[Ads-l] "members of the tribe"

[Ben Zimmer]

As a starting point, I shared this 1948 example in a post way back in 2007.

--
Donn O'Meara, "American-Jewish Alphabetical Expressions," American Speech
23(3/4) (Oct-Dec 1948), p. 315
M.O.T. _Member of the Tribe._ A fellow Jew. Usually a noun but occasionally
used adjectivally as in: 'That's an M.O.T. fraternity.'
---

https://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2007-August/073123.html

On Wed, May 21, 2025 at 4:14 PM Stephen Goranson <
0000179d4093b2d6-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> Taking a break from writing a review of two books that deal with the
> question whether Josephus, in Antiquities book 18, mentioned Jesus.
> There are three general camps on this:
> Josephus did;
> Josephus did not;
> Josephus did (or did not) but a Christian or Christians later wrote or
> rewrote it, interpolating, adding and maybe changing a mere mention to a
> complimentary one.
> The Greek word φυλή, usually, but not always, translated as tribe, comes
> up in this.
>
> "Members of the tribe," or MOT, is, as far as I know, a fairly recent (?)
> self-designation, but earlier than 2005, as a quick check takes it, but
> earlier, if my Brandeis days memory might suggest so.
> In recent usage, apparently, not specifying one of twelve tribes.
> (A student years ago told me she was told she was of the tribe of
> Benjamin, but that, I guess, had a different source.)
> Tribe can seem neutral or negative or positive—"Abu ben Adhem, may his
> tribe increase!"
> Anyway how old, say ye?
>
>

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