wave.> >> > * I wonder if tsu is recognizable even to native Japanese speakers. I> > don't think I've ever heard it outside of place names and the word tsunami.> >> > Benjamin Barrett> > a cyberbreath for language life> > livinglanguages.wordpress.com> >> > Tom Zurinskas wrote:> >> From m-w.com, tsunami means "harbor wave", which to me does not have the impact of a "tidal wave". Tidal wave has an earlier date associated - 1851, see m-w.com> >>> >> Main Entry: tsu·na·mi> >> Pronunciation: \(t)su̇-ˈnä-mÄ“\> >> Function: noun> >> Inflected Form(s): plural tsunamis also tsunami> >> Etymology: Japanese, from tsu harbor + nami wave> >> Date: 1897> >> : a great sea wave produced especially by submarine earth movement or volcanic eruption : tidal wave> >>> >>> >> > ------------------------------------------------------------> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org> > _________________________________________________________________> Peek-a-boo FREE Tricks & Treats for You!> http://www.reallivemoms.com?ocid=TXT_TAGHM&loc=us> > ------------------------------------------------------------> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
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