Namaste (UNCLASSIFIED)

Wed May 28 23:07:32 UTC 2008

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One recent pop culture vector for the word is the TV show "Lost":
http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Namaste


> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society
> [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Benjamin Barrett
> Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 2:17 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Namaste
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM>
> Subject:      Namaste
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> -----------------
>
> I don't see this word in the online AHD. I found a citation
> where its meaning is taken for granted in Michael Chrichton's
> _Next_, page 491 (paperback, Harper, 2006):
>
> Compared to the other choices, the name Solana Canyon
> conveyed a muted, understated quality in keeping with a
> resort that charged thousands of dollars a day to rejuvenate
> the bodies, minds, and spirits of its clients. This was
> accomplished through a combination of yoga, massage,
> meditation, spiritual counseling, and diet help, all
> delivered by staff who greeted guests with prayerful hands
> and a heartfelt "Namaste."
>
> The word "namaste" is not italicized, but the quotes and
> capitalization leave the intended status of the word
> ambiguous.  In other cases, he uses a comma and sentence
> capitalization (or just italics) to indicate quotations.
> Without the comma, it's unclear whether the capitalization is
> intended to indicate that the word is foreign.
>
> In any case, the above citation is all he provides for context.
>
> Aloha from Maui
> Benjamin Barrett
>
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