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Zmehjzd gave a just answer, I think. The matter maybe should be dicussed with a real member of the Khoisan people, but where to find one Khoisan at all? There are different kinds of speech impediments. So we just say : someone stammers or someone lisps. "Don't speak Hottentots" is mostly used when someone who can speak well doesn't. It seems to me that wishing on piebald horses would be a successful business there. (^_^)
(In case that doesn't "translate": If you make a wish on a piebald (spotted) horse without thinking about its tail, the wish will come true.) Not familiar with betting on horses.You took the effort to explain (thanks), but I can make head nor tail of/from it. Is it not the nose of the horse that decides the outcome of a race? ( absolutely in the dark)
Last edited by BranShea; 06/18/08 05:26 PM.
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Well, ignoring things like etymonline's explanation...
Hottentot
1677, from S.African Du., said to mean "stammerer," it is from hot en tot "hot and tot," nonsense words imitative of the clicking, jerking Khoisan speech.
or AskOxford ORIGIN Dutch, perhaps a repetitive formula in a Khoikhoi dancing song, transferred by Dutch sailors to the people themselves, or from German hotteren-totteren ‘stutter’ (with reference to their click language).
which seem to me to suggest that the origin of the name was possibly not "politically correct" to begin with... (ChingChong Chinese for another example) If there were a hypothetical town of Stamm in the country of Stutt, my first choice to call the people would not be Stammer or Stutter - even if the result wasn't negative. Would you call someone from Chay a chair? ;-)
Last edited by Myridon; 06/18/08 09:15 PM.
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Not familiar with betting on horses.You took the effort to explain (thanks), but I can make head nor tail of/from it. Is it not the nose of the horse that decides the outcome of a race? (absolutely in the dark) I guess I need to explain "make a wish on something". By example, you "make a wish on a star" or "wish on a star". "Star light, star bright, I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight." "When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are, anything your heart desires will come to you." No betting or racing involved. You see the horse (standing by the road as you drive by maybe). You make a wish. You don't think of the horse's tail while you do it and the wish comes true. Obviously, it's very hard to be looking at a horse with tail attached and think about not thinking about its tail without actually thinking about its tail. Any better?
Last edited by Myridon; 06/18/08 09:19 PM.
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Good enough for a cheer up laugh on a cold summer morning. (*_*)
[ Edit: only now I read your edit.]
Right, it wasn't "politically correct" to begin with. Political correctness is an invention of the last five to ten years. As is the hype in nations asking official pardons for incorrect treatments in he past. Where is the end to all the pardons we have to give and ask for.
Isn't it better to do things right now in stead of making empty repairs for the past?
In offense it's all about the way you adress someone. The words hardly matter. You can call someone: "doormat", "buttercup" " chair", even "mate" or "friend" and be offensive. You can say:"creep" "hottentot", "hooplehead" (borrowed) and not be offensive.
No betting on a comet, I guess?
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I think I torpedoed my own point by saying ""politically correct"" even though I put it in quotes. Let me try again.
When I (assuming I hadn't just looked up the etymology) say "The Hottentots speak in Hottentot dialects," the word Hottentot is relatively meaningless to me.
When you say it in in Dutch, it "sounds" like "The stutters speak in stutter dialects." While you may find that "inoffensive", doesn't it cause a bit of something sort of like cognitive dissonance or looking at the picture with the vase and seeing the two faces?
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When you say it in in Dutch--[ you didn't do this on purpose did you ? ? (*_=) ] Nee,nay, we need not go below sea level to work this out, but lets get to the bottom of this. (+_+) This hottentot thing is offending no one. First: it is not used in the direct way : You are an ugly hottentot.No. Second: it is not offending any population group. The Khoisans can't know this word is still used to correct a dutch person's sloppy speach or used to denounce some one who might stammer or just does not articulate well. We're as considerate with people with a speech impediment as the rest of "civilized" mankind. (and making as many mistakes). We were taught not to make fun of anyone's whatever impediment. Third... just for the color.
Last edited by BranShea; 06/19/08 06:29 PM.
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[ you didn't do this on purpose did you ? ? (*_=) ] Do what on purpose? In my last post, I was merely asking if you notice something else about the situation, nothing to do with offensiveness. As in my earlier example (people from the mythical town of Chay), if I found myself saying "The Chayers speak a Chayer dialect" I might find it amusing because Chayer would sound like chair.
Last edited by Myridon; 06/19/08 09:25 PM.
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[ you didn't do this on purpose did you ? ? (*_=) ] Do what on purpose? >"When you say it in in Dutch" assuming she meant the *stutter.. - joe (two-note) friday
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I was giving you the keyboard wink. I was the coincidence of your
'in in'. It was meant friendly.
>I might find it amusing because Chayer would sound like chair.
As I found it too. There was nothing offensive in your post and I hope nothing in mine.
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Political correctness is an invention of the last five to ten years. I suspect you may be showing your age there Bran. I'd say at least 15 to 20 years since that term became common currency. Time does seem to go faster as we get older doesn't it? Sigh. 
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