----- Original Message ----- From: "William T Goodall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "BRIN-L" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, October 02, 2002 7:36 PM Subject: Re: Intellectual output from the Arab World
> on 2/10/02 10:40 pm, Jon Gabriel at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > > Jeroen, you've stated onlist before about how your English language skills > > reflect that you are not a native English speaker. Allow me to correct your > > misinterpretation of the word "antisemitism" by presenting some valid source > > material: > > > >> From Miriam Webster's online dictionary: > > (www.m-w.com) > > One entry found for anti-Semitism. > > Main Entry: an�ti-Sem�i�tism > > Pronunciation: "an-ti-'se-m&-"ti-z&m, "an-"tI- > > Function: noun > > Date: 1882 > > : hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or > > racial group > > - an�ti-Se�mit�ic /-s&-'mi-tik/ adjective > > - an�ti-Sem�ite /-'se-"mIt/ noun > > > > The American Heritage dictionary, which I have on my desk at work lists the > > following definitions for antisemitism: > > n. 1. Hostility toward or prejudice against Jews or Judaism. 2. > > Discrimination against Jews. > > > > The American Heritage dictionary may have an online site... I just don't > > have time to check right now. > > > > Since both the Miriam Webster and American Heritage dictionaries are > > accepted as one of the authoritative sources for spelling and definitions of > > English, your definition of antisemitism as listed in your message (quoted > > above) is incorrect. In modern parlance, indeed in proper English usage > > antisemitism is defined as someone who is anti-Jew, not anti-Jew and > > anti-Arab. > > > > So, in reference to your statement: > > > >>> It is one of the major flaws in the "logic" of the > >> fanatically-pro-Israel > >>> crowd. > > > > This is not a flaw in their logic. They are using the word properly and you > > are not. > > > > I hope this clears things up. > > >From Chambers 20th Century Dictionary (the /other/ main British Dictionary) > > "Anti-Semite a hater of Semites, esp. Jews, or of their influence. - adj. > Anti-Semitic. - n. > > > Semite n. a member of any of the peoples said (Gen. X) to be descended from > Shem or speaking a Semitic language. > > Semitic languages : Assyrian, Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician, Arabic, Ethiopic > etc." > > We obviously use different definitions in the Old World. > Nope, you use more sophistry in the old world. Your definition of "anti-semite" is virtually the same as ours. Yet you *choose* to add definitions of other terms into the mix in order to justify your prejudices. (Those prejudices are not necessarily anti-semitism BTW) You will notice that no one has brought forth a definition that defines "anti-semite" as a hater of middle eastern people. That is because the term "anti-semite" has a specific definition that is derived, not from dictionary use, but from language use over a very long period of time. You just dont see the term used in any other way. xponent Semite Neutral Maru rob _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
