Re: Ombud?

From: Evertjan. (exjxw.hannivoort_at_interxnl.net)
Date: 06/27/04 

Date: 27 Jun 2004 19:52:43 GMT

Ron Hardin wrote on 27 jun 2004 in sci.lang:

> What, in Swedish, is an Ombud? The question comes up because some
> people are using ``ombud'' where others use ``ombudsman,'' presumably
> because of the dreaded -man suffix and various forms of trivial
> feminism at large.
>
> But, as far as I can tell, the -man part is your representative in
> or against the ombud. Alas, my source is not clear on this.
>
> In any case, there's an ombud and an ombudsman in Swedish. What is
> their relation?
>
> Is it like a congressman being your representative against congress?
> In which case the substitution is not only annoying but positively
> wrong.
>

Merriam Webster says the combination is already made in Old Norsk:

Main Entry: om·buds·man
Pronunciation: 'äm-"budz-m&n, 'om-, -b&dz-, -"man; äm-'budz-, om-
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural om·buds·men /-m&n/

Etymology: Swedish, literally, representative, from Old Norse
umbothsmathr, from umboth commission + mathr man

1 : a government official (as in Sweden or New Zealand) appointed to
receive and investigate complaints made by individuals against abuses or
capricious acts of public officials

2 : one that investigates reported complaints (as from students or
consumers), reports findings, and helps to achieve equitable settlements

- om·buds·man·ship /-"ship/ noun 

-- 
Evertjan.
The Netherlands.
(Please change the x'es to dots in my emailaddress)