Subject:
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Re: Terms and Conditions Question
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Mon, 10 May 1999 21:57:34 GMT
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Viewed:
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828 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Simon Denscombe writes:
>
> > Homophobic is a slang term, which derives from another slang term 'homo'
> > (homosexual), and has no basis as a scientific term. It's unfortuate, and I
> > do my best to never use it, and attempt to gently correct friends when they
> > use it, because, as is often the case, a scientific-sounding term is being
> > used to provide an opinion with a sense of legitimacy.
>
> Well homophobia is in regular use everywhere - I wouldn't call that
> slang.
>
> > What I always found particularly ironic is that, going by the way the • various
> > "phobias" are structured (from the greek), homophobia means 'fear of same'
> > Think about that, next time someone describes themself as homophobic. ;-)
>
> I know that - homo also means man according to Mr Stanley - so it could
> be fear of men. This is an example of a word which is not a sum of it's
> component parts.
Yes, but as I stated above, it mimics scientific (medical) terminology,
without actually having that scientific basis behind it. By doing so, it
masquarades as a legitimate term for a condition, when in fact, it is a coined
phrase for an opinion. This, IMHO, makes it slang. Slang, to me, (and I
think, in general, but don't have a linguistics professor handy) is words that
have come into general use, but aren't "part" of the language. An excellent
example is "ain't" - It's in general use (most places I've ever been in North
America), but is labeled slang on those occaisions when I've seen it in a
dictionary. By my lights, that's essentially the same situation as homophobia.
$0.02
James
http://www.shades-of-night.com/lego/
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Message has 1 Reply:
Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Terms and Conditions Question
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| (...) Oh dear... (...) Well they are words too but not in this case. (...) Well homophobia is in regular use everywhere - I wouldn't call that slang. (...) I know that - homo also means man according to Mr Stanley - so it could be fear of men. This (...) (26 years ago, 9-May-99, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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