Seppo the Word Weasel burrows into excrement

From: Floyd L. Davidson (floyd_at_barrow.com)
Date: 07/25/04 

Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 08:32:47 -0800

Seppo Renfors <Renfors@not.com.au> wrote:
>"Floyd L. Davidson" wrote:
>> The term "Eskimo" is not a derogatory term.
>
>Oh dear, he now contradicts not only himself, but the OED, the world
>authority on the English language as well.....

Well, I'd say that if Jose Mailhot and Ives Goddard, not to
mention just about every other anthropologist, says the OED is
wrong, then it probably is.

>> >But then he has actually dropped a clanger or two more, as "Inuit" is
>> >a reference to PEOPLE of a particular ethnic group - not a culture -
>>
>> Oops, that is not what I've said.
>
>Of course not - it was ME, try looking at the attribution markers!

And you accuse me of not understanding English? "he has
actually dropped" refers to who? You????

Your claim that "Inuit" references a single "PEOPLE", and not a
culture, is patently ridiculous. I suggest you go to google and
search on the phrase "inuit culture". I got 14,800 hits! Not
bad for something which doesn't exist, eh? You might read the
good ones... the ones put up by Inuit peoples, describing the
various Inuit cultures.

For starters, try

    www.inuit.org
    www.sila.dk

>> I've said that it can
>> reference a set of peoples, a culture group, or a language group.
>
>You mean you AMENDED your statement here and BACK DATING it now in an
>effort to pick up a clanger you dropped!

Naw. I've been saying that on Usenet for well over a decade. I
haven't wavered yet.

        "Eskimo" refers to a group of people and languages, of
        which there are several branches.
            posted July 21, 1994

>Hey *I* don't force you to write in the abysmal manner you do. It is
>CLEAR you yourself have stated "the Inuit branch", and that is
>clearly understood and INTENDED to be understood as an ethnic name,

Well, a whole group of linguists commonly apply it to the language,
does that mean linguists don't use language well?

>and that name is "Inuit". As there is an ethnic group BY that name,
>then it cannot be used to describe all other people as well - eg the
>Aleuts!

There are a *lot* of people, including a few anthropologists,
who call *all* Eskimo people "Inuit". We might note that Yupik
Eskimos are no more Inuit than are Unangam.

You seem to be making up rules that nobody else knows about!

>> (BTW, I normally use "Eskimo" just about 100% of the time. In
>> order to prevent people from being totally confused, I've
>> modified that in this thread, and commonly use both to help the
>> quoted material make sense.)
>
>It would be far simpler if you were to simply refer to "Arctic people"
>when you are looking for an all encompassing term for them. But that
>would be too much like common sense, wouldn't it.

Well, simple minded is what that would be. There are lots of "Arctic
people" who are not Eskimos. The point is to reference *only* the
specific group known as Eskimos! Those would, of course, be all of
the Yupik and all of the Inuit peoples.

Are you getting the picture yet???

>> ages 10-12, but that was 25 years ago and hence prior art
>> exists. Of course, just about *every* 12 year old tries it...
>
>...and they too are running rings around you, I suppose. Not
>surprising, it doesn't take much effort you know :-)

My children grew up and became adults a couple decades ago. They
don't run in circles anymore.

I'll grant that you do. 

-- 
FloydL. Davidson           <http://web.newsguy.com/floyd_davidson>
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska)                         floyd@barrow.com

Relevant Pages

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