Hi Aristo This issue is a can of worms because usage changes all the time. Suddenly, one finds an accepted term has become derogatory and one can get caught out by those insistent on being politically correct instantly without allowing for a period of transition to the new accepted terminology and no space/allowance for MANNER and CONTEXT as you point out.
Uncle Tom is perfectly OK in the UK but apparantly not so across the pond. The word chinkey or term chinky-eyed would be very unacceptable here just like slit-eyed as once used by Prince Phillip. I note the interesting examples you have provided and have learnt something new about the people of Hawai for example. However, I agree with you that, what is permisable in in-group situations is sometimes strongly resented by an outsider using the same words. Nigger is a case in point. My black colleagues readily call fellow blacks, niggers in almost affectionate terms but would be truly upset if an outsider used the word. Also here, calling a spade a spade is OK but your reference to calling a fig a fig is not known here just as the word bloke (for guy) was not known to my American colleagues, nor the term toy boy! Have you come across toy boy used for someone on the young side with a mature woman as his companion? But I am aware that I have conversationally switched the initial discussion somewhat. It is possible others may join in this debate. Incidentally, in which part of the world are you located? Regards Cornel PS Afro Caribbean is OK here to distinguish from Indian Caribbean but there is no strong call for African Caribbean as yet. On another point, a Goan bloke in Finland who had studied at university in the UK, kept referring to negroes in his posts on another site and he seemed truly puzzled when I indicated to him that it was not acceptable at all here in the UK. Indeed he wanted to see some text in university rules which would have said that negro was unacceptable but although I did not try too hard, I could not find such rules written down anywhere. On this count, I have had to alert Indian and European students coming to study here to avoid the term negro which they innocently use at first. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Aristo" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 3:44 AM Subject: Re: [Goanet] Lost tribe of Africa, Mestizos/response to Cornel > Hi Selma & Cornel, > > I have not been following this thread in its entirety, but this one caught > my eye. I claim no expert knowledge about the history of the semantics of > racial groups, but I have a few thoughts on today's usage. I don't see the > need to invent any new words. As you may have noticed, I have used the > word > "Black" instead of "African-XXXXX" before and I do so frequently, as I am > not a stickler for political correctness.... _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list [email protected] http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org
