curious usage note

[Laurence Horn]

At 2:14 PM -0400 3/30/11, Dan Goncharoff wrote:
>Isn't "sodomite" derived from the people of Sodom, and would therefore fall
>under the tribal source?
>
>"Labourite", although tribal in the minds of some, doesn't really fit the
>rule, I admit. I do believe there is a rule, however.
>
>DanG

I tend to agree, although it's not an absolute.
The OED entry doesn't distinguish its Labourites
from its Trotskyites, but most of its examples
are of the latter sort:

==============
  b.  In words of modern formation:  (a) Denoting
an inhabitant of a place; as Sydneyite,
Claphamite, Durhamite, Ludlowite: now rare, and
mostly somewhat contemptuous.   (b) Denoting a
disciple, follower, or adherent of a person or
doctrine; as Wycliffite, Campbellite, Daleite,
Glassite, Irvingite, Puseyite, Simeonite;
Brontëite, Darwinite, Hugoite, Ruskinite,
Shelleyite, Spencerite, Zolaite; Bryanite,
Canningite, Healyite, Jacobite, Luddite,
Mackinleyite, Parnellite, Peelite, ÝWilliamite
(adherent of William III). So Pre-raphaelite,
Silverite, Independent Labourite, etc.

These have a tendency to be depreciatory, being
mostly given by opponents, and seldom
acknowledged by those to whom they are applied.
==============
LH

>
>On Wed, Mar 30, 2011 at 1:26 PM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>wrote:
>
>>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  -----------------------
>>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
>>  Subject:      Re: curious usage note
>>
>>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>  At 12:41 PM -0400 3/30/11, Dan Goncharoff wrote:
>>  >Isn't the "-ite" suffix normally restricted to tribes (Hittite) and
>>  >followers of people (Trotskyite)?
>>  >
>>  >Jihad is neither.
>>  >
>>  >DanG
>>
>>  Nor is "sodomite", nor "Labo(u)rite".
>>
>>  Then there's the pejorative -er we've discussed (flat-earther,
>>  birther, truther, et al.)--so maybe Jihader.  Naaah.
>>
>>  LH
>>
>>  >
>>  >On Wed, Mar 30, 2011 at 12:33 PM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu
>>  >wrote:
>>  >
>>  >>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  >>  -----------------------
>>  >>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  >>  Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
>>  >>  Subject:      Re: curious usage note
>>  >>
>>  >>
>>
>>  >>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>  >>
>>  >>  At 12:25 PM -0400 3/30/11, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>>  >>  >_New Oxford American Dictionary_ (2005):
>>  >>  >
>>  >>  >"Jihadist...There doesn't seem to be a pressing need for this
>>  >>  >English-friendly form since the Arabic term for a holy warrior,
>>  _mujahid_,
>>  >>  >has already made it into English. in the plural forms (_mujahideen,
>>  >>  >mujahedin_) along with _jihadi_, a form more in keeping with Arabic
>>  >>  >morphology."
>>  >>  >
>>  >>  >Weird, eh? Like being "English-friendly" could be a drawback, esp.
>>  >>  >in contrast with a harder-to-spell-and-remember foreign word like
>>  "mujahid
>>  >>  "
>>  >>  >(my keyboard doesn't want me to include the diacritic over the "a.")
>>  >>  >
>>  >>  >But what of this?:
>>  >>  >
>>  >>  >"..._Jihadist_, however, is the preferred form for all writers who are
>>  >>  >vehemently anti-Arab or anti-Islam."
>>  >>  >
>>  >>  >Is this true? Do I even detect sarcasm? Doesn't the note imply that
>>  the
>>  >>  use
>>  >>  >of "jihadist" is an identifying mark of the racist and/or religious
>>  bigot?
>>  >>  >
>>  >>  >On what basis specifically?
>>  >>  >
>>  >>  >JL
>>  >>
>>  >>  Right; I think we (or the bigots among us) ought to stick with
>>  >>  traditional suffixal usage and go with "Jihadite"--or, if female,
>>  >>  "Jihadette"--rather than adopting the much more neutral-sounding
>>  >>  "Jihadist".  (Cf. Trotskyite, suffragette, et al.)  Unfortunately,
>>  >>  "Jihadite" sounds more like an exotic rock or gem, possibly a
>>  >>  birthstone.
>>  >>
>>  >>  LH
>>  >>
>>  >>  ------------------------------------------------------------
>  > >>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>  >>
>>  >
>>  >------------------------------------------------------------
>>  >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>>  ------------------------------------------------------------
>>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org