[Ads-l] Latinx

Mon Aug 17 15:01:51 UTC 2020

There is a trend in new words to pronounce a letter as its name. Latin-x is
an example. I think the trend is mostly driven by marketers. Examples
Xfinity (pronounced ex-finity) and Qdoba (cue-doba).

Marc Sacks

On Mon, Aug 17, 2020 at 10:50 AM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Latinx
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Except that {Latinx}looks like, and by every rule of orthography ought to
> be pronounced, "latinks," which is self-defeating, no?  {Czech}, on
> the other hand, had no equally confusing rival pronunciation, because the
> "cz" spelling was a simple importation.  Approximations like "tsek" or
> "sek" are hardly analogous to "latinks."
>
> There's nothing insensitive about saying a spelling is absurd, especially
> one created ad hoc by presumably lsensitive people. What rule says that
> {Latinx} should not be pronounced "latinks"?  Of course, by purely
> linguistic reasoning, "latinks" should be fine, but I doubt it would gin up
> much enthusiasm.  Myself, I'd hesitate to use it, for fear of being called
> obtuse.
>
> I wonder too what proportion of Hispanic people have ever heard of (or,
> more to the point, use or pronounce properly) {Latinx}, or object to the
> existing terminology.  What's wrong with the thoroughly established
> "Hispanic," "Latin" or, if thought necessary, the suggested / lae 'tin/ ?
> If we're restricting ourselves to spelling, I vote for {Latinex}, like
> {Latex}. (Much better than {Latin-Ex}. Which group of speakers, precisely,
> insists on "Latinx"?
>
> By the way, switching (or compelling people to switch) to "Latinx" (however
> pronounced) will not create a single new job, raise anybody's pay, or do
> thing one to eliminate racism or sexism or any other plague.
>
> It will annoy people.  We have proof of that.
>
> So if that's the purpose (aka "microaggression"), it's a great choice.  It
> reminds me of those who say that the "correct" name for citizens of the
> United States is "USers" or "USians," for too obvious reasons.  (There are
> such people.)
>
> PS: Consider my tone energetic but not sarcastic.
>
> On Mon, Aug 17, 2020 at 9:43 AM Bethan Tovey-Walsh <accounts at bethan.wales>
> wrote:
>
> > Evidently, there=E2=80=99s a large enough group of people who find the
> te=
> rm useful
> > and acceptable as a representation of their identity. Telling them that
> t=
> he
> > word they=E2=80=99ve settled on is absurd and unnecessary and has a far
> m=
> ore
> > grammatical alternative is insensitive as well as missing the point. It=
> =E2=80=99s
> > their word. It=E2=80=99s no more good or bad than any other word adapted
> =
> to fill a
> > need.
> >
> > No argument that a word=E2=80=99s spelling is unreasonable can hold much
> =
> water in
> > English, of all languages. The pronunciations
> =E2=80=9Clateen-ex=E2=80=9D=
>  or =E2=80=9Clatin-ex=E2=80=9D are
> > both perfectly reasonable. They=E2=80=99re not conventional according to
> =
> English
> > orthotactic/phonotactic rules; but we settled on ways to pronounce
> =E2=80=
> =9CCzech=E2=80=9D
> > and =E2=80=9Cgateaux=E2=80=9D and =E2=80=9Cshih tzu=E2=80=9D, so I think
> =
> we can do the same with =E2=80=9CLatinx=E2=80=9D.
> >
> > Bethan
> >
> > ___________________________________________________
> > Dr. Bethan Tovey-Walsh
> >
> > Myfyrwraig PhD | PhD Student CorCenCC
> > Prifysgol Abertawe | Swansea University
> >
> > CV: LinkedIn
> >
> > Croeso i chi ysgrifennu ataf yn y Gymraeg.
> > On 17 Aug 2020, 13:47 +0100, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>,
> > wrote:
> > > I heard it on MSNBC yesterday pronounced as "Latin X."
> > >
> > > "Latine" is obviously the superior choice, assuming one is even
> > necessary.
> > >
> > > JL
> > >
> > > JL
> > >
> > > On Mon, Aug 17, 2020 at 8:27 AM Michael Everson <everson at evertype.com>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > It makes absolutely no sense. And is it [la=CB=88tin=C9=9Bks] or [la=
> =CB=88ti=C5=8Bks]?
> > Anyway
> > > > the obvious third choice given =E2=80=9Clatino=E2=80=9D and
> =E2=80=9C=
> latina=E2=80=9D is =E2=80=9Clatine=E2=80=9D
> > [la=CB=88tine].
> > > >
> > > > M
> > > >
> > > > > On 14 Aug 2020, at 15:45, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM
> >
> > > > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Huh?
> > > > >
> > https://news.yahoo.com/latinx-mostly-unknown-term-even-035021574.html
> > > > >
> > > > > (Ironic "huh?" Of course I'm familiar with it! But this spelling is
> > > > > absurd.)
> > > > >
> > > > > JL
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> > > > truth."
> > > > >
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> > >
> > > --
> > > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> > truth."
> > >
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> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
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> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
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>
> --=20
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
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