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ArchivesSaddam vs. Sodom
Does anyone know the origin of the Arabic name Saddam?
I'm interested especially in what I'm assuming is mispronunciation by the Bush administration so it sounds like "Sodom."
thanx,
Razz
I'm interested especially in what I'm assuming is mispronunciation by the Bush administration so it sounds like "Sodom."
thanx,
Razz
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Replies
I don't know the meaning of Saddam, but back during the Gulf War, I assumed like most people that Geo. H.W. Bush was simply getting the name wrong (like Baby Doc Bush sez "nucular", or the Guvmint sez "al-kayda" despite most folks, including the Arabs, saying "al-kyda" or "al-ky'eeda").
Anyhow, sometime around '94, I heard a bit of commentary on TV that the mispronunciation was deliberate, and that the Arabic word pronounced "sodom" meant "bootblack" or "shoeshine boy". So Bush was actually dissing Hussein by purposely demeaning his name.
Can any Arabic-speakers substantiate the above?
Sorry I don't recall where I saw this, but at the time it came from what I considered a legit source of information.
- Da.
Anyhow, sometime around '94, I heard a bit of commentary on TV that the mispronunciation was deliberate, and that the Arabic word pronounced "sodom" meant "bootblack" or "shoeshine boy". So Bush was actually dissing Hussein by purposely demeaning his name.
Can any Arabic-speakers substantiate the above?
Sorry I don't recall where I saw this, but at the time it came from what I considered a legit source of information.
- Da.
1
My parents told me that Winston Churchill, during WWII, used to deliberately pronounce Nazi as Naahzi, despite knowing perfectly well what is should sound like - same reason, no doubt.
And my mother would chat for hours about Italian food, Italian opera, Italian holidays etc but when the topic of WWII and Mussolini and the gang came up, she (quite without realising what she was doing) used the version: Eyetalian.
And my mother would chat for hours about Italian food, Italian opera, Italian holidays etc but when the topic of WWII and Mussolini and the gang came up, she (quite without realising what she was doing) used the version: Eyetalian.
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Saddam Hussein in the MidEast
So, damn! Who's sane in the MidEast?
My brother and I did this one in a moment of excess hilarity.
Y :)
So, damn! Who's sane in the MidEast?
My brother and I did this one in a moment of excess hilarity.
Y :)
1
I don´t know. But why do everybody call him by his first name,is it because Hussein is too usual?
Bush vs Hussein?
Bush vs Hussein?
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I'm sure there was an article on this in the guardian / independent a while ago. check the archives of www.guardian.co.uk .
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