Re: what is etymology? (linguistics and biology)

Peter T. Daniels wrote: 
Ekkehard Dengler wrote:

Let me add that if you really feel strongly about derogatory epithets, the
logical thing to do would be to stop calling people things like "idiot",
"twit", "bitch" etc.


I don't think the dog community is offended when someone is called
"bitch"; I don't know the background of "twit," though I don't think
it's derived from any run-of-the-mill anthroponym; and "idiot" refers to
a particular level of inability to cope with mental complications that
makes it, in some contexts, quite appropriate.

Umm, Peter ... You seem perilously close to deducing meaning (or at least connotation) from etymology ...


Colin
.

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