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Re: CHAT: Anti-Semitism

From:David Barrow <davidab@...>
Date:Saturday, April 10, 2004, 22:40
--- In conlang@yahoogroups.com, Andreas Johansson <andjo@F...> wrote:
> I'm afraid this is terribly OT, but I figure this is the place I
can ask with
> the highest chance of someone actually knowing the answer. > > In an online discussion, the origin of the word 'anti-semitism'
came up. It's
> clearly a poorly chosen term, since it doesn't denote hostility
towards
> Semites in general, but specifically towards Jews (who don't
necessarily speak
> any Semitic language!). Indeed, these days, the label is very
commonly applied
> to Semitic-speaking Arabs. Does anyone know when the word was
coined, and
> whether there's some comprehensible reason that this misleading
formation was
> chosen? > > Andreas
from http://www.etymonline.com anti-Semitism - 1881, from Ger. Antisemitismus, first used by Wilhelm Marr in 1880, from anti- + Semite (q.v.). Not etymologically restricted to anti-Jewish theories, actions or policies, but almost always used in this sense. Those who object to the inaccuracy of the term might try H. Adler's Judaeophobia (1882). David Barrow

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John Cowan <cowan@...>