naming a language

[John Moore]

This discussion reminds me of a news story I recently saw.  Academics 
often go to pains to avoid ethnic terms that may be offensive, even when 
the new terms are not well-known outside academic and politically 
informed circles.  This can lead to problems, as in the case of a hate 
crime trial in Canada.  The skinhead defendants had been holding up a 
sign saying "Honk if you hate Gypsies".  The prosecution used the 
alternative term 'Roma'.  The judge threw the case out because evidence 
was not presented to show that 'Roma' and 'Gypsies' had the same referent.

John