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HelpRe: Oh, not this again!
in reply to a message by Miranda
You will notice that I did not ask you to use African-American that is simply what I feel comfortable using.
Also, it is not always what you say, but how you say it that gives people pause. Judging from your subject line, I am not the only one that has had a problem with this subject.
Uneducated, fine, lower class, fine, even my so hated expression "made up" would have been better, but the fact remains, you lumped in an ethnicity with two very degrating terms, whether you see it that way or not.
Also, it is not always what you say, but how you say it that gives people pause. Judging from your subject line, I am not the only one that has had a problem with this subject.
Uneducated, fine, lower class, fine, even my so hated expression "made up" would have been better, but the fact remains, you lumped in an ethnicity with two very degrating terms, whether you see it that way or not.
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Fine
I truly don't see anything really wrong with what I said, but if it makes you feel better I shall try and remember to say "I think this name sounds like it would be used by an uneducated, lower-class, probably Black parent." And I'll use "African-American" instead of "Black" when talking to you, in deference to your preference.
Would that be acceptable to you? (No sarcasm intended, despite what it might sound like.)
As for "made up", this is an etymology site that happens to focus on names. A made up name that's not formed out of elements that have meanings has no etymology, and isn't what a lot of people here are here for. There's a huge difference between something like Adelinda, which could be spontaneously made up out of Germanic æðel "noble" and linde "soft/tender", and Shalira, which is a combination of sha and lira and has absolutely no etymological meaning whatsoever. It's true that all names were once made up, but it's only really been in the 20th-century that names have been made up out of etymologically meaningless elements.
Miranda
"Multiple exclamation marks are a sure sign of diseased mind" -- Terry Pratchett
Proud adopter of 15 punctuation marks. Check my profile for their names.
I truly don't see anything really wrong with what I said, but if it makes you feel better I shall try and remember to say "I think this name sounds like it would be used by an uneducated, lower-class, probably Black parent." And I'll use "African-American" instead of "Black" when talking to you, in deference to your preference.
Would that be acceptable to you? (No sarcasm intended, despite what it might sound like.)
As for "made up", this is an etymology site that happens to focus on names. A made up name that's not formed out of elements that have meanings has no etymology, and isn't what a lot of people here are here for. There's a huge difference between something like Adelinda, which could be spontaneously made up out of Germanic æðel "noble" and linde "soft/tender", and Shalira, which is a combination of sha and lira and has absolutely no etymological meaning whatsoever. It's true that all names were once made up, but it's only really been in the 20th-century that names have been made up out of etymologically meaningless elements.
"Multiple exclamation marks are a sure sign of diseased mind" -- Terry Pratchett
Proud adopter of 15 punctuation marks. Check my profile for their names.
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