What’s In A Name?
May 1, 2008
Apparently a lot if you don’t want your island heritage confused with sexual preference. Islanders on Lesbos are trying to reclaim their name, first from homsexuals, then from THE WORLD.
It has been rumored that if the reclamation is successful, it might set a dangerous linguistic precedent. All people who have ever been happy are already amassing a legal team to return ‘gay’ to its lexical, and antiquated, meaning. Could Leprechauns roping in rainbows be far behind?
There actually is some merit to this case. If nothing else, it would help history teachers present the details of ancient Greece to their class without a group of 3 kids snickering about the ladies of Lesbos in the back. Good luck shifting the meaning of a word understood throughout the entire world, though. That’s the type of boulder even Sisyphus is likely to walk away from.
Janus
kingremi
aristeides
May 1, 2008 at 10:05 pm
1. Anytime Greece is mentioned, the world is a better place.
2. This should serve as incentive to go back to the original Lesbian, Sapphos, and read her poetry.
3. Contemplate Greece and all her glory past and present.
May 2, 2008 at 9:00 pm
In a related note, can everyone go back to using “literally” in its figurative sense? As an ancient Greek, I insist on etymological correctness, even though that word is descended from that dirty pig language, Latin.
Also, cf. the debate between descriptive vs. perscriptive linguistics, if you ever want to feel like blowing your brains out.
May 2, 2008 at 9:00 pm
In a related note, can everyone go back to using “literally” in its figurative sense? As an ancient Greek, I insist on etymological correctness, even though that word is descended from that dirty pig language, Latin.
Also, cf. the debate between descriptive vs. prescriptive linguistics, if you ever want to feel like blowing your brains out.
May 4, 2008 at 9:12 pm
You did note that they are now claiming Sappho *wasn’t* a lesbian (but was very much a Lesbian)?