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#178114 07/10/08 01:21 PM
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Luddite refers to a person. Not sure if there's an adjectival form of it or a noun form that describes the mindset of a Luddite. Misoneism cover it, but Luddite refers to technology change and not to change in general. Conservative (ism) is a more neutral word, I think, to describe one who resists change, but without the underlying premise that the change is necessarily good.

(Of course political baggage might make it a pejorative in some circles in the same way that liberal or progressive might be pejorative in others.)

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I think Luddite could be easily used as an adjective, in for example, a Luddite mindset, which is what you could call the mindset of a Luddite. In fact doesn't the 'ite' ending indicate that it was probably originally an adjective that has been nouned? Who or what was a 'Ludd' anyway?

As for a word for Luddite that doesn't have the same level of pejorativeness (pejorativity?) I guess technophobe (-ic) would still be slightly negative, as would reactionary. If you're accepting neologisms, how about neo-wary? Or perhaps you could find a word that emphasizes the positive aspect of wanting to hang on to what is good from the past, rather than being afraid of the future? Like a nostalgiaphile, or whatever the real word for that would be.

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Who or what was a 'Ludd' anyway?

Wikipedia is your friend.

Ned Ludd


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