But it is exactly historical reality, the extended family of linguistically similar words, that provides the unconscious impact--the connotations--that are essential to the real meanings of words.
>...What matters is what the saying/word/rhyme/whatever means to people
>today...
A word "means" different things to different people: one thing to the ignorant, another to the intelligent.
>...Take the use of the word "niggardly,"...
Case in point.
>...the word "niggardly" has now acquired
>meaning beyond its dictionary definition; so people who know better
>probably shouldn't use it...
Stupid ignorance is not so new. I remember back in 1950 or so, there was a debate on Socialism vs. Catholicism between Max Shachtman and an influential "labor" priest, Father Owen Rice, who accused Shachtman of using racist language because he spoke about the "niggardly" handouts from religious charities to the unemployed.
>...a woman who objected to the use
>of the word "hysterical" because of its sexist etymology. Her
>position was basically that sordid etymology -- I suppose via some
>mystical process -- irrevocably pollutes certain words. That struck
>me as beyond-flakey -- I'd never associated hysteria with women until
>she brought the etymology to my attention. The vast majority of
>people today don't have any idea what the history of the word is, so
>people in the know should feel free to use it...
A little test: "There was a hysterical _____screaming_____head off."
What were the first pair of words that came to mind? (child/its) or (man/his) or (woman/her)?
Shane Mage
"Mortals immortals, immortals mortals,
living their deaths, dying their lives"
Herakleitos of Ephesos, fr. 62