[Ads-l] re-antedating of "pro-life"

[Shapiro, Fred]

Bill's suggestion is a good one, although the complexity of explaining the anti-sexuality / anti-feminism precursor of "pro-life" might make the OED reluctant to include it even with square brackets.

Fred Shapiro


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From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Bill Mullins <amcombill at HOTMAIL.COM>
Sent: Monday, June 6, 2022 10:31 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: Re: re-antedating of "pro-life"

>  I believe that in the 1969 Cleveland Plain Dealer citation, "pro-life" does not have the specific
>  meaning of "anti-abortion," rather it refers to opposition to birth control or to adherence to a
>  broad Catholic agenda on sexuality.
>
>  Fred Shapiro

Perhaps.  But even so, I think this Catholic-specific meaning was important in the growth of the anti-abortion meaning, and should possibly be considered as a [bracketed] cite, and is worth documenting.

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The American Dialect Society - https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americandialect.org%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cfred.shapiro%40YALE.EDU%7C51057577d5464a9beb0d08da47c94e0c%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C637901227167553855%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5efuay5x65wVcz9FjG4yHmCg9GGY0cKqHLryqo0TZ%2FA%3D&reserved=0

________________________________
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Bill Mullins <amcombill at HOTMAIL.COM>
Sent: Monday, June 6, 2022 10:31 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: Re: re-antedating of "pro-life"

>  I believe that in the 1969 Cleveland Plain Dealer citation, "pro-life" does not have the specific
>  meaning of "anti-abortion," rather it refers to opposition to birth control or to adherence to a
>  broad Catholic agenda on sexuality.
>
>  Fred Shapiro

Perhaps.  But even so, I think this Catholic-specific meaning was important in the growth of the anti-abortion meaning, and should possibly be considered as a [bracketed] cite, and is worth documenting.

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The American Dialect Society - https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americandialect.org%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cfred.shapiro%40YALE.EDU%7C51057577d5464a9beb0d08da47c94e0c%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C637901227167553855%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5efuay5x65wVcz9FjG4yHmCg9GGY0cKqHLryqo0TZ%2FA%3D&reserved=0

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