[Ads-l] “generic descriptive terms”

[Dan Goncharoff]

I am also curious what makes a descriptive term "generic"? Clearly not
being related to a genus...

DanG

On Fri, May 8, 2015 at 11:36 AM, Geoff Nathan <an6993 at wayne.edu> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Geoff Nathan <an6993 at WAYNE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: =?utf-8?Q?=E2=80=9Cgeneric_descriptive_terms=E2=80=9D?=
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> For those who are unaware of the political issues here, the government of
> E=
> gypt decreed that all pigs resident in that country were to be slaughtered
> =
> because of the dangers of 'swine flu', and hence in the name of 'public
> hea=
> lth' .=20
> It was widely understood (nudge, wink...) that this was essentially a
> funda=
> mentalist Muslim initiative, and the 'swine' connection was merely an
> excus=
> e. There are, after all, Christians and others in Egypt, but clergy in
> Egyp=
> t were unhappy that the animals were permitted in the country at all.=20
>
> Geoff=20
>
> Geoffrey S. Nathan=20
> Faculty Liaison, C&IT=20
> and Professor, Linguistics Program=20
> http://blogs.wayne.edu/proftech/=20
> +1 (313) 577-1259 (C&IT)=20
>
> Nobody at Wayne State will EVER ask you for your password. Never send it
> to=
>  anyone in an email, no matter how authentic the email looks.=20
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> > From: "Laurence Horn" <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > Sent: Friday, May 8, 2015 11:28:05 AM
> > Subject: Re: =E2=80=9Cgeneric descriptive terms=E2=80=9D
>
> > ---------------------- 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:
> =3D?utf-8?Q?=3DE2=3D80=3D9Cgeneric_descriptive_terms=3DE2=3D=
> 80=3D9D?=3D
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> ------
>
> > Yes, we certainly wouldn't want the WHO to have to defend itself
> > against =3D
> > lawsuits (presumably in the International Court of Justice) brought
> > by =3D
> > swine. Will earlier instances of "X Syndrome" all now be renamed, I =3D
> > wonder, or will they grandfathered in--oops, grandparented in--oops,
> > =3D
> > predecessored in?
>
> > LH
>
> > > On May 8, 2015, at 11:17 AM, Joel Berson <berson at att.net> wrote:
> > >=3D20
> > > So the World will no longer honor doctors by naming diseases after
> > > =3D
> > them?
> > > Joel
> > >=3D20
> > > From: Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at GMAIL.COM>
> > > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU=3D20
> > > Sent: Friday, May 8, 2015 10:34 AM
> > > Subject: [ADS-L] =3DE2=3D80=3D9Cgeneric descriptive
> terms=3DE2=3D80=3D9=
> D
> > >=3D20
> > > =3D
> >
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3D3Dhttp-3A__www.thedailybeast=
> .co=3D
> >
> m_cheats_2015_05_08_who-2Ddon-2Dt-2Dname-2Ddiseases-2Dafter-2Danimals.htm=
> l=3D
> >
> &d=3D3DAwIFaQ&c=3D3D-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=3D3DwFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW=
> 1TsSxPI=3D
> >
> WYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=3D3DC2n-jpYGv70eLWdnCjw9Nnix0ZiErMGHdDC5gSJJO3s&s=3D3Df5PF=
> hCEO4=3D
> > DTU1u_JSavL4jd6VAiAXuhBLESAOjqpaUg&e=3D3D=3D20
> > >=3D20
> > > Complete item:
> > > Don=3DE2=3D80=3D99t call it Spanish flu. The World Health Organization
> =
> =3D
> > issued guidelines
> > > Friday that caution against naming diseases after places, people,
> > > or
> > > animals, for fear that such names will bring stigma. Citing Middle
> > > =3D
> > Eastern
> > > Respiratory Syndrome and swine flu as examples, the agency
> > > recommended =3D
> > that
> > > names be =3DE2=3D80=3D9Cgeneric descriptive terms=3DE2=3D80=3D9D
> instea=
> d.
> > >=3D20
> > > DanG
> > >=3D20
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - =3D
> >
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3D3Dhttp-3A__www.americandiale=
> ct.=3D
> >
> org&d=3D3DAwIFaQ&c=3D3D-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=3D3DwFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0=
> ZpW1TsS=3D
> >
> xPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=3D3DC2n-jpYGv70eLWdnCjw9Nnix0ZiErMGHdDC5gSJJO3s&s=3D3Db=
> Ayru4=3D
> > BfHbKhIw3k8rWt4PowYY5hkpF_yv-NHVLPGwQ&e=3D3D=3D20
> > >=3D20
> > >=3D20
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - =3D
> >
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3D3Dhttp-3A__www.americandiale=
> ct.=3D
> >
> org&d=3D3DAwIFaQ&c=3D3D-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=3D3DwFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0=
> ZpW1TsS=3D
> >
> xPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=3D3DC2n-jpYGv70eLWdnCjw9Nnix0ZiErMGHdDC5gSJJO3s&s=3D3Db=
> Ayru4=3D
> > BfHbKhIw3k8rWt4PowYY5hkpF_yv-NHVLPGwQ&e=3D3D=3D20
> > >=3D20
>
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

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