[Ads-l] haboob

Thu Jun 2 15:40:11 UTC 2016

I'm guessing the use 'misappropriated' is somehow related to the trendy use of 'appropriation' as in 'cultural appropriation', a politically-charged term that has generated much heat in the blogosphere in the past few months. 

Appropriate citation (heh!) is left as an exercise for the reader.

Geoff

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________________________________________
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, June 2, 2016 11:32 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: haboob

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Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
Subject:      Re: haboob
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> On Jun 2, 2016, at 9:57 AM, James A. Landau <JJJRLandau at NETSCAPE.COM> =
wrote:
>=20
> Today's Jerusalem Post  =
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttp-3A__www.jpost.com_Diaspo=
ra_Dust-2DStorm-2Dor-2DHaboob-2DTexans-2Dflip-2Dover-2Dweathermans-2Dchoic=
e-2Dof-2Dterminology-2D455723&d=3DAwIBaQ&c=3D-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=3DwF=
p3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=3D4DrnneSrlJGmcSqVSqwEf2d387YC=
4O1-1bPdOtFG3-o&s=3DnA1JD0WQzQL-H1A6CzPWSBhULhprSPwwPrfm6cCxMAo&e=3D=20
>=20
> <begin quote>
> Dust Storm, or 'Haboob?' - Texans flip over weatherman's choice of =
terminology=20
>=20
> <snip>
> When a dust storm was referred to on Monday as "Haboob," locals of =
Lubbock Texas did not shy away from speaking up on the weather service's =
Facebook page in order to express disdain over the chosen word, of =
Arabic origin.=20
>=20
> <snip>
> A third Texan took the opportunity to address the impending US =
election and express his support for Republican candidate Donald Trump, =
saying, "I for one cannot wait until those gosh dang democrats get swept =
out of office cause you know the Donald will not allow these Islam =
loving words to be used in the good ole US of A. We have a new haboob on =
the way.....and his name is Trump, the biggest haboob in the world!!!!"=20=

>=20
> <snip>
> Yet, to balance out these extreme reactions, some moderates looked =
down on the comments of the "ignorant" Texans who were overly critical =
of a weather term which, although of Arabic origin, was entirely =
appropriate. "Haboob" is used to describe intense dust storms often =
associated with thunderstorms, typical in the Middle East and Africa. It =
stems from  the word "habb," which, in Arabic, means "wind" or "to =
blow." It's use was not at all misappropriated.=20
>=20
> <snip>
> Another wrote, "To all of you people complaining about a word. Do you =
all realize how stupid y'all look? I mean, the rest of the country and =
the world is laughing at y'all. Lmao [sic] stop getting offended over =
nothing. It's super annoying to the civilized world. We work too hard to =
make humanity modern and non-draconian to allow this sort of BS. =
Thanks."
> <end quote>
>=20
> I might the "third Texan" quoted above is being logically =
inconsistent. =20
>=20
> Is there such a word as "misappropriated"?
>=20
Short answer:  yes, but usually involving funds rather than words.  OED:

trans. To appropriate or assign wrongly; esp. to apply dishonestly =
(money belonging to another) to one's own use; to embezzle. Also in =
extended use.

1825   L. Aikin Mem. in A. L. Barbauld Wks. I. p. xiii,   Several of the =
pieces have in consequence been generally misappropriated.
1857   J. Toulmin Smith Parish (new ed.) 145   A part of what had been =
wrongfully misappropriated being restored.
1887   Times 10 Oct. 3/3   The prisoner..had been in the habit of =
misappropriating fees which he received.
1904   J. Conrad Nostromo ii. iii. 127,   I am not likely to =
misappropriate the funds.
1952   W. Plomer Museum Pieces (1961) xxvi. 204   He had misappropriated =
the funds entrusted to him.
1987   Melody Maker 8 Aug. 10   Disfiguring and misappropriating pop's =
legacies.
1990   Times 2 Feb. 34/7   The purpose of the fraud was to enable moneys =
to be ingathered and misappropriated.

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