LINGUIST List 5.867

Tue 02 Aug 1994

Misc: Popularization, Inoffensish speech, Hakuna matata

Editor for this issue: <>

Directory

1. Bruce Nevin, political distraction
2. Stephen P Spackman, Re: 5.861 Inoffensish
3. Evan S. Smith, Hakuna matata (Lion King)

One person wrote to me protesting my apparent equation of conservatism
with racism in my post about popularizing linguistics. The offending
passage was carelessly and thoughtlessly written, and I apologize for
it. I hope that who do take offense at it can set that reaction aside
and not be distracted from the central concern, which is the opportunities
and pitfalls of popularizing linguistics.

 Bruce Nevin

Message 2: Re: 5.861 Inoffensish

Sirs:

I am horrified that in a note on a proposal for a supposedly
Inoffensive Language, Mx. Jacques Guy has repeatedly availed hirself
of the irredeemably sexist word "perSON". Surely by now everyone must
be aware that "perffspring" is to be preferred.

I remain etc. & etc.,
 stephen p spackman (Mx.)

Text item: Text_1

 Hakuna matata, used in The Lion King, is Swahili for "there is no
 difficulty," something like "no sweat" in English. In the movie, it is
 anglicized to approx. [kuwn mtaD], where  = schwa.

 Evan Smith
 smitheext.missouri.edu